Now
that we have seen all that is necessary, we may as well be off and begin
to get ready."
The covers were taken off the boxes of dynamite, and these were
unscrewed, and the explosive was with great care divided into the
portions as agreed upon. Two of the cases furnished just sufficient for
the ammunition waggons and the two big guns, the other two for the
smaller cannon and the trucks with the rifles. The charges were sewn up
in pieces of the canvas, the smaller charges for the ammunition boxes
being enclosed in thinner stuff that had been sewn under the canvas used
in packing; the fuses and detonators were then cut and inserted. Chris
was perfectly up in this work, having performed the operation scores of
times in the mines. The length it should burn was only decided after a
discussion.
There would be in all nineteen charges to explode, and these were in
three groups at some little distance from each other, all the cannon
being on the same siding. It would be necessary, perhaps, to wait for
some time till all these were free from observation by natives or others
who might be moving about the yard, then a signal must be given that
they could all see. It would not take long to light the fuses, for each
of them would be provided with a slow match, which burns with but a
spark, and could be held under a hat or an inverted tin cup till the
time came for using it.
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