With almost feverish haste he ascertained that the half-filled tin did really contain oil.
"What a find!" he ejaculated aloud.

Another pair of birds dashed from a ledge near the roof.
"Confound you!" shouted the sailor.

He sprang back and whacked the walls viciously, but all the feathered intruders had gone.
So far as he could judge the cave harbored no further surprises.
Returning towards the exit his boots dislodged more empty cartridges from the sand.

They were shells adapted to a revolver of heavy caliber.
At a short distance from the doorway they were present in dozens.
"The remnants of a fight," he thought.

"The man was attacked, and defended himself here.