CAPE SABLE 87 



stems may be three, four, or five angled (the young 

 ones sometimes have even more) and each angle 

 is lined with terrific spines an inch or more in 

 length. They are so sharp and strong that they 

 easily pierce the heaviest leather boot. The ex- 

 plorer may be ever so alert but he is certain to run 

 into it dozens of times in such a forest. He is 

 equally sure to carry away a fine collection of its 

 thorns, which have a vicious way of breaking oflE 

 in his body. As though this were not enough 

 there is another Cereus which is just about as 

 villainous (C. eriophorus). It has about ten ribs 

 and nearly round stems. Fortunately it has one 

 merit that the other does not possess and that is 

 it is rather scarce. In much of the cape territory 

 a dwarfed form of Agave (common on the keys) 

 covers the ground, and it frequently grows in 

 company with a very spiny Opuntia. A more or 

 less dver-present pest among thorns is our familiar 

 puU-and-haul-back vine. The only relief from the 

 grasp of its curved spines, after the preliminary 

 resort to profanity, is carefully to cut away the 

 entwining vines with an always handy and sharp 

 knife. During the process one must not move an 

 inch in any direction. Everywhere is a network 



