'The practice you have had when preparing for our racing competitions,' he pointed out to his son and the two chums, when unfolding his scheme, 'will now come in useful. What we have to do is to take the enemy by surprise as soon as they are sufficiently scattered. You must be ready to execute some of those daring aerial dives with which you have many times excited the wonder and admiration of the crowds of spectators assembled at our aerial regattas. Then they were executed merely as feats of manoeuvring and aerial craftsmanship; now they may decide the fate of the battle. I am going to show you youngsters my reliance upon your nerve and steadiness by trusting you to follow my lead. It will be a risky card to play, but if we keep our heads, and carry it through successfully, it may mean the defeat of the whole hostile fleet and the capture of Agrando himself—if he is there, as I believe he is!'
'We 're ready, father!' cried Alondra. 'And you can trust Gerald and Jack. They know how to manage the Lokris now as well as I do.'
'We'll do our best, sir!' said Gerald modestly. 'And thank you for giving us the chance! If we can do anything towards defeating Agrando we shall feel we are aiding in the deliverance of Mr Armeath—especially if, as you suggest may be the case, we can capture the tyrant himself.'
Preliminaries having been thus settled, the yachts drew apart and took up positions in readiness for the work before them.
Meantime, they were as yet far from the contending forces, and there was nothing to be done, while they were drifting slowly towards them, but observe what went on through their glasses with such patience as they could muster.
The two sailors were watching, too, not less eagerly than their leaders, and their remarks and comments upon what they saw were both quaint and original.
'What a queer way o' fightin'!' sniffed Tom Clinch scornfully. 'No smell o' powder, no noise o' big guns! An' look at their formation—one lot above another, an' another above them agen an' agen! A reg'lar four-decker business!'
'Ay, it do seem stoopid like,' Bob Reid agreed.
'S'pose some o' the top uns dropped, they 'd go bang on top o' them below! Did ye ever 'ear o' sich a way o' settin' out in battle array?'
'By Jingo, Bob, look at them there strings o' chaps bein' towed inter battle hangin' on ter hawsers, an' swingin' an' swayin' about in the air! Did ye ever 'ear o' the likes o' that, now?'