"Stand back out of the line of light," he cried to one of his men.
Then with little scraping clicks of the lantern shutter, the single eye of light turned westward, he began to spell out a message.
Three times he gave his opening call before receiving an answer by signal lantern from behind the fort at Freshwater. Having achieved connection he patiently spelt out the following message:
"Report to officer in command Heatherpoint."
"Who are you?" came the answer.
"Watson, emergency light number 6."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Lieutenant Treves been murdered. Lying dead Heather Cottage."
The lantern at Freshwater took the message, and before signalling on said, "Repeat."
Watson, with a grim face, repeated the message and added: