"She is signalling us," cried Daubeney excitedly. "Here you," he shouted to a sailor, "bring Jones here at once."
Jones was the yacht's expert signaller. He approached with a telescope and a code under his arm. After a prolonged gaze and a careful scrutiny of the code, he announced—
"This is how the message reads: 'Turks on board.
Stopping Messina.—Winter.'"
For once the barrister was startled out of his usual quiet self-possession.
"Winter!" he almost screamed. "Is he there?"
A hundred mad questions coursed through his brain, but he realized that to attempt a long explanation by signals was not only out of the question, but could not fail to attract the attention of passengers on board the Ganges. This he did not desire to do. Quick as lightning, he decided that by some inexplicable means the Scotland Yard detective had reached Marseilles full of the knowledge that Dubois and the diamonds were en route to Sicily, and had also learnt that he, Brett, and the others were on board the Blue-Bell.
He had evidently taken the speediest means of reaching the island, and found himself on board the same ship as Gros Jean and the Turks. Hence he had approached the captain with the request that the Blue-Bell should be signalled.
"What shall we answer?" said Daubeney, breaking in upon the barrister's train of thought.
"Oh, say that the signal is fully understood."
Whilst the answering flags were being displayed Daubeney asked—