The signalman had previously found a little open spot on the hill with a good background, against which his flags could be seen from the sea, and he began waving them vigorously from side to side, whilst I watched through my glasses to tell him directly the signalman on board the Sylvia or "No. 3" spotted him. "No. 3" it was who first ran up the answering pendant.
"Them Sylvia's don't think of nothing but sleepin' an' eatin'," growled the signalman, and commenced slowly semaphoring "Captain Hunter to flag-ship.—Am dropping shells into harbour, and ships are rapidly getting up steam. All quiet up here."
I saw that "No. 3" had taken in the message, and she hauled down the answering pendant and began to steam towards "No. 2" till it was possible to pass it on to her.
Presently "No. 2" had also received it, and hoisted flags to call the Laird's attention. Her signalmen must have been very much on the alert, for almost immediately her answering flag went crawling up—a tiny little patch in her rigging—to her mast-head, and I could see "No. 2's" signalman perched on the unsteady bridge, half smothered with spray and semaphoring with his flags.
Down came the flag aboard the Laird, and I could imagine the signal midshipman already tearing down the bridge ladder to take the message to Captain Helston.
"That'll cheer 'em up, sir, out there in the wet," said the signalman, as I climbed up again to report to Captain Hunter that I had managed to pass it through to the flag-ship.
I was sent down to wait for any reply, and found the signalman watching the Laird through his telescope. "She's just going to make a signal from her mast-head semaphore, sir," he said. So I stood by to write it down as he spelt out the letters.
[The mast-head semaphore consists of two large black-and-white arms, which can be worked from the bridge below.]
"I.F—E.N.E.M.Y—L.E.A.V.E—H.A.R.B.O.U.R," I wrote down as he sung out the letters, and the message continued, "Endeavour to support me with your gun. 'No. 3' and 'No. 2' are to rejoin the squadron, and Sylvia to act independently."
I was just rushing up hill with this when the signalman sung out, "They've started again, sir," and spelt out, "Officers and men, Laird and Strong Arm, congratulate you all on success. Repeat signal to 'No. 3' and Sylvia."