FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   219   220   221   222   223   224   225   226   227   228   229   230   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   >>  
t Government motor, with awnings out, slide up the road from the direction of Fulham; and yet five minutes more before the three men appeared with their servants behind them--Maxwell, Snowford and Cartwright, all alike, as was Oliver, in white duck from head to foot. They did not speak one word of their business, for the officials were going to and fro, and it was advisable to guard against even the smallest possibility of betrayal. The guard had been told that the volor was required for a three days' journey, that provisions were to be taken in for that period, and that the first point towards which the course was to lie was the centre of the South Downs. There would be no stopping for at least a day and a night. Further instructions had reached them from the President on the previous morning, by which time He had completed His visitation, and received the assent of the Emergency Councils of the world. This Snowford commented upon in an undertone, and added a word or two as to details, as the four stood together looking out over the city. Briefly, the plan was as follows, at least so far as it concerned England. The volor was to approach Palestine from the direction of the Mediterranean, observing to get into touch with France on her left and Spain on her right within ten miles of the eastern end of Crete. The approximate hour was fixed at twenty-three (eastern time). At this point she was to show her night signal, a scarlet line on a white field; and in the event of her failing to observe her neighbours was to circle at that point, at a height of eight hundred feet, until either the two were sighted or further instructions were received. For the purpose of dealing with emergencies, the President's car, which would finally make its entrance from the south, was to be accompanied by an _aide-de-camp_ capable of moving at a very high speed, whose signals were to be taken as Felsenburgh's own. So soon as the circle was completed, having Esdraelon as its centre with a radius of five hundred and forty miles, the volors were to advance, dropping gradually to within five hundred feet of sea-level, and diminishing their distance one from another from the twenty-five miles or so at which they would first find themselves, until they were as near as safety allowed. In this manner the advance at a pace of fifty miles an hour from the moment that the circle was arranged would bring them within sight of Nazareth at about nine
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   219   220   221   222   223   224   225   226   227   228   229   230   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   >>  



Top keywords:

circle

 

hundred

 
completed
 

direction

 

eastern

 

Snowford

 

instructions

 

President

 

twenty

 
advance

centre

 

received

 
purpose
 

sighted

 

approximate

 
arranged
 

failing

 

observe

 

neighbours

 

height


signal

 
scarlet
 

volors

 

dropping

 

gradually

 
radius
 

Esdraelon

 
manner
 

safety

 
distance

Nazareth
 

diminishing

 

Felsenburgh

 
allowed
 

accompanied

 

entrance

 
moment
 

emergencies

 

finally

 
signals

moving

 

capable

 
dealing
 

undertone

 

officials

 

advisable

 
business
 
required
 

journey

 
provisions