mselves to make a wide cast round the
place in the search for tracks. Whoever should find a trail was to
follow with at least one comrade, and when there was any definite news,
it was to be signalled to the Castle.

I myself returned at once, and set the signallers to work to spread
amongst our own people such news as we had.

When presently such discoveries as had been made were signalled with
flags to the Castle, it was found that the marauders had, in their
flight, followed a strangely zigzag course. It was evident that, in
trying to baffle pursuit, they had tried to avoid places which they
thought might be dangerous to them. This may have been simply a method
to disconcert pursuit. If so, it was, in a measure, excellent, for none
of those immediately following could possibly tell in what direction they
were heading. It was only when we worked the course on the great map in
the signaller's room (which was the old guard room of the Castle) that we
could get an inkling of the general direction of their flight. This gave
added trouble to the pursuit; for the men who followed, being ignorant of
their general intent, could not ever take chance to head them off, but
had to be ready to follow in any or every direction. In this manner the
pursuit was altogether a stern chase, and therefore bound to be a long
one.

As at present we could not do anything till the intended route was more
marked, I left the signalling corps to the task of receiving and giving
information to the moving bands, so that, if occasion served, they might
head off the marauders. I myself took Rooke, as captain of the yacht,
and swept out of the creek. We ran up north to Dalairi, then down south
to Olesso, and came back to Vissarion. We saw nothing suspicious except,
far off to the extreme southward, one warship which flew no flag. Rooke,
however, who seemed to know ships by instinct, said she was a Turk; so on
our return we signalled along the whole shore to watch her. Rooke held
The Lady--which was the name I had given the armoured yacht--in readiness
to dart out in case anything suspicious was reported. He was not to
stand on any ceremony, but if necessary to attack. We did not intend to
lose a point in this desperate struggle which we had undertaken. We had
placed in different likely spots a couple of our own men to look after
the signalling.

When I got back I found that the route of the fugitives, who had now
joined into one part