brought him alongside the table.
Its edge was practically level with the arms of the chair so
that, by getting into the right position, he was able to
manipulate the switch with his fingers. And then, thanking God
and the Army Council for the recent signalling course he had
attended, he depressed the switch with a quick, snapping movement
and jerked it up again, sending out the dots and dashes of the
Morse code.

"B-A-R-L-I-N-G" he spelt out, slowly and laboriously, it is true;
for he was not an expert.

As he worked the switch, he looked across at the illuminated
window of the room in which Barling stood, with bent head,
earnestly engaged upon his polishing.

"B-a-r-l-i-n-g-ack-ack-ack-B-a-r-l-i-n-g-ack-ack-ack"

The light flickered up and down in long and short flashes. Still
"Buzzer" Barling trilled away at the "Grand Reveille" nor raised
his eyes from his work.

Desmond varied the call:

"O-K-E-W-O-O-D T-O B-A-R-L-I-N-G" he flashed.

He repeated the call twice and was spelling it out for the third
time when Desmond saw the "Buzzer" raise his head.

The whistling broke off short.

"O-k-e-w-o-o-d t-o B-a-r-l-i-n-g" flickered the light.

The next moment the bedroom opposite was plunged in darkness.
Immediately afterwards the light began to flash with bewildering
rapidity. But Desmond recognized the call.

"I am ready to take your message," it said.

"S-t-r-a-n-g-w-i-s-e h-a-s g-o-t m-e ack-ack-ack," Desmond
flashed back, "f-e-t-c-h h-e-l-p a-t o-n-c-e ack-ack-ack: d-o-n-t
r-e-p-l-y; ack-ack-ack; s-e-n-d o-n-e d-o-t o-n-e d-a-s-h t-o
s-h-o-w y-o-u u-n-d-e-r-s-t-a-n-d ack-ack-ack!"

For he was afraid lest the light flashing from the house opposite
might attract the attention of the men downstairs.

He was very slow and he made many mistakes, so that it was with
bated breath that, after sending his message, he watched the
window opposite for the reply.

It came quickly. A short flash and a long one followed at once.
After that the room remained in darkness. With a sigh of relief
Desmond, as quietly as possible, manoeuvred the dressing-table
back into place and then jerked the chair across the carpet to
the position where Strangwise and Bellward had left him in the
middle of the floor:

It was here that the two men found him, apparently asleep, when
they came up half-an-hour later. They carried him down to the red
lacquer room again.

"Well, Desmond!" said Strangwise, when their burden had been
de