Ramage's Signal by Dudley Pope Page B

uniforms.
    â€œToo dark when I was up there a few minutes ago to see how it works, sir,” Rennick said. “Looks very complicated.”
    â€œIt’ll give Orsini and Jackson something to do,” Ramage said and opened the pouch. He selected a sheet of paper and gave it to Rennick. “That’s your copy of the semaphore alphabet. There’s no code, as you’ll see. Orsini and Jackson must make a copy: that one should be kept up on the platform.”
    Rennick glanced over the diagram of the twenty squares as he walked. “There’s a note here about flags.”
    Ramage explained how the red and yellow flags were used and by the time he had finished they had arrived at the base of the tower. Apart from big baulks of timber sunk into the ground and the bracing holding it vertical, the only thing that could be said about it was, Ramage realized, that it was not a tower. A section of wooden wall, a huge, wooden door with no doorway or walls … As he glanced up he could see the five shutters, closed now like blank sash windows, but each raised and lowered by tackles.
    The rope tails of the tackles all led to the ground at the middle of the eastern side and were made up separately on large cleats, each of which had numbers from one to five painted on it corresponding to the shutter it controlled. One series of numbers was in red; the other in yellow. Ramage was puzzled for a moment, and then realized that a signal to Aspet would have to be reversed, as though seen in a mirror, for Le Chesne to read it properly.
    The three seamen and Orsini were examining the ropes and the shutters, and Ramage pointed out the reason for the different positions for the red numbers and the yellow. Then Orsini found a ladder fixed to the framework and leading up to the small platform which, as the sun rose, they could now see quite clearly fixed on top. Orsini scrambled up and a minute or two later called down: “There’s a small flagpole and a couple of flags bundled up, one red and the other yellow. Just as the book says.”
    â€œStay up there,” Ramage said. “You have the telescope. Can you see the tower to the east yet?”
    â€œYes, sir, but I wouldn’t be able to distinguish the flag.”
    Ramage looked at his watch. “What about the one to the west, Aspet?”
    â€œI can make out the tower clearly, sir, but the flags would be difficult. Both towers have high land behind them in the distance. It won’t affect seeing the shutters, but a waving flag …”
    â€œVery well. We’d better try out these shutters before the other towers start their watch. You stay up there and keep a lookout,” he told Orsini. “You—” he pointed at Stafford and Jackson—”haul on the purchase marked in yellow with ‘1.’”
    The two men gave a prodigious heave, there was a heavy thud and Rennick, who was standing farther back and was looking up, shouted: “That’s the top one—you’re showing ‘A,’ but remember you’re only hoisting up a light shutter, not a maintop yard!”
    â€œLower gently,” Ramage added. “We don’t want to spend the rest of the morning doing repairs.”
    â€œFlag, sir!” Orsini yelled, “from Aspet.”
    â€œHoist your yellow one,” Ramage called, “only don’t be too quick about it.”
    After Orsini had it hoisted Ramage said: “Are you ready with your telescope and the crib for the alphabet? Very well, lower your flag and call down the signal letter by letter.”
    â€œC … I … N … PQ …” Orsini called. “Now a space—ah, it starts again, UVW … A … I … S … S … E … A … UVW … XYZ, … S … 0 … N … T, … A … R … R … I … UVW … E … S … , space, figures signal, 3 … 4. Now the flag hoisted and dipped twice, so