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the flagman, with his kit, and an orderly to take charge of the horses, if the station was only temporary.
The point selected from which to signal must be a commanding position, whether a mountain, a hill, a tree-top, or a house-top.
The station having been attained, the flagman takes position, and the officer sweeps the horizon and intermediate territory with his telescope to discover another signal station, where a second officer and flagman are posted.
Having discovered such a station, the officer directs his man to “call” that station.
This he does by signalling the number of the station (for each station had a number), repeating the same until his signal is seen and answered.
It was the custom at stations to keep a man on the lookout, with the telescope, for signals, constantly.
Having got the attention of the opposite station, the officer sends his message.
The flagman was not supposed to know the import of the message which he waved out with his flag.
The officer called the numerals, and the flagman responded with the required motions almost automatically, when well practised.
At the end of each word motion “5” was made once; at the end of a sentence “55” ,; and of a message “555.”
There were a few words and syllables which were conveyed by a single motion of the flag; but, as a rule, the words had to be spelled out letter by letter, at least by beginners.
Skilled signalists, however, used many abbreviations, and rarely found it necessary to spell out a word in full.
So much for the manner of sending a message.
Now let us join the party at the station where the message is being received. There we simply find the officer sitting at his telescope reading the message being sent to him. Should he fail to understand any word, his own flagman signals an interruption, and asks a repetition of the message from the last word understood.
Such occurrences were not frequent, however.
The services of the Signal Corps were just as needful and
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