Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда

           Thepartyatthestonebuildingwouldaccepttheserespectivesignalsinananalogousmanner;forcinganentranceatthefirst,andattheseconddescendingwhateverpassageintothegroundmightbediscovered,andjoiningthegeneralorfocalwarfareexpectedtotakeplacewithinthecaverns.Athirdoremergencysignalofthreeblastswouldsummontheimmediatereservefromitsgeneralguardduty;itstwentymendividingequallyandenteringtheunknowndepthsthroughbothfarmhouseandstonebuilding.Capt.Whipple’sbeliefintheexistenceofcatacombswasabsolute,andhetooknoalternativeintoconsiderationwhenmakinghisplans.Hehadwithhimawhistleofgreatpowerandshrillness,anddidnotfearanyupsettingormisunderstandingofsignals.Thefinalreserveatthelanding,ofcourse,wasnearlyoutofthewhistle’srange;hencewouldrequireaspecialmessengerifneededforhelp.MosesBrownandJohnCarterwentwithCapt.Hopkinstotheriver-bank,whilePresidentManningwasdetailedwithCapt.Mathewsontothestonebuilding.Dr.Bowen,withEzraWeeden,remainedinCapt.Whipple’spartywhichwastostormthefarmhouseitself.TheattackwastobeginassoonasamessengerfromCapt.HopkinshadjoinedCapt.Whippletonotifyhimoftheriverparty’sreadiness.Theleaderwouldthendelivertheloudsingleblast,andthevariousadvancepartieswouldcommencetheirsimultaneousattackonthreepoints.Shortlybefore1a.m.