232 
PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE. 
[chap. v. 
well knew those three notes were the war-signal of 
the Latookas. 
I immediately called Suleiman. It was necessary 
to act in unison. I ordered him to beat the drum 
loudly for about five minutes to answer the nogara. 
His men were all scattered in several small inclosures. 
I called them all out into the open quadrangle; in 
the centre of which I placed the baggage, and planted 
the English ensign in the middle, while the Turks 
fixed their flag within a few paces. Posting sentries 
at each corner of the square, I stationed patrols in 
the principal street. In the meantime Mrs. Baker 
had laid out upon a mat several hundred cartridges of 
buck-shot, powder-flasks, wadding, and opened several 
boxes of caps, all of which were neatly arranged for a 
reserve of ammunition ; while a long row of first-class 
double guns and rifles lay in readiness. The boy Saat 
was full of fight, and immediately strapped on his belt 
and cartouche-box, and took his stand among the men. 
I ordered the men, in the event of an attack, to 
immediately set fire to all the huts around the quad¬ 
rangle; in which case, the sudden rush of a large body, 
of men would fie impossible, and the huts being of 
straw, the-town would be quickly in a blaze. 
Everything was in order to resist an attack in five, 
minutes from the sounding of the nogara. 
