Two days later he was in Rome, presenting his credentials to the Minister of War. That high official was most urbane, and gave the correspondent permission to embark on any of the transports, "if convenient to the exigencies of military service". At Taranto no vessels were available; at Bari it was found that the last transport had left for the concentration base; at Brindisi the transport officers, charmingly polite, regretted that every vessel had already its full complement as allowed by State regulations. Arthur Reeves found that for once he had been fooled. He rushed to the telegraph office and wired to the Minister of War. After a tedious delay of three hours came the reply: "Regret; can offer no further suggestions". The correspondent was angry: he did not want suggestions--he wanted a passage to Tripoli. The rebuff only urged him to greater efforts, and without further dallying he took train to Naples. Here again he met with the same polite apologies and regrets, while, to put the finishing touch, he was shown a recent order from the Minister of Marine forbidding transport officers to grant passages to civilians. Arthur Reeves tried "bluffing". He produced the order from the Minister of War, and, arguing that a war correspondent was not a civilian in the accepted sense of the word, demanded that he should be given a passage. For once bluff failed. With deprecatory shrugs and reiterated professions of deepest regret, the naval officer superintending the transport arrangements replied that he was acting under the direct orders of his chief. Why not telegraph to the Minister of Marine? But the Englishman would waste no more time. He determined to charter a steamer, regardless of cost, and proceed to the seat of war. Enquiries at the various shipping offices, however, elicited the same reply--all steam vessels were ordered to be held at the sole disposal of the Italian Government. At last one agent suggested a sailing craft. With the prevalent strong north-west wind the passage would be soon made. He had a swift felucca, the _Victor Strozzi_, which would be at the signor's disposal. "Have her ready by five o'clock, then." "Impossible, signor!" The Englishman was obdurate. "Five o'clock, or not at all." The "patron" protested, but finally gave way, Mr. Reeves agreeing to the proposal that the _Victor Strozzi_ should provision at Capri, where supplies had not yet reached war prices. The correspondent was on his way down to the bay when his conveyance nearly bowled over his young acquaintance Hugh Frazer and his companion. Arthur Reeves was a man of few words. What he did say was brief and to the point. But he was a rare listener. The biggest bore in creation he would endure uncomplainingly, for in the torrent of vapid small talk he would never fail to pick up some information to add to his vast store of knowledge of men and matters.