Up to the present, being in safe waters, there had been no fear of interruption from the Turkish torpedo vessels which, according to Italian reports, had left the Golden Horn. Nevertheless, had a daring Turkish commander made a raid upon the struggling and unescorted transports, the result would have been disastrous to the Italian arms. At night, however, precautions were taken against attack. The transports steamed with screened lights, silence was strictly enjoined, and the troops were forbidden to smoke. But nothing untoward happened, and when the two lads arose from their comfortable bed on the floor, and looked through the now open scuttle, they saw that they were still within sight of land--the island of Sicily. Here was the transports' rendezvous, and under a powerful escort of battleships the fleet headed for the African shore; and just after sunrise on the following morning the lads had their first glimpse of the glaring white houses and minarets of Tripoli. Suddenly a burst of cheering came from one of the transports. The shout was taken up by the other vessels, till the air re-echoed to the tumultuous roar. Tripoli had been bombarded. The powerful ordnance of the modern battleships of the Italians had been let loose against the crumbling brickwork and mud walls of the antiquated defences. A glorious victory! Adowa was avenged! Already the town of Tripoli was in the hands of the victorious sailors and marines. The Italian tricolour floated over the forts, while several of the timorous inhabitants did not hesitate to display the red, white, and green flag from the flat roofs of their closely-barricaded dwellings. "Mr. Reeves will be too late after all," remarked Gerald. "It seems like it. However, I think the troops are beginning to disembark. I wish they would let us go ashore." But no: to the lads' entreaties the Italian captain gave a polite yet firm refusal. No foreigners, other than accredited war correspondents, were allowed to land, pending definite orders from General Caneva, the Commander-in-Chief. Four days passed. The transport, denuded of troops, still lay in the roadstead. Occasionally a few shots were fired by the Arabs and Turks, who had retreated to an oasis on the fringe of the desert, to which the Italian troops would reply by frantic volleys. But most of the time was spent by the invaders in throwing up earthworks and erecting wire entanglements; for, in spite of their numbers, the Italians did not treat their fierce and swift-moving foes with a contempt that other civilized nations have had to pay dearly for under similar circumstances. Meanwhile, the lads had contrived to send a message to Hugh's parents at Naples, and, having fulfilled their obligations as best they could, they settled themselves wholeheartedly to making the best of their novel experience.