(Simple?) List problem?

Hi, I'm wondering if someone can takea look at this snippet of code. Its basically a search which is based upon a object passed to it. The search will basically keep searching out from its passed object until it doesnt find any other objects of the same colour and then it returns the list its created. The actual search works well, but the problem I am having is that this line:

returnedGem.time = priority

Rather than take the value of 'priority' which is incremented each time the main loop is executed, each gem in the returned list always has a priority value of 3 - which is the number of times the 'returnedGem.Time = priority ' line is executed when this code is executed. I just dont understand it - the list of objects that it creates is perfectly fine and contains all the objects it should, so why does the priority variable for all the objects = 3
Thanks

Method FloodFillSearch:TList( sourceGem:TGem )
	' A local list is used to keep track of the ones we still have to search	
	Local listToSearch:TList = CreateList()
	' A local list that is returned 
	Local listToReturn:TList = CreateList()
	Local link:TLink		
	Local Gem:TGem = sourceGem
	Local returnedGem:TGem	
	Local priority:Int = 0
				
	' Add the gem to the list				
	listToSearch.addLast ( gem )
	
	link = listToSearch.FirstLink()
	
	While listToSearch.count() > 0
		
		priority:+1
		
		gem = TGem( link.value() )
		
		returnedGem= ColoursearchUp ( gem, 1 )
	
		If returnedGem And ( Not listToReturn.contains ( returnedGem ) ) 
	
			returnedGem.time = priority
			listToSearch.AddLast ( returnedGem )
		EndIf
		
		returnedGem= ColoursearchDown ( gem, 1 )
		If returnedGem And ( Not listToReturn.contains ( returnedGem ) ) 
	
			returnedGem.time = priority
			listToSearch.AddLast ( returnedGem )
		EndIf
		
		returnedGem= ColoursearchLeft ( gem, 1 )
		If returnedGem And ( Not listToReturn.contains ( returnedGem ) )  
	
			returnedGem.time = priority
			listToSearch.AddLast ( returnedGem )
		EndIf
		
		returnedGem= ColoursearchRight ( gem, 1 )
		If returnedGem And ( Not listToReturn.contains ( returnedGem ) )  
	
			returnedGem.time = priority
			listToSearch.AddLast ( returnedGem )
		EndIf
		
		listToReturn.addlast( Gem )
		RemoveLink ( Link )
		
		link = listToSearch.FirstLink()
	Wend

	For Local AGEM:TGEM = EachIn listtoreturn
		DebugLog "Gem Time: "+gem.priority
	Next
							
	Return listToReturn
 
EndMethod
	



Method ColourSearchUp:TGem( sGem:TGem, CellStep:Int )
	'Validate that search isnt outwith boarm
	If sGem.YCell-CellStep < 0
		Return Null
	EndIf
	
	If myboard.board [ sGem.xCell , sGem.YCell-CellStep ].colour = sGem.colour
		Return myboard.board [ sGem.xCell , sGem.YCell-CellStep ] 
	Else
		Return Null
	EndIf
EndMethod	

Method ColourSearchDown:TGem( sGem:TGem, CellStep:Int )
	'Validate that search isnt outwith board
	If sGem.YCell+CellStep > ( ROWS-1 )
		Return Null
	EndIf
	
	If myboard.board [ sGem.xCell , sGem.YCell+CellStep ].colour = sGem.colour
		Return myboard.board [ sGem.xCell , sGem.YCell+CellStep ]
	Else
		Return Null
	EndIf
EndMethod 												

Method ColourSearchLeft:TGem( sGem:TGem, CellStep:Int )
	'Validate that search isnt outwith board
	If sGem.XCell-CellStep < 0
		Return Null
	EndIf
	
	If myboard.board [ sGem.xCell-CellStep , sGem.YCell ].colour = sGem.colour
		Local tempGem:TGem = myboard.board [ sGem.xCell-CellStep , sGem.YCell ]

		Return myboard.board [ sGem.xCell-CellStep , sGem.YCell ]
	Else
		Return Null
	EndIf
EndMethod 
																							
Method ColourSearchRight:TGem( sGem:TGem, CellStep:Int) 
	'Validate that search isnt outwith board
	If sGem.XCell+CellStep > ( COLUMNS-1 )
		Return Null
	EndIf
	
	If myboard.board [ sGem.xCell+CellStep , sGem.YCell ].colour = sGem.colour
		Return myboard.board [ sGem.xCell+CellStep , sGem.YCell ]
	Else
		Return Null
	EndIf
EndMethod

I would guess because Priority is local to the FloodFillSearch method and is being reset everytime that method is called.

got ya ;-)
Cheers