Within an hour the man returned, bringing the articles required.
CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FIRST
In which Coja Solomon finds dishonesty the worse policy; and a journey down the Hugli little to his liking.
The short twilight was thickening into darkness when Desmond, with face, legs, and arms stained brown, slipped out of the fort in native dress and walked slowly towards the houses of the native merchants. In his hand he carried a small bundle. Reaching the house where his party was staying, kept by one Abdul Kader, he almost betrayed himself by forgetting to slip off his sandals as he entered. But he bethought himself in time and was admitted without question.
He found that he was not a moment too soon. Bulger had taken up his quarters there with a very bad grace, the arrival of the Nawab's army having aroused in him the fighting spirit of the sturdy British tar. But when the news ran through the settlement that the fort was to be given up, his feelings overcame him, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that Surendra Nath had persuaded him to wait patiently for orders from Desmond. Then the Babu himself had quitted the house, and Bulger was left without the restraint of any one who could speak English. He was on the point of casting off all prudence and stalking out like Achilles from his tent, when Desmond arrived.
"By thunder, sir!" he said, when he had recovered from his astonishment at seeing Desmond in native dress, "I en't a-goin' to surrender to no Moors, sure as my name's Bulger. 'Tis a downright scandalous shame; that's what I call it."
"Well, you can tell Mr. Watts so if you ever see him. At present we have no time to waste in talk. Where is Surendra Nath?"
"Gone to keep his weather-eye on the codger's godown, sir."
"Which shows he's a man of sense. Are all the men here?"
"So far as I know, sir. I may be wrong."