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Not to sleep; he spent the remainder of his watch below in thinking out his position in trying to devise some means of meeting this new and unexpected difficulty. He had not heard what Fuzl Khan proposed ultimately to do with him. He might share the Babu's fate: at the best it would appear that he had shaken off one captivity to fall into the toils of another.
So Antores received in his flank the lance hurled at Lausus: infelix alieno volnere." "I dare say, Mr. Diggle," interrupted Desmond, "but I have no time to construe Latin." Covering Diggle with his pistol, Desmond stooped over Fuzl Khan's prostrate body and discovered in a moment that the poor fellow's heart had ceased to beat.
Then, shouting the order to make fast, the Gujarati flung a hawser across to the grab. The two men on board her obeyed without question; but they were still at the work when Desmond and Fuzl Khan, followed by the two Mysoreans, leaped upon them from the deck of the gallivat.
Fuzl Khan had not yet finished trussing the other; as the last man entered Desmond threw himself upon him. He could not prevent a low startled cry; and struggling together, the two rolled upon the floor. The Maratha, not recognizing his assailant, apparently thought that the serang had suddenly gone mad, for he merely tried to disengage himself, speaking in a tone half angry, half soothing.
The men who tried to escape did not think it impossible. They might have succeeded who can say? if Fuzl Khan had not betrayed them." "And he is still with us. He would betray us again." "I am not sure of that. See what he has suffered! Today his whole body must have writhed with pain. I think he will be with us if we can only find out a way.
It gave a slight creak; the sleeper stirred; Desmond quickly pushed the panel home, and as he did so the serang sat up, rubbing his eyes and looking in sleepy suspicion towards the lantern. While his knuckles were still at his eyes Fuzl Khan was upon him. A brief scuffle, almost noiseless, on the linen covering of the divan; a heavy panting for breath; then silence.
Urging them with terrible threats and fierce imprecations, he forced them to ply their oars with long steady strokes. The way on the gallivat increased. There was not a great distance now to be covered, it was unnecessary to husband their strength, and with still more furious menaces Fuzl Khan got out of the sturdy Marathas all the energy of which they were capable.
There, quite invisible from sea or land, they gently lowered themselves into the water. Guided by the dim light which he had noticed, and which he knew must proceed from one of the moored gallivats, Desmond struck out towards the farther end of the line of vessels, swimming a noiseless breast stroke. Fuzl Khan followed him in equal silence a length behind.
Henry Fielding in particular. At this moment Desmond said no more, but in the dead of night, when all were asleep, he leaned over to the Babu's charpoy and gently nudged him. "Surendra Nath!" he whispered. "Who calls?" returned the Babu. "Listen. Have you yourself ever thought of escaping?" "Peace and quietness, sir. He will hear." "Who?" "The Gujarati, sir Fuzl Khan." "But he doesn't understand.
The man wore a look of sullen surprise, which Desmond cheerfully ignored. "Now, Fuzl Khan," he said, "we are running into Bombay harbor. You know the channel?" The man grunted a surly affirmative. "Well, you will take the helm, and steer us in to the most convenient moorings." He turned away, smiling at the look of utter consternation on the Gujarati's face.
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