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The signal would be given by the subahdar himself from his sloop. "Very well, Hubbo," said Desmond, "that signal must not be given." "But how prevent it, sahib? I wish well to the Company; have I not eaten their salt? But what can one man do against many? Desmond sat for some time with his chin in his hands, thinking. Then he asked: "Do you know where the British fleet is at present?"
A small dinghy was passing between his vessel and the shore. It contained a number of servants, who had brought him his breakfast from the fort. The crews of the other vessels had prepared their food on board. After a time a dinghy was let down from Hubbo's sloop. Hubbo himself stepped into it with one of his crew, and was rowed to the subahdar's vessel.
As soon as he arrived they got under way, and late that evening reached Tanna Fort, where they had to deliver their cargo of rice for the use of the Nawab's garrison. In the dead of night they were surprised by a visit from Hubbo, the serang's brother. He had seen them as they passed from one of the sloops that lay in the river opposite the fort.
With the subahdar there were three men. The signal for the scuttling of the vessels was to be the waving of a green flag by the subahdar; this was to be repeated by Hubbo, then by the serang on the sloop above him, and so on to the end.
As soon as the serang had reached his side, Hubbo called to the men on watch and said: "Hai, Ali, Chedi, come here!" Two of the three hurried aft, and at Hubbo's bidding, swung down into the hold. The serang ordered them to go towards the lamp.
"This, huzur, is my friend," said Hubbo, presenting his brother. "This is the mistri, and this his assistant." "Good!" said the subahdar. "Go down into the hold, mistri: look to the holes; if they are not large enough make them larger, and as quickly as you can." Desmond with Karim dived down into the hold.
An answer came from a man on deck inviting the caller to come on board. With a few strokes of the oars the petala was run alongside, and Hossain joined his brother. "Is it well, brother?" he said. "It is well," replied Hubbo. Desmond at the helm of the petala looked eagerly ahead at the last sloop of the line. He could see the subahdar on deck, a somewhat portly figure in resplendent costume.
With his other hand he slightly altered the set of the turban and rearranged the folds of the robe. "That is excellent, sahib," he said. "A little more girth would perhaps have been better, but in the distance no one will notice." Then calling to Hubbo, he said that all was ready. Hossain clambered through the hatchway, leaving Desmond concealed behind a large timber upright, supporting the deck.
"You had better return to your sloop, Hubbo," he said. "Send a message to the men on the other vessels that I the subahdar, you know have made up my mind to allow one of the enemy's ships to pass me before giving the signal. I shall thus capture one at least, and it may be the admiral's." Hubbo set off, and when he reached his own vessel he sent a boat with a message to each of the ships in turn.
"Your scouting is the one ray of light in the darkness that covers the enemy's arrangements. You have done remarkably well, and I take it you would not be here unless you had something to tell me." Desmond gave briefly the information he had learned from Hubbo. "That's the game, is it?" said Clive. "A pretty scheme, egad! 'Twill be fatal to us if carried out.
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