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Bid the mistri come aboard at once." Hubbo sent a long hail over the water. The serang cast off the rope by which he had made fast to the sloop, and the petala came slowly down until it was abreast of the subahdar's vessel. Hossain, Desmond, and Karim stepped aboard, the last carrying a small box of tools. Only the Bengali was left in the boat. All salaamed low to the subahdar.
If we can only capture him the rest should be easy especially as Hubbo is on the next sloop, which screens the subahdar's from the rest. It is out of speaking distance from the fort, too another piece of luck for us. It was the first of January, 1757. At half-past seven in the morning a heavily-laden petala was making its way slowly against the tide down the Hugli.
Drake; the offer had better come from him and reach Hubbo through his brother." "And then, sir, it ought not to be impossible to secure the subahdar himself when the moment arrives." Clive looked at the bright eager countenance of the boy before him. "Upon my word, my lad," he said, "I believe you can do it.
He had given his word to Clive that the blocking of the river should be prevented, and though the task bade fair to be difficult he was resolved not to fail. The vessels that were to be sunk in the fairway were moored opposite the fort at a distance of about a ship's length from one another. The subahdar was on the sloop farthest down the river, Hubbo on the next.
"Nay, I should defile my clothes," said the subahdar, not relishing the thought of descending into the malodorous depths. "As your Excellency pleases," said Hubbo, salaaming. Then the gravity of his charge appeared to overcome the subahdar's scruples. Gathering his robes close about him, he stepped to the hatchway and lowered himself into the hold. "We must hasten," he said.
It was filled with earth, except where a gangway shored up with balks of timber had been left to give access to the holes that had been drilled and temporarily stopped. After a few words from the subahdar, Hubbo and his brother followed Desmond below.
Hubbo was silent for a moment, then he said: "Have I the huzur's leave to speak?" "There is a mistri on board the serang's boat who is used to working in ships a khalasi from Gujarat. He might do something on board your Excellency's ship. If this vessel sank, according to the plan, the Firangi would not be able to get aboard the others, and they would have time to sink slowly."
Half an hour later, Hubbo climbed up through the hatchway and approached the subahdar, who was pacing the deck, giving many an anxious glance down the river. "The mistri has bored another hole, huzur. He said the more holes the better. Perhaps your Excellency will deign to see whether you regard it as sufficient."
"The ships of the Firangi may appear at any moment, and I must be on the lookout. "Meantime," he added to Hubbo, "you keep watch." For a man of his build he was fairly active. Dropping on to the loose earth, he scrambled over it towards the oil lamp by whose light the mistri and his assistant were working.
"But there are other ways, sir. We can depend on Hubbo, and if I might suggest, it would pay to promise him a rich reward if he managed to keep the passage clear." "Yes, I agree. What reward would be most effective?" "A few hundred rupees and the post of syr serang in the Company's service when Calcutta is retaken." "Not too extravagant! Well, I shall see Mr.
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