Tulagi Angria" at once explained
to him the terror of the master and crew.

"What is it, Mr. Charles, what on earth is the botheration about? Is
it the little ships they're afeared of?"

"Those ships belong to a pirate called Tulagi Angria," Charlie said,
"and I am very much afraid, Tim, that we are likely to see the inside
of his fortress."

"But shure, yer honor, we're not afeared of those four little boats."

"We are, Tim, and very much afraid, too. Each of those boats, as you
call them, carries four or five times as many men as this ship. They
are well armed, while we have only those two little guns, which are
useless except for show. If the crew were Englishmen, we might attempt
a defence, although even then the odds would be terribly against us;
but with these natives, it is hopeless to think of it, and the attempt
would only ensure our throats being cut."

It was clear that the idea of resistance did never even enter the
minds of the crew of the trader. Some ran to and fro, with
gesticulations and cries of despair. Some threw themselves upon the
deck of the vessel, tore their hair, and rolled as if in convulsions.
Some sat down quietly, with the air of apathetic resignation, with
which the natives of India are used to meet what they consider the
inevitable.

Hossein, who, at the first alarm, had bounded to his feet with his
hand on his knife, subsided into an attitude of indifference, when he
saw that Charlie did not intend making any defence.

"It's mighty lucky," Tim said, "that yer honor left all your presents
to be forwarded to Madras. I thought you were wrong, Mr. Charles, when
you advised me to send them thousand rupees the rajah gave me, along
with your money. A hundred pounds wasn't a sum that Tim Kelly was
likely to handle again in a hurry, and it went agin the grain with me,
to part with them out of my hands. Sure and it's well I took yer
honor's advice."

The four Sepoy officers also exchanged a few words with Charlie. They,
too, would have resisted, had he given the word, hopeless though the
effort would have been. But they acquiesced, at once, in his decision.
They had little to lose; but the thought of a prolonged captivity, and
of being obliged, perhaps, to enter the service of the Mahratta
freebooters, just when about to return to their wives and families at
Madras, was a terrible blow to them.

"Keep up your spirits," Charlie said. "It is a bad business, but we
must hope for the best.