igorously by
Angria's two hundred and fifty.

Desmond was all excitement. The deafening roar of the guns, the huge
columns of smoke that floated heavily over the fort, and sometimes
enveloped the vessels, the bray of trumpets, the beating of tom toms, the
shouts of men, set his blood tingling: and though he afterwards witnessed
other stirring scenes, he never forgot the vivid impression of the fight
at Gheria.

About three o'clock a shell set fire to one of the Pirate's grabs--one
that had formerly been taken by him from the Company. Leaving its
moorings, it drifted among the main pirate fleet of grabs which still lay
lashed together where Desmond had last seen them by the blaze of the
burning gallivats. They were soon alight. The fire spread rapidly to the
dockyard, caught the unfinished grabs on the stocks, and before long the
whole of Angria's shipping was a mass of flame.

Meanwhile the bombardment had made little impression on the
fortifications, and it appeared to the admiral that time was being
wasted. Accordingly he gave orders to elevate the guns and fire over the
walls into the interior of the fort. A shell from one of the bomb ketches
fell plump into one of the outhouses of the palace and set it on fire.
Fanned by the west wind, the flames spread to the arsenal and the
storehouse, licking up the sheds and smaller buildings until they reached
the outskirts of the city. The crackling of flames was now mingled with
the din of artillery, and as dusk drew on, the sky was lit up over a
large space with the red glow of burning. By half-past six the guns on
the bastions had been silenced, and the admiral gave the signal to cease
fire.

Some time before this a message reached Captain Smith ordering him to
send Desmond at once on board the Kent. When he stepped on deck he found
Admiral Watson in consultation with Clive. It appeared that during the
afternoon a cloud of horsemen had been observed hovering on a hill
eastward of the city, and being by no means sure of the loyalty of the
Maratha allies, Clive had come to the conclusion that it was time to land
his troops. But it was important that the shore and the neck of land east
of the fort should be reconnoitered before the landing was attempted. The
groves might, for all he knew, be occupied by the Pirate's troops or by
those of Ramaji Punt, and Clive had had enough experience of native
treachery to be well on his guard.

"I am going to send you o