uld always pretend afterwards that his godown had been
plundered. It was pretty clear, too, that his long detention of the goods
must be due to his having had a hint of the Nawab's plans.

This news reached Desmond just after Mr. Forth had brought orders for the
surrender of the fort. He kept his own counsel. After his experience at
Gheria he was resolved not to be made a prisoner again; but he would not
be content with merely saving his own skin. Mr. Merriman's goods were
valuable; it touched Desmond's self esteem to think he should be bested
by a rascally Armenian. If there had been any prospect of a fight in
defense of the fort he would have stayed to take his part in it; but as
the factory was to be given up without a struggle he saw no reason for
considering anything except the interests of Mr. Merriman and himself.

Only one thing gave him a slight qualm. The equities of the case were
perfectly clear; but he had some doubt as to the issue if it should
become known that he had forcibly made off with the goods. The relations
between the Nawab and the Company were so strained, and the circumstances
of the moment so dangerous, that such action on his part might prove the
spark to a train of gunpowder. But he could not help thinking that the
Nawab was in any case bent on picking a quarrel with the Company;
anything that Desmond might do would be but one petty incident in a
possible campaign; meanwhile the goods were worth two lakhs of rupees, a
serious loss to Mr. Merriman if Coja Solomon's plans succeeded; an effort
to save them was surely worth the risk, and they could only be saved if
he could secure them before the Armenian's boats had started for
Murshidabad.

He did not take long to decide upon a plan. Calling the native who had
attended him in the fort, he sent him out to Surendra Nath with
instructions to prepare his peons for instant action. Bulger was with
them; he had been absent from Bowler's house when the order came to
retire to the fort, and only just succeeded in joining Surendra Nath
before the investment began.

From Joti Lal Chatterji, the man whom Mr. Watts had employed to make
inquiries in Murshidabad, the servant was to get a dress such as would be
worn by a khitmatgar {table servant}, and some material for staining the
skin. In the darkness Desmond hoped that he might pass without question
for a native so long as disguise was necessary. Within an hour the man
returned, bringing the ar