t an
interview with Clive.

"The very man I wished to see," said Clive, shaking hands. "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. 'Twould put a spoke in the admiral's wheel
and throw all the work on the land force. That's weak enough, what with
Mr. Killpatrick's men dying off every day--he has only thirty left--and
my own Sepoys mostly skeletons. And we haven't proved ourselves against
the Nawab's troops; I suppose they outnumber us thirty to one, and after
their success at Calcutta they'll be very cock-a-hoop. Yet 'tis so easy
to sink a few ships, especially if preparations have been made long in
advance, as appears to be the case."

"I think, sir, it might be prevented."

Clive, who had been pacing up and down in some perturbation of mind, his
head bent, his hands clasped behind him, halted, looked up sharply, and
said:

"Indeed! How?"

"If we could get hold of the subahdar."

"By bribing him? He might not be open to bribery. Most of these native
officials are, but there are some honest men among them, and he may be
one. He wouldn't have been selected for his job unless Manik Chand
thought him trustworthy. Besides, how are we going to get into
communication with him? And even if we did, and filled him to the brim
with rupees, how are we to know he wouldn't sell us in turn to the
enemy?"

"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. 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. How, I don't
know; but you have shown so much resource already that you may be able to
help us in this fix--for fix it is,