g
back at length, he started, looked a second time, and after a moment's
hesitation walked down the deck.

"Go back to your post," said Desmond sternly, "and see that you keep a
good lookout for the Firangi's ships."

The man salaamed and returned to the prow in manifest bewilderment. More
than once he looked back as he heard strange knockings from below.
Desmond only smiled. If the sound was heard from the forts, it would be
regarded merely as a sign that the preparations for sinking the vessel
were not yet completed.

Time passed on, and ever and anon Desmond looked eagerly down the river
for a sign of the oncoming fleet. At last, somewhere about midday, he
observed signs of excitement in Tanna Fort, and almost simultaneously saw
a puff of smoke and heard a report from one of its guns.

Shortly afterwards he observed the spars of a British-built ship slowly
approaching upstream. In full confidence that the scheme for blocking the
river was now frustrated, he awaited with patience the oncoming of the
fleet, wondering whether the forts would make a determined resistance.

Slowly the vessel drew nearer. Another shot was fired from the fort, with
what result Desmond could not tell. But immediately afterwards he heard
the distant report of a heavy gun, followed by a crash near at hand, and
a babel of yells. A shot from the British ship had plumped right in the
center of Tanna Fort. At the same moment Desmond recognized the
figurehead.

"'Tis the Tyger!" he said to himself with a smile. "Won't Captain Latham
grin when he sees me in this rig!"

Then he laughed aloud, for the valiant defenders of Tanna Fort had not
waited for a second shot. They were swarming helter skelter out of harm's
way, rushing at the top of their speed up the river and leaving their
fortress to its fate. On the other bank the garrison of Aligarh Fort had
also taken flight, and were streaming along with excited cries in the
direction of Calcutta.

The man in the bows of the sloop looked amazedly at the new subahdar. Why
did he laugh? Why did he not wave the green flag that lay at his hand?
When were the men who had gone below going to knock out the stoppings of
the holes and take to the boat with himself and their commander? But the
subahdar still stood laughing.

All at once Desmond, remembering the real subahdar below, asked himself:
what if he drove out the bungs and scuttled the vessel? But the question
brought a smile to his lips. H