peace with Clive and the Council, and was then
selected to accompany Mr. Watts when he went as British representative to
Murshidabad. The wily Sikh, working always for his own ends, contrived to
make the unstable young despot believe that the French were tricking him,
and in a fit of passion he sealed a letter allowing Admiral Watson to
make war upon them. He repented of it immediately, but the letter was
gone.

On the day after it reached the admiral, March twelfth, 1757, Clive sent
a summons to Monsieur Renault, the governor of Chandernagore, to
surrender the fort. No reply was received that day, and Clive resolved,
failing a satisfactory answer within twenty-four hours, to read King
George's declaration of war and attack the French.

Desmond was breakfasting among a number of his fellow officers next
morning when up came Hossain, the serang who had accompanied him on his
eventful journeys up and down the Hugli. Lately he had been employed, on
Desmond's recommendation, in bringing supplies up the river for the
troops. The man salaamed and said that he wished to say a few words
privately to the sahib. Desmond rose, and went apart with him.

At sunrise, said the man, a vessel flying Dutch colors had dropped down
the river past the English fleet. Her name was Dutch, and her destination
Rotterdam; but Hossain was certain that she was really the Good Intent,
which Desmond had pointed out to him as they passed Chandernagore, and
which they had more than once seen since in the course of their journeys.
Her appearance had attracted some attention on the fleet; and the Tyger
had sent a shot after her, ordering her to heave to; but having a strong
northeast wind behind her, she took no notice of the signal and held on
her course.

Desmond thanked Hossain for the information, and, leaving his breakfast
unfinished, went off at once to see Clive, whom he was to join that
morning on a tour of inspection of the northwest part of the French
settlement.

"Well, I don't see what we can do," said Clive, when Desmond repeated the
news to him. "Mr. Watson no doubt suspected her when it was too late.
Nothing but a regular chase could have captured her after she had passed.
Ships can't be spared for that; they've much more important work on
hand."

"Still, 'tis a pity, sir," said Desmond. "'Tis not only that Captain
Barker is an interloper; he has been in league with pirates, and his
being at Chandernagore all these months means n