state of panic; "'tis only one of the Nawab's tricks. He has used that
means of extorting money before. We'll buy them off, never fear."
But it was soon seen that the troops had come with a more serious
purpose. They completely invested the factory, and next day withdrew
the guards that had been placed around the French and Dutch forts, and
confined their whole attention to the British. Mr. Watts withdrew all
the garrison and officials behind the bastioned walls of the fort, and
fearing that an attack in force would be made upon him, despatched a
kasid[#] to Calcutta with an urgent request for reinforcements. While
waiting anxiously for the reply, he took stock of his position. His
garrison numbered only fifty men all told, half of them being Dutch
deserters and the remainder half-caste topasses, with only two English
officers, Lieutenant Elliott and Sergeant Bowler. The guns of the fort
were old; and within a few yards of the walls were houses that would
afford excellent cover to the enemy. Without help resistance for any
length of time was impossible, and to resist at all meant a declaration
of war against the Nawab, and would entail serious
consequences--possibly involve the total ruin of the Company in Bengal.
In this difficult position Mr. Watts hoped that an opportunity of making
an arrangement with the besiegers would offer itself. Meanwhile,
pending the arrival of instructions from Calcutta, he gave orders that
any attempt to force an entrance to the fort was to be repelled.
[#] Courier.
But no letters came from Calcutta. Though several were despatched, none
of them reached Cossimbazar. On June 1 Rai Durlabh, in command of the
besiegers, received orders from the Nawab, now at Murshidabad, to take
the fort. He came to the gate and tried to force an entrance, but
hurriedly withdrew when he met Sergeant Bowler's gleaming bayonet and
saw the gunners standing by with lighted matches in their hands. By and
by he sent a messenger asking Mr. Watts to come out and parley, and
offering a betel, the usual native pledge of safe-conduct. Against the
advice of Lieutenant Elliott, Mr. Watts decided to leave the fort and
visit the Nawab himself. Next day, therefore, with Mr. Forth the
surgeon and two servants, he departed, cheerfully declaring that he
would make all right with Siraj-uddaula. Mr. Forth returned a day later
with the news that on reaching the Nawab's tent both he and Mr. Watts
had had their arms bound behind their backs and been led as prisoners
into Siraj-uddaula's presence. The Nawab had demanded their signatures
to a document binding the English at Calcutta to demolish their
fortifications. Mr. Watts explained that the signatures of two other
members of his Council were required, hoping that the delay would allow
time for help to reach him from Calcutta. After some hesitation two
gentlemen left the fort with the surgeon. The same evening Mr. Forth
once more returned to inform the garrison that the members of Council
had likewise been imprisoned, and that Mr. Watts recommended Lieutenant
Elliott to deliver up the fort and ammunition.
The merchants in the factory were aghast; Lieutenant Elliott fumed with
indignation; but they saw that they had no alternative. Their chief had
been removed by treachery; to resist was hopeless; and though such
submission to a native was galling they could but recognize their
helplessness and make the best of a bad situation. Desmond, besides
sharing in their anger, had a further cause for concern in the almost
certain loss of Mr. Merriman's goods. But the fort would not be given
up till next day, and before he retired to rest he received a message
that turned his thoughts into another channel and made him set his wits
to work.
During the siege natives had been allowed to go freely in and out
between the fort and the settlement; Rai Durlabh was confident in his
superior numbers and could afford to regard with indifference the
despatch of messages to Calcutta. A messenger came to Desmond in the
evening from Surendra Nath, to say that Coja Solomon had returned to
Cossimbazar, and was now loading up Mr. Merriman's goods in petalas,[#]
their destination being Murshidabad. Desmond saw at once that the
Armenian was taking advantage of the disturbance to make away with the
goods for his own behoof. He could 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.
[#] Cargo boats.
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 defence 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 Lai 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,[#] 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.
[#] Table servant.
Within an hour the man returned, bringing the articles required.
CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FIRST
*In which Coja Solomon finds dishonesty the worse policy; and a journey
down the Hugli little to his liking.*
The short twilight was thickening into darkness when Desmond, with face,
legs, and arms stained brown, slipped out of the fort in native dress
and walked slowly towards the houses of the native merchants. In his
hand he carried a small bundle. Reaching the house where his party was
staying, kept by one Abdul Kader, he almost betrayed himself by
forgetting to slip off his sandals as he entered. But he bethought
himself in time and was admitted without question.
He found that he was not a moment too soon. Bulger had taken up his
quarters there with a very bad grace, the arrival of the Nawab's army
having aroused in him the fighting spirit of the sturdy British tar.
But when the news ran through the settlement that the fort was to be
given up, his feelings overcame him, and it was only with the greatest
difficulty that Surendra Nath had persuaded him to wait patiently for
orders from Desmond. Then the Babu himself had quitted the house, and
Bulger was left without the restraint of any one who could speak
English. He was on the point of casting off all prudence and stalking
out like Achilles from his tent, when Desmond arrived.
"By thunder, sir!" he said, when he had recovered from his astonishment
at seeing Desmond in native dress, "I en't a-goin' to surrender to no
Moors, sure as my name's Bulger. 'Tis a downright scandalous shame;
that's what I call it."
"Well, you can tell Mr. Watts so if you ever see him. At present we have
no time to waste in talk. Where is Surendra Nath?"
"Gone to keep his weather-eye on the codger's godown, sir."
"Which shows he's a man of sense. Are all the men here?"
"So far as I know, sir. I may be wrong."
"Well, they'll make their way in small parties down to the river. 'Tis
dark enough now; they will not be noticed, and they can steal along the
bank under the trees until they come near Coja Solomon's ghat. You must
come with me."
"Very good, sir," replied Bulger, hitching up his breeches and drawing
his hanger.
"But not like that. You'll have to get those black whiskers of yours
shaved, my man. If they grew all over you'd pass perhaps for a Moor;
but not with a fringe like that. And you must stain your face; I have
the stuff in this bundle; and we'll borrow a dhoti and sandals from
Abdul Kader. We'll dress you up between us."
Bulger looked aghast.
"Dash my buttons, sir, I'll look like a November guy! What would my
mates say, a-seein' me dressed up like a stuffed Moor at Smithfield
fair--a penny a shy, sir?"
"Your mates are not here to see you, and if you hold your tongue they'll
never know it."
"But what about this little corkscrew o' mine, sir? I don't see any
ways o' dressin' that up."
"You can stick it into your dhoti. Now here are soap and a razor; I
give you ten minutes to shave and get your face stained; Abdul Kader
will help. Quick's the word, man."
A quarter of an hour later Desmond left the house with Bulger, the
latter, in spite of the darkness, looking very much ashamed of himself.
The other members of the party had already gone towards the river.
Walking very slowly until they had safely cleared the lines of the
investing troops, the two hurried their pace and about half-past eight
reached the Armenian's godown. The three boats containing Mr.
Merriman's goods were moored at the ghat. A number of men were on
board, and bales were still being carried down by the light of torches.
It appeared that Coja Solomon had no intention of leaving until the
factory was actually in Rai Durlabh's hands.
Desmond had already decided that, to legalize his position, he must gain
possession of the dastaks. Not that they would help him much if, as was
only too probable, Coja Solomon should be backed up by the Nawab. As
soon as it was discovered that the goods had been carried off, kasids
would undoubtedly be sent along the banks, possibly swift boats would
set off down the river in pursuit, and, dastaks or no dastaks, the goods
would be impounded at Khulna or Hugli and himself arrested. It was
therefore of the first importance that the loss of the boats should not
be discovered until he was well on his way, and to ensure this he must
secure the person of Coja Solomon. If that could be done there was a
chance of delaying the pursuit, or preventing it altogether.
Desmond kept well in the shelter of the palm trees as he made his
observation of the ghat. He wondered where Surendra Nath was, but could
not waste time in looking for him. Retracing his steps with Bulger for
some little distance, he came to a spot on the river bank where the rest
of his party were waiting in a boat, moored to an overhanging tree. He
ordered the men to land; then, leaving Bulger in charge of them, he
selected three of the armed peons and with them made his way across
paddy[#] fields towards the Armenian's house, a hundred yards or so from
the bank. Light came through the reed-screened window. Bidding the men
remain outside and rush in if he called them, he left the shelter of the
trees and, approaching the door, stumbled over the darwan lying across
the threshold.
[#] Rice.
"Uthao,[#] Marwan!" he said, with the bluntness of servant addressing
servant; "sleeping again! Go and tell your master I'm here to see him:
a khitmatgar from the fort."
[#] Get up.
The man rose sleepily and preceded him into the house. He made the
announcement, salaamed and retired. Desmond went in.
In a little room on the ground floor Coja Solomon reclined on a divan,
smoking his hubble-bubble. A small oil-lamp burnt in a pendant above
his head. He looked up as Desmond entered; if he thought that his
visitor was somewhat better set-up than the average khitmatgar, he did
not suspect any disguise. The light was dim, and Coja Solomon was
growing old.
"Good evening, Khwaja," said Desmond quietly.
The man jumped as if shot.
"No, don't get up, and don't make a noise. My business with you will
not take long. I will ask you to hand over Mr. Merriman's dastaks. I
know that they are in your possession. I have come to get them, and to
take away the goods--Mr. Merriman's goods."
The Armenian had meanwhile removed the mouthpiece of his hubble-bubble,
and was bending over as if to replace it by one of several that lay on a
shelf at his right hand. But Desmond noticed that beneath the shelf
stood a small gong. He whipped out a pistol, and pointed it full at the
merchant.
"Don't touch that," he said curtly. "I have not come unprepared, as you
see. Your plans are known to me. If you value your life you will do as
I wish without delay or disturbance. My men are outside; a word from me
will bring them swarming in. Now, the dastaks!"
Coja Solomon was an Armenian and a merchant; in neither capacity a
fighting man. In a contest of wits he could be as cool and as ready as
any man in Bengal; but he had no skill in arms and no physical courage.
There was an air of determination about his visitor that impressed him;
and he felt by no means comfortable within point-blank range of the
pistol covering him so completely. If his thoughts had been read, they
would have run somewhat thus: "Pistols have been known to go off
accidentally. What will the goods profit me if such an accident happen
now? Besides, even if I yield there may still be a chance of saving
them. It is a long way to Calcutta: the river is low: God be praised
the rains have not begun! There are shallows and rocks along its
course: the boats must go slowly: and the Nawab's horsemen can soon
outstrip them on the banks. The dog of an Englishman thinks he has
outwitted me: we shall see. And he is only a youth: let us see if Coja
Solomon is not a match for him."
Rising to his feet, he smiled and shrugged, and spread out his hands
deprecatingly.
"It is true the dastaks are here," he said suavely, "but they only
reached me yesterday, and indeed, as soon as I received them, I had the
goods put on board the boats for transit to Calcutta."
"That is very fortunate," said Desmond. "It will save my time. As Mr.
Merriman's representative I will take over the goods--with the dastaks."
"If you will excuse me, I will fetch them."
"Stay!" said Desmond, as the man moved towards the door. He had not
lowered the pistol. "Where are they?"
"They are in my office beside the godown."
"Very well. It would be a pity to trouble you to bring them here. I
will go with you. Will you lead the way?"
He knew it was a lie. Valuable papers would not be left in a hut of an
office, and he had already noticed a curiously wrought almara[#] at one
end of the room--just the place to keep documents.
[#] Cabinet.
There was a shadow of a scowl on the Armenian's face. The man hesitated;
then walked towards the door: stopped as if at a sudden recollection;
and turned to Desmond with a bland smile.
"I was forgetting," he said; "I brought the papers here for safety
sake."
He went to the almara, searched for a moment, and handed two papers to
Desmond.
"There, sir," he said, with a quite paternal smile; "you take the
responsibility. In these unfortunate circumstances"--he waved his hand
in the direction of the factory--"it is, believe me, a relief to me to
see the last of these papers."
"That is well."
But Desmond, as he took the papers, felt himself in a quandary. Though
he could speak, he could not read, Hindustani! The papers might not be
the dastaks after all. What was he to do? The peons were not likely to
be able to read. He scanned the papers. There was the name Merriman in
English characters, but all the rest was in native script. The smile
hovering on the Armenian's face annoyed Desmond, and he was still
undecided what to do when a voice at his elbow gave him welcome relief.
"Babu Surendra Nath Chuckerbutti," announced the darwan.
The Babu entered.
"Come and tell me if these are our dastaks," said Desmond.
The Babu ran his eye over the papers, and declared:
"Yes, sir, they are the identical papers, and I perceive the signature
of the Faujdar is dated three weeks ago."
"Thank you," said Desmond. "Now, Coja Solomon, I must ask you to come
with me."
"Why, sir----" began the Armenian, no longer smiling.
"I will explain to you by and by.--What is it, Surendra Nath?"
The Babu whispered a word or two in his ear.
"A happy thought!" said Desmond. "Surendra Nath suggests that I should
borrow that excellent robe I see yonder, Khwaja; and your turban also.
They will become me better than this khitmatgar's garb, I doubt not."
Coja Solomon looked on helplessly as Desmond exchanged his meaner
garments for the richer clothes of his unwilling host.
"Now we will go. You will tell the darwan that you have gone down to
the ghat, so that if a question is asked he will be at no loss for an
answer."
In the faint light of the rising moon the barrel of the pistol gleamed
as they came into the open. The Armenian marched between Desmond and
the Babu. Behind came the three peons, moving as silently as ghosts.
"The Khwaja," said Desmond to them in the Armenian's hearing, as they
reached the ghat, "is coming a little way with us down the river. You,
Kristodas Das, will go and tell Bulger Sahib that I wish him to follow
the Khwaja's boats at a few yards' distance, and to be prepared to board
at any moment. You," turning to the other two peons, "will come with
me. The Khwaja will send word to his darwan that he is going to
Murshidabad by river and will not return to-night; his house is to be
locked up. The Khwaja will, I am sure, give these orders correctly, for
Surendra Nath will understand better than I what he says."
With the Babu, the two peons, and Coja Solomon, who was now obviously
ill at ease, Desmond went down the ghat to the place where the crews of
the petalas were squatting, and bade the Armenian carry out the part
assigned to him. The man durst not depart by a jot from the words put
into his mouth. One of his coolies left with the message, the rest
followed their employer on board with Desmond and his companions, and in
a few minutes the three boats were cast off and stood up stream. As
they started Desmond saw the boat containing Bulger and his men slip
from the shade of the trees and begin to creep after them.
The boats had not gone for more than a couple of hundred yards up stream
when Coja Solomon, at Desmond's orders, bade the men row towards the
opposite shore and turn the boats' heads round, explaining that he had
decided after all to convey the goods to Hugli. There was some
grumbling among the crew, who had expected to go to Murshidabad, and did
not relish the prospect of the longer voyage. But the Armenian, knowing
that every word was overheard by Desmond's men, made haste to pacify the
boatmen.
It was by no means easy work getting down the river. The boats were
flat-bottomed and drew very little water; but the stream being very low,
they stuck fast time after time in the shallows. By day the boatmen
might have picked their way more carefully, but the moon was new and
shed too little light for river navigation. More than once they had to
leap overboard and, wading, shove and haul until the boats came off the
mud banks into practicable water again. They rowed hard when the course
was clear, encouraged by promises of liberal bakshish made by their
employer at Desmond's prompting. But the interruptions were so frequent
that the dawn found the boats only some thirty miles from their
starting-point. The river being here a little deeper, Desmond could
afford to let the rowers take a much needed rest, while the boats
floated down with the stream.
But as the day wore on the river again played them false, and progress
was at times reduced to scarcely more than two miles an hour. Things
had been uncomfortable in the night, but the discomforts were increased
tenfold in the day. It was the hottest season of the year; out of the
clear sky the sun's rays beat down with pitiless ferocity; the whole
landscape was a-quiver with heat; all things seemed to swoon under the
oppression. The petalas, being cargo boats, were not provided with any
accommodation or conveniences for passengers; and Desmond's thoughts, as
he lay panting on his mat, haggard from want of sleep, faint from want
of food--for though there was rice on board, and the men ate freely, he
had no appetite for that--reverted to the worst period of his
imprisonment in Gheria, and he recalled the sufferings he had endured
there. Here at least he was free. His journey had so far been
unmolested, and he hoped that the happy chance that had favoured him at
Cossimbazar would not fail him now.
He was in a fever of impatience; yet the men were doing their best.
They passed the mud walls of Cutwa; another stage of the journey was
safely completed; but twelve miles lower down there was a post at Patli,
and with every mile the danger grew. Desmond talked over the situation
with the Babu. Surendra Nath agreed that by nightfall, if no unforeseen
delay occurred, they might hope to be in the neighbourhood of Khulna,
and arrive there before any messenger carrying news of the escape. But
there was little or no chance of the same good fortune at Hugli. The
prize was so valuable that every effort would certainly be made to stop
them. A whole day or more might pass before the reason of Coja
Solomon's absence was discovered. But when the discovery was made, fast
runners would be sent to Khulna and Hugli, and by relays the distance
between Cossimbazar and Hugli could be covered in twenty-two hours.
Supposing such a messenger started at nightfall on June 5, nearly
twenty-four hours after Coja Solomon's disappearance, he might well get
to Hugli long before the fugitive boats, even if they were rowed all
night without cessation; and the men were already so much fatigued that
such continuous exertion could hardly be expected of them.
There was a further danger. If the news of the capture of Cossimbazar
Fort had preceded him, he might be stopped at any of the riverside
places without any reference to Coja Solomon's abduction, pending orders
from the Nawab. Desmond's anxiety would have been largely increased had
he known that Siraj-uddaula, before his men had actually marched into
the fort, had already started with the bulk of his forces on his fateful
march to Calcutta.
Desmond was still in conversation with the Babu when the little flotilla
came in sight of Patli. Its approach was observed. A boat put off from
the ghat, and awaited the arrival of Desmond's boat in mid-stream. As
it came alongside an official ordered the men to cease rowing and
demanded to know who was the owner of the goods on board and to see the
dastaks. The Babu, to whom Desmond had entrusted the papers, showed
them to the man; he scanned them, said that he was satisfied, and rowed
back to the ghat. Evidently he had no suspicions. During the short
colloquy Desmond kept close beside the Armenian, who was well known to
the riverside official; but Coja Solomon was thoroughly scared, and had
not the presence of mind to do anything more than acknowledge the
customary salaam.
Desmond breathed freely once more now that Patli was passed. But
two-thirds of the journey still remained to be completed, and he could
not dare hope that at his slow rate of progress he would be able always
to keep ahead of information from Cossimbazar. Seeing that he could not
hasten his journey, he wondered whether it was possible to put pursuers
off the scent. After thinking for a while he said to the Babu, out of
hearing of the Armenian: