gnal,
hauled her wind and stood away to the northward, followed closely by the
two larger vessels. The captain growled his disappointment. Nearly a
dozen of the coast craft, as they were now clearly seen to be, went in
pursuit, but with little chance of coming up with the chase. The
remaining vessels of the newly-arrived fleet stood out to meet the Good
Intent.

"Fetch us that Maratha fellow," cried the captain, "and hoist a white
flag."

When the Maratha appeared, a pitiable object, emaciated for want of food,
Captain Barker bade him shout as soon as the newcomers came within
hailing distance. The white flag at the masthead, and a loud, long-drawn
hail from Hybati, apprised the grab that the Good Intent was no enemy,
and averted hostilities. And thus it was, amid a convoy of Angria's own
fleet, that Captain Barker's vessel, a few hours later, sailed peacefully
into the harbor of Gheria.

Desmond looked with curious eyes on the famous fort and harbor. On the
right, as the Good Intent entered, he saw a long, narrow promontory, at
the end of which was a fortress, constructed, as it appeared, of solid
rock. The promontory was joined to the mainland by a narrow isthmus of
sand, beyond which lay an open town of some size. The shore was fringed
with palmyras, mangoes and other tropical trees, and behind the straw
huts and stone buildings of the town leafy groves clothed the sides of a
gentle hill.

The harbor, which forms the mouth of a river, was studded with Angria's
vessels, large and small, and from the docks situated on the sandy
isthmus came the busy sound of shipwrights at work. The rocky walls of
the fort were fifty feet high, with round towers, long curtains, and some
fifty embrasures. The left shore of the harbor was flat, but to the south
of the fort rose a hill of the same height as the walls of rock. Such was
the headquarters of the notorious pirate Tulaji Angria, the last of the
line which had for fifty years been the terror of the Malabar coast.

The Good Intent dropped anchor off the jetty running out from the docks
north of the fort. Captain Barker had already given orders that no shore
leave was to be allowed to the crew, and as soon as he had stepped into
the longboat, accompanied by Diggle, the men's discontent broke forth in
angry imprecations, which Mr. Toley wisely affected not to hear.

No time was lost in unloading the portion of the cargo intended for
Angria. The goods were carried along