ticles required.

Chapter 21: 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 anyone 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 ever you 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."

Bu