The Babu will interpret for you. You
will hurry on as fast as possible toward Calcutta. I shall overtake you
by and by. The people here believe that I am a Frenchman, so you had
better pass as that, too, for of course your disguise will deceive no
native in the daylight."
"Well I knows it." said Bulger. "They've been starin' at me like as if I
was a prize pig this half hour and more, and lookin' most uncommon
curious at my little button hook. But, sir, I don't see any call for me
to make out I'm a mounseer. 'T'ud make me uneasy inside, sir, the very
thought of eatin' what the mounseers eat."
"My good man, there's no need to carry it too far. Do as you please, only
take care of the goods."
Except Desmond and four men whom he retained, the whole party moved off
with the hackeris towards Calcutta. The road was an unmade track, heavy
with dust, rough, execrably bad; and at the gumashta's suggestion Desmond
had arranged for three extra teams of oxen to accompany the carts, to
extricate them in case of necessity from holes or soft places.
Fortunately the weather was dry: had the rains begun--and they were
overdue--the road would have been a slough of mud and ooze, and the
journey would have been impossible.
When the convoy had set off, Desmond with three men, including the
serang, returned to the empty boats. The lookers-on stared to see the
craft put off and drop down the river with a crew of one man each:
Desmond in the first, and the smaller boat that had contained Bulger and
his party trailing behind.
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