He could see the subahdar on deck, a somewhat portly figure
in resplendent costume. A small dinghy was passing between his vessel and
the shore. It contained a number of servants, who had brought him his
breakfast from the fort. The crews of the other vessels had prepared
their food on board.
After a time a dinghy was let down from Hubbo's sloop. Hubbo himself
stepped into it with one of his crew, and was rowed to the subahdar's
vessel. Desmond, watching him narrowly, saw him salaam deeply as he went
on board.
"Salaam, huzur!" said Hubbo. "Your Excellency will pardon me, but
bismillah! I have just discovered a matter of importance. Our task,
huzur, has lain much on my mind; we have never done anything of the sort
before, and seeing on yonder petala a man I know well, who has spent many
years on the kala pani, I ventured to ask if he knew what time would be
needed to sink a ship with several holes drilled in the hull."
"That depends on the size of the holes, fool!" said the subahdar with a
snort.
"True, huzur; that is what the serang said. But he went on to tell me of
a case like your Excellency's. His ship was once captured by the pirates
of the Sandarbands. They drilled several holes in the hull, and rowed
away, leaving my friend and several of the crew to sink with the vessel.
But the holes were not big enough. When the pirate had disappeared, the
men on the ship, using all their strength, managed to run her ashore,
filled up the holes at low tide, and floated her off when the tide came
in again.
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