All at once Desmond, remembering the real subahdar below, asked himself:
what if he drove out the bungs and scuttled the vessel? But the question
brought a smile to his lips. He could not conceive of the Bengali's
playing such a heroic part, and he possessed his soul in peace.
Now the Tyger was in full sight, and behind her Desmond saw the
well-remembered Kent, Admiral Watson's flagship. The stampede from the
forts had evidently been observed on board, for firing had ceased, and
boats were already being lowered and filled with men.
Desmond waited. The Tyger's boats, he saw, were making for Tanna Fort:
the Kent's for Aligarh. But one of the latter was heading straight for
the sloop. Desmond could not resist the temptation to a joke. Making
himself look as important as he could, he stood by the gunwale watching
with an air of dignity the oncoming of the boat. It was in command of a
young lieutenant. The men bent to their oars with a will, and Desmond
could soon hear the voice of the officer as he called to his crew.
But his amusement was mingled with amazement and delight when, in the big
form sitting in the bow of the boat, he recognized no other than his old
messmate, his old comrade in the Fight of the Carts--William Bulger. The
joke would be even better than he had expected.
The boat drew closer: it was level with the nose of the sloop; and the
lieutenant sang out the command, "Ship oars!" It came alongside.
"Bulger," cried the lieutenant, "skip aboard and announce us to that old
peacock up on deck.
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