“Can you arrange for us,” he said, when civilities had been exchanged, “tonight, the loan of two shabby old country boats?”

The native considered.

“I think I can, sahib,” he said at length.  “I would do much for Merriman Sahib.  A man I frequently employ is now anchored off my ghat.  No doubt, for fair pay, he and another might be persuaded to lend their craft.”

“Very well, be good enough to arrange it.  I only require the boats for a few hours tomorrow morning.  Do you think twenty rupees would suffice?”

The native opened his eyes.  He himself would not have offered so much.  But he said: 

“Doubtless that will suffice, sahib.  The matter is settled.”

“I shall meet you in an hour.  Thank you.”

Returning to the budgeros, Desmond instructed Hossain to go into the bazaar and buy up all the fresh fruit he could find.  The sales for the day were over; but Hossain hunted up the fruit sellers and bargained so successfully that when he returned he was accompanied by a whole gang of coolies, bearing what seemed to Desmond an appalling quantity of melons, all for thirty rupees.

Before this, however, Aghor Nath Bose had reported that the hire of the two boats was duly arranged.  They were open boats, little more than barges, with a small cabin or shelter aft.  Their crews had been dismissed and had taken their belongings ashore; both were empty of cargo.  Desmond went with Bulger on board and arranged a number of bamboos crosswise on the boats, covering up the empty spaces which would usually be occupied by merchandise.  Over the bamboos he placed a layer of thin matting, and on this, when Hossain returned, he ordered the coolies to put the melons.  To a casual observer it would have appeared that the boats were laden with a particularly heavy cargo of the golden fruit.

An hour before dawn, the lascars and others from the Hormuzzeer slipped quietly from the budgeros on board the country boats, and bestowed themselves as best they could under the bamboo deck supporting the melons.  It was cool in the early morning, although the hot season was approaching; but Desmond did not envy the men their close quarters.  They were so much excited, however, at the adventure before them, and so eager to earn the liberal reward promised them if it succeeded, that not a man murmured.  The Europeans had cooler quarters in the rude cabins, where they were hidden from prying eyes under miscellaneous native wraps.

Desmond had learned from the pilot that it would be nearly eight o’clock before the depth of water over the bar was sufficient to allow a ship like the Good Intent to proceed with safety.  A little before daybreak the two boats crept out from the ghat.  It was well to avoid curiosity before Mayapur woke up.  Desmond steered the first, Hossain the second; and besides the steersmen there were two men visible on the deck of each.