"That's the game, is it?" said Clive. "A pretty scheme, egad! 'Twill be fatal to us if carried out. 'Twould put a spoke in the admiral's wheel and throw all the work on the land force. That's weak enough, what with Mr. Killpatrick's men dying off every day--he has only thirty left--and my own Sepoys mostly skeletons. And we haven't proved ourselves against the Nawab's troops; I suppose they outnumber us thirty to one, and after their success at Calcutta they'll be very cock-a-hoop. Yet 'tis so easy to sink a few ships, especially if preparations have been made long in advance, as appears to be the case." "I think, sir, it might be prevented." Clive, who had been pacing up and down in some perturbation of mind, his head bent, his hands clasped behind him, halted, looked up sharply, and said: "Indeed! How?" "If we could get hold of the subahdar." "By bribing him? He might not be open to bribery. Most of these native officials are, but there are some honest men among them, and he may be one. He wouldn't have been selected for his job unless Manik Chand thought him trustworthy. Besides, how are we going to get into communication with him? And even if we did, and filled him to the brim with rupees, how are we to know he wouldn't sell us in turn to the enemy?" "But there are other ways, sir. We can depend on Hubbo, and if I might suggest, it would pay to promise him a rich reward if he managed to keep the passage clear." "Yes, I agree. What reward would be most effective?" "A few hundred rupees and the post of syr serang in the Company's service when Calcutta is retaken." "Not too extravagant! Well, I shall see Mr. Drake; the offer had better come from him and reach Hubbo through his brother." "And then, sir, it ought not to be impossible to secure the subahdar himself when the moment arrives." Clive looked at the bright eager countenance of the boy before him. "Upon my word, my lad," he said, "I believe you can do it. How, I don't know; but you have shown so much resource already that you may be able to help us in this fix--for fix it is, and a bad one. 'Tis the will that counts; if one is only determined enough no difficulty is insuperable--a lesson that our friends from Calcutta might take to heart. But have you a plan?" "Not at present, sir. I should like to think it over; and if I can hit on anything that seems feasible I should be glad of your leave to try." "By all means, my lad. If you fail--well, no one will be more sorry than I, for your sake. If you succeed, you will find that I shall not forget. "There's one thing I want to ask you before you go. Have you heard anything of my friend Merriman's ladies?" "Yes, sir; and, as I suspected, Diggle is at the bottom of their disappearance." He related the series of incidents up the river.