The meeting
then broke up; and Charlie, supposing that Angria would return
immediately, went back to his tent; where he directed Hossein at once
to mingle with the men who had accompanied Angria, and to find out
anything that he could concerning the state of things in the fort.
Hossein returned an hour later.
"Sahib," he said, "Ramajee Punt is thinking of cheating the English.
He is keeping Angria a prisoner. He says that he came into his camp
without asking for a safe conduct; and that, therefore, he shall
detain him.
"But this is not all. Angria has left his brother in command of the
fort; and Ramajee, by threatening Angria with instant execution, has
induced him to send an order to deliver the fort at once to him.
Ramajee wants, you see, Sahib, to get all the plunder of the fort for
himself, and his Mahrattas."
"This is very serious," Charlie said, "and I must let the admiral
know, at once, what is taking place."
When it became dark, Charlie, with Tim and Hossein, made his way
through the Mahratta camp, down to the shore of the river. Here were
numbers of boats, hauled up on the sand. One of the lightest of these
was soon got into the water, and rowed gently out into the force of
the stream.
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