ONE OF CLIVE'S HEROES

THE SUBAHDAR FALLS INTO THE TRAP.

Preface

I have not attempted in this story to give a full account of the career of Lord Clive. That has been done by my old friend Mr. Henty in With Clive in India. It has always seemed to me that a single book provides too narrow a canvas for the display of a life so full and varied as Clive's; while a story is bound to suffer, structurally and in detail, from the compression of the events of a life-time into so restricted a space. I have therefore chosen two outstanding events in the history of India and of Clive--the capture of Gheria and the Battle of Plassey; and have made them the pivot of a personal story of adventure. The whole action of the present work is comprised in the years from 1754 to 1757.

But while this book is thus rather a romance with a background of history than an historical biography with an admixture of fiction, the reader may be assured that the information its pages contain is accurate. I have drawn freely upon the standard authorities: Orme's History, Ives' Voyage, Grose's Voyage, the lives of Clive by Malcolm and by Colonel Malleson, and many other works, in particular the monumental volumes, by Mr. S. C. Hill recently published, Bengal in 1756-7, which give a very full, careful and clear account of that notable year, with a mass of most useful and interesting documents. The maps of Bengal, Fort William, and Plassey in the present volume are taken from Mr. Hill's work, by kind permission of the Secretary of State for India. I have to thank also Mr. T. P. Marshall, of Newport, for some valuable notes on the history and topography of Market Drayton. For Indian words and names the Hunterian spelling has been adopted in the main.

For several years I myself lived within a stone's throw of the scene of the tragedy of the Black Hole; and though at that time I had no intention of writing a story for boys, I hope that the impressions of Indian life, character, and scenery then gained have helped to create an atmosphere and to give reality to my picture. History is more than a mere record of events; I shall be satisfied if the reader gets from these pages an idea, however imperfect, of the conditions of life in which our empire-builders laboured in India a hundred and fifty years ago.

HERBERT STRANG.

Contents

CHAPTER THE FIRST

In which the Court Leet of Market Drayton entertains Colonel Robert Clive; and our hero makes an acquaintance

CHAPTER THE SECOND

In which our hero overhears a conversation; and, meeting with the expected, is none the less surprised and offended

CHAPTER THE THIRD

In which Mr. Marmaduke Diggle talks of the Golden East; and our hero interrupts an interview, and dreams dreams

CHAPTER THE FOURTH

In which blows are exchanged; and our hero, setting forth upon his travels, scents an adventure

CHAPTER THE FIFTH

In which Job Grinsell explains; and three visitors come by night to the Four Alls

CHAPTER THE SIXTH

In which the reader becomes acquainted with William Bulger and other sailor men; and our hero as a Squire of dames acquits himself with credit

CHAPTER THE SEVENTH

In which Colonel Clive suffers a defeat hitherto unrecorded; and our hero finds food for reflection