As the colonel spoke, I saw that a larger party of cavalry had collected behind the little group which accompanied the officer, and one of the infantry men at a window above my head whispered down to me that there were more behind. This put me on the watch; and I spoke to my men not to make the slightest movement, but to be ready. All this was almost momentary, and the next instant, as I kept a keen eye on the enemy, I was listening to the sowar officer speaking. "His Highness the Maharajah Ny Deen, who has with him now an army, many as the sands of the holy river, surrounding you on all sides, bids you lay down your arms and surrender." "Yes; and what then?" "His highness will treat you as prisoners, but kindly; and your lives will be spared. But you must lay down your arms at once, and march out." "For his bloodthirsty band of cut-throats to fall upon us, and treat us as they do all unarmed men." "His Highness the Maharajah gives you his word that your lives will be spared." "And if we refuse to surrender, what then?" "Your bodies will be given to the crows and vultures," said the officer. "For by sundown nothing of you will be left alive." "Look here, sir," said the colonel; "have you ever read the Bible?" "No; I read the Koran," said the native officer, whose haughty, overbearing way seemed to be humbled before the stern Englishman who addressed him. "Read in the Bible, too, and you will find there about how one Rabshakeh came summoning a people to surrender. He boasted, and so do you." "Do you surrender?" said the officer, with an attempt to resume his haughty tone of supremacy. "No. Go and tell your mutinous master that we are ready to meet and punish him and his treacherous following of traitors, who are false to the queen they swore to serve. Tell him that if he will lay down his arms, and surrender to her Majesty's and the great Company's troops, he will have justice done, and to send no more messages here. They are insults to honourable gentlemen and their followers." "Then you refuse his highness's mercy?" said the officer, haughtily. "Back, sir, and deliver your message," cried the colonel; "and tell his highness that if he dares to send any of his insolent mutinous scoundrels here again, I shall fire upon them. A flag of truce is not to protect traitors." The man scowled, and seemed to writhe at the contemptuous manner in which he had been treated. Then, in obedience to long habit, he saluted and rode back with his men. "Yes, we must act at once," said the colonel; "and take the initiative." "In, quick!" I shouted, as I caught sight of a movement in front; and so cleverly and quickly was the manoeuvre carried out, that as the three officers passed between the guns, a column of mounted men came tearing along the street.