What does he say to this?"
Rujub, who was handsomely attired, stepped forward.
"I have no orders from his highness on this subject," he said. "He
certainly said that the prisoners were to be sent to him, but at
present there are no prisoners, nor, if the siege continues, and
the English carry out their threat, will there be any prisoners. I
cannot think that Nana Sahib would wish to see some hundreds more
of his countrymen slain or blown up, only that he may have these
few men and women in his power."
"We have come here to take them and kill them," one of the officers
said defiantly; "and we will do so."
Por Sing, who had been speaking with the Talookdars round him, rose
from his seat.
"It seems to me that it is for us to decide this matter," he said.
"It is upon us that the losses of this siege have fallen. At the
order of Nana Sahib we collected our retainers, abandoned our homes,
and have for three weeks supported the dangers of this siege. We
follow the Nana, but we are not his vassals, nor do we even know
what his wishes are in this matter, but it seems to us that we
have done enough and more than enough. Numbers of our retainers and
kinsmen have fallen, and to prolong the siege would cause greater
loss, and what should we gain by it? The possession of a heap of
stones. Therefore, we are all of opinion that this offer of surrender
should be accepted. We war for the freedom of our country, and
have no thirst for the blood of these English sahibs, still less
for that of their wives and children.
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