"In the midst of this hurry and confusion, as if purposely to add to it,
a trumpet was heard at the gate of the fort, and one of the sentinels
came running to me, saying that a Mahratta soldier was before the gate
with a flag of truce!
"I went down, rightly conjecturing, as it turned out, that the party,
whoever they might be, had no artillery; and received at the point of my
sword a scroll, of which the following is a translation:--
"'TO GOLIAH GAHAGAN GUJPUTI.
"'LORD OF ELEPHANTS, SIR,--I have the honor to inform you that I arrived
before this place at eight o'clock P.M. with ten thousand cavalry under
my orders. I have burned, since my arrival, seventeen bungalows in
Furruckabad and Futtyghur, and have likewise been under the painful
necessity of putting to death three clergymen (mollahs), and seven
English officers, whom I found in the village; the women have been
transferred to safe keeping in the harems of my officers and myself.
"'As I know your courage and talents, I shall be very happy if you
will surrender the fortress, and take service as a major-general
(hookahbadar) in my army. Should my proposal not meet with your assent,
I beg leave to state that to-morrow I shall storm the fort, and on
taking it, shall put to death every male in the garrison, and every
female above twenty years of age.
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