The attack would be uncertain, and the Colonel hesitated the more because his instructions had been not to take the place if he could avoid it.

So the commanding officer paced his tent, and composed fresh messages to the Maharajah, while Lieutenant Pink wondered in noble disgust whether the expedition was going to end in moonshine after all, and Thomas Jones, sergeant, remarked hourly to his fellow-privates, 'The 17th 'aint come two 'undred miles for this kind of a joke.

The bloomin' Maharajer 'ull think we've got a funk on.' But neither Colonel Starr nor Thomas Jones was acquainted with the reason of the remarkable attitude of Lalpore.
A week before, when the news reached him that the Viceroy was sending three hundred men and two guns to remonstrate with him for his treatment of Dr.Roberts, the Maharajah smiled, thinking of the bravery of his Chitans, the strength of his fortifications, the depth of his walls, and the wheat stored in his city granaries.
No one had ever taken Lalpore since the Chitans took it--in all Rajputana there were none so cunning and so brave as the Chitans.
As to bravery, greater than Rajput bravery simply did not exist.
The Maharajah held a council, and they all sported with the idea of English soldiers coming to Lalpore.

Maun Rao begged to go out and meet them to avenge the insult.
'Maharajah,' said he, 'the Chitans are sufficient against the world; why should we speak of three hundred monkeys' grandsons?
If the sky fell, our heads would be pillars to protect you!' And after a long discussion the Maharajah agreed to Maun Rao's proposal.

The English could come only one way.