"Jaimihr's thousands will be in no mind to lie leaderless and let Howrah ride rough-shod over them! They know his charity of old! They will be here to claim their Prince within a day or two, and without my fifteen hundred how would I stand?
Surely, bahadur, I will raise my fifteen hundred." "Very well.

Now I will make you a proposal.

On behalf of the Company I offer you and your men pay at the rate paid to all irregular cavalry on a war basis.

In return, I demand your allegiance." "To whom, sahib?
To you or to the Company ?" "To the Company, of course." "Nay! Not I! For the son of Cunnigan-bahadur I would slit the throats of half Asia, and then of nine-tenths of the other half! But by the breath of God--by my spurs and this sabre here--I have had enough of pledging! I swore allegiance to Howrah.

Being nearly free of that pledge by Allah's sending, shall I plunge into another, like a frightened bird fluttering from snare to snare?
Nay, nay, bahadur! For thyself, for thy father's sake, ask any favor.