"Immediate surrender. Your men to be treated as prisoners of war, officers to retain their side-arms and personal property."
During the conversation Streight asked, "How many men have you?"
"Enough here to run over you, and a column of fresh troops between you and Rome."
In reality Forrest had only five hundred men left him, the remainder having been dropped from point to point as their horses gave out and no new mounts were to be had. But the five hundred made noise enough for a brigade, it being Forrest's purpose to conceal the weakness of his force.
As they talked a section of the artillery of the pursuers came in sight within a short range. Colonel Streight objected to this, and Forrest gave orders that the guns must come no nearer. But the artillerymen moved around a neighboring hill as if putting several small batteries into position.
"Have you many guns, general?" asked Streight.
"Enough to blow you all to pieces before an hour," was the grandiloquent reply.
Colonel Streight looked doubtfully at the situation, not knowing how much to believe of what he saw and heard. After some more words he said,—
"I cannot decide without consulting my officers."
"As you please," said Forrest, with a sublime air of indifference. "It will soon be over, one way or the other."