Father Ignacio then, in language which he thought best suited to touch his hearers, repeated Jack's arguments, urging very strongly the vengeance which the French marshal would be sure to take upon the Spanish population of the country through which he was passing when he heard the news.
"Besides," Jack said, when he had finished, "you must remember you have not conquered the enemy yet.

I see the officer has withdrawn all his men among the wagons, where their shelter will be nearly as good as yours.
They have, doubtless, abundant stores of ammunition in those wagons, together with food and wine, and if you force them to fight to the last man they can hold out for a very long time, and will inflict a heavy loss upon your men before they are overcome." "But why should they take their weapons with them ?" one of the men said; "they will be useful to us.

Why should we let them carry them away to kill more Spaniards ?" "The reason why I would let them take their arms is this," Jack said.
"Unless they march away armed you will not be able to restrain your followers, who will be likely to break any convention you may make and to massacre them without mercy.

As to the arms being used again against you, I will put the officers under their parole that they and their men shall not take any further part in the war until they are exchanged for an equal number of prisoners taken by the French." "Who would trust to a Frenchman's word ?" a man asked scoffingly.
"I would trust to a French officer's word as much as to that of an English officer," Jack replied.

"You would expect them to trust to your word that they should be safe if they laid down their arms; and yet, as you know, you might not be able to keep it.