Final answer:
The old man's response to the rioters' question is left ambiguous in the text.
Step-by-step explanation:
The old man, in the mentioned context, did not respond when the rioters asked him why he did not die yet. The text does not explicitly state his response. Instead, it describes his actions and the overall situation. The encounter between the old man and the rioters appears to be a significant event in the story, but the specific details of his response are left to the reader's interpretation or further exploration of the text.