82 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



when I ventured too near, I sat down and drew a 

 little pencil plan of the ground and fort, despatched 

 a trooper with it to the brigadier, and then retired 

 to a little village about a mile off for the night. 

 Another day and night passed in this precarious 

 fashion without (as is my usual fate) servants, 

 clothes, or traps, until at length my own men 

 (Guides) arrived from Lahore with my baggage and 

 horses. I could now muster 100 rifles and 80 horse- 

 men, so we set to work to invest the place, being the 

 only way to render the escape of the rebels difficult 

 or impossible. The fort, though very small, was 

 immensely strong, and well garrisoned with desper- 

 adoes, and we had sharp work of it during the two 

 nights and day which elapsed before the brigadier 

 appeared with his troops. By keeping my men 

 scattered about in parties, under cover, the supe- 

 riority of their weapons enabled them to gall the 

 defenders of the fort whenever they showed their 

 heads, day or night, and whenever they made a sally 

 they got driven back with the loss of one or two of 

 their companions. At last the brigadier appeared, 

 pounded the place with his guns during the day, and 

 let the garrison escape at night." 



The following week was spent in the work of 

 destroying the empty fort, by means of forty-one 

 mines loaded in all with 8000 lb. of powder. 

 Hodson's services on this occasion were gratefully 

 acknowledged by Brigadier Wheeler in his despatch 

 of October 15 : " Lieutenant W. S. Hodson, with his 

 detachment of the corps of Guides, has done most 

 excellent service, and by his daring boldness, and 

 that of his men, gained the admiration of all." 



Wheeler's next movement was directed against 



