UNDER A CLOUD. 157 



"My dear Hodson, — Since I last wrote to you I 

 have received a letter from Government saying that 

 you are not to resume command of the Guides, nor 

 to have charge of Yuzafzai, and that your future 

 employment will depend on the result of the court 

 of inquiry. However disagreeable these tidings 

 might be to you, I think you would prefer knowing 

 them than waiting in suspense. — Yours truly, 



"John Lawrence."^ 



The court of inquiry to which John Lawrence here 

 refers had meanwhile been dealing with matters of 

 far graver purport to Hodson's character than the 

 wrongful imprisonment of a Pathan chief. 



On September 8, 1854, Hodson had just heard 

 from Major Macpherson, then military secretary to 

 John Lawrence, that " there is to be a court of 

 inquiry on the Turner affair or on me — I hardly 

 know which. I am sorry for it iu one sense, for 

 these courts are vexatious and troublesome things, 

 and it will give me much trouble ; but as all is as 

 clear as possible, I do not fear the result in the 

 least — in fact, I would court inquiry rather than 

 avoid it." ^ It appears that Turner, in spite of 

 Hodson's peremptory orders, had refused to sign 

 some regimental rolls on the ground of his disagree- 

 ment with the remarks aj)pended by his command- 

 ing officer. The letter in which Turner complained 

 of Hodson's high-handed conduct was pronounced 

 by Major Macpherson to be so " disgraceful to the 

 writer that he dared not characterise it." This, 

 however, was but one of many charges which 



1 Papers supplied by Miss Hodson. 

 ' Letter to Mrs Hodson. 



