FIRST WEEKS OF THE SIEGE OF DELHI. 193 



I liad anticipated, here he was with despatches for 

 Wilson ! How I quizzed him for approaching an 

 armed post at night without knowing the parole ! 

 Hodson rode straight to Wilson, had his interview, 

 a bath, breakfast, and two hours' sleep, and then 

 rode back the seventy-six miles, and had to fight 

 his way for about thirty miles of the distance." 



Another officer, writing to his wife, sjDoke of 

 Hodson's feat as more resembling "a chapter from 

 the life of Bayard or Amadis de Gaul than the 

 doings of a subaltern of the nineteenth century." 



It was at Karnal that Hodson met again his young 

 friend Charles Thomason of the Bengal Engineers, 

 who owed to Hodson's exertions his own timely 

 escape from death at the hands of roving sepoy 

 mutineers. 



" I shall not easily forget our meeting," writes 

 General Thomason, " We both felt we had much 

 to say to each other. He evidently knew my story, 

 and after his long ride and many hours' fighting he 

 was not one I felt myself justified in inviting to a 

 conversation. We had had no news as to what had 

 occurred at Meerut on May 10 when the Mutiny 

 broke out, and the anxiety of all those present can 

 well be imagined. Poor Hodson was absolutely 

 stormed with questions. ' Do let me have something 

 to eat first,' was what he said ; ' I absolutely refuse 

 to answer any questions till I have had something.' 

 He then vanished for his wash and brush up. 



" Meanwhile all were interested in his repast, 

 which W'as ready for him wdien he reappeared. Not 

 a word did he say when he sat down with myself at 

 his right hand, nor did there pass between us any- 

 thing beyond a sign of kindly recognition to myself 



N 



