196 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



started for Karnal. Arrived at the canal Choki of 

 Phurlak, twelve miles from Karnal, we came to grief 

 with an accident. I need not enter into the details 

 of this mishap, because I am writing of Hodson and 

 not of myself Suffice it to say, it resulted in Mrs 

 Tronson breaking a collar and some rib bones, and I 

 remained behind as a rearguard to take her into 

 Karnal. With me, much against my inclination, 

 remained Hodson's men. In justice to them, I must 

 say that I should have fared badly without them ; 

 but in justice also to myself, and to show that my 

 judgment was not altogether at fault, I must mention 

 that Isa Khan, whose camel I rode with him behind 

 me, was afterwards wounded fighting against us at 

 Delhi. He was taken wounded, tried, and hanged. 

 I need not say more about the adventures of this 

 night than that they fully justified my suspicions as 

 to my companions. However, all's well that ends 

 well ; and, marvellous to relate, we arrived alive at 

 Karnal at one o'clock in the mornins;, and I was glad 

 to hand over Mrs Tronson to Dr Balfour, and I lay 

 down to sleep with my boots as my pillow on a floor 

 of a room in Mr Le Bas' house, where, what with 

 refugees and others, it was not easy to find ac- 

 commodation for my full length. 



" On awaking next morning I learned that Hodson 

 was not there, he having gone to open communica- 

 tion with Meerut, seventy-five miles ofi". ... I think 

 it was the next day that he returned to Karnal." ^ 



After reporting to Anson at Umbala the result of 

 his mission to Meerut, Hodson returned to Karnal 

 " fairly dead beat " on the morning of the 25th. On 

 the same day Anson himself arrived at Karnal. His 

 little force at that time consisted of two brigades, 



1 MS. Reminiscences by General Thomason. 



