FIRST WEEKS OF THE SIEGE OF DELHI. 205 



hopelessly stuck in crossing one of these — the 

 battery, or rather the troo}^, as we called it in those 

 days, of Turner's Horse Artillery consisting of three 

 6-pounders and three 9-pounders, the latter being 

 apparently immovable. 



Geneste of our corps came up at this crisis, and 

 being well mounted, shouted to the gunners, ' Come 

 along ! ' and took the watercourse at a jump, and 

 after him went one gun. Seeing the success of 

 Geneste's manoeuvre, I thought I would try my old 

 artillery caster, and over he went with another gun 

 behind him. I believe somebody else brought over 

 a third gun in the same way, but who it was I 

 cannot say, but within a few minutes we found 

 ourselves just under the serai with all three of the 

 6-pounders. A pretty warm berth it was, but it 

 beautifully enfiladed the whole of the enemy's 

 position in their rear. There we remained for some 

 time firing our best, with the Lancers supporting 

 the guns, when up rode Hodson by himself. 

 Within two or three hundred yards of us was a 

 body of the enemy's cavalry, and what Hodson was 

 dying to do was to lead the Lancers against them. 

 No one was more anxious to do so than the ofhcer 

 commanding; the Lancers, but his orders were im- 

 perative to stick by the guns, and Hodson, disap- 

 pointed in this, started off towards the canal. 



"He had gone a very short distance from us 

 when he found himself confronted by one of the 

 enemy with a shield and tulwar. I shall never 

 forsfet Hodson's face as he met this man. It was 

 smiles all over. He w^ent round and round the 

 man, who in the centre of the circle was dancing 

 more Indico, doing his best to cut Hodson's reins. 



