THE SIEGE OF DELHI. 225 



through the arm, little Eoberts wounded, and sev- 

 eral more. Everybody wonders I was not hit — none 

 more than myself. God has been very merciful 

 to me." 



While the Fusiliers and Coke's Punjabis were 

 driving the mass of the enemy " helter-skelter 

 through the gardens to our right, I went," says 

 Hodson, ' ' with the Guides, Gurkhas, and part of the 

 Fusiliers alona; the Grand Trunk Road leadino- risfht 

 into the gates of Delhi. We were exposed to a 

 heavy fire of grape from the walls, and musketry 

 from behind trees and rocks ; but pushing on, we 

 drove them right up to the very walls, and then 

 were ordered to retire." 



Emboldened by the rearward movement of our 

 troops, the enemy rallied and brought two of their 

 guns to bear on their late assailants. Hodson, how- 

 ever, was covering the retreat. With the help of a 

 few officers and men hastily got together he prepared 

 to stem the onset of a body of rebel horse. He called 

 upon his men to fire into the advancing cavalry. 

 " I got a few men to open fire," he wrote. " My 

 gallant Guides stood their ground like men ; Sheb- 

 beare, Jacob, Greville, and little Butler came to the 

 front, and the mass of the enemy's cavalry, just as I 

 said, stopped, reeled, turned, and fled in confusion." 



For a moment the guns behind them were 

 deserted, and Hodson " tried hard to get up a 

 charge to capture them : we were within thirty 

 paces ; twenty-five resolute men would have been 

 enough ; but the soldiers were blown and could not 

 push on in the face of such odds, unsupported as we 

 were, for the whole of the rest of the troops had 

 retired. My eight horsemen stood their ground, and 



P 



