226 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



the little knot of officers used every exertion to aid 

 us, when suddenly two rascals rushed forward with 

 lighted portfires in their hands, fired the guns, 

 loaded with grape, in our faces, and when the smoke 

 cleared away, we found to our infinite disgust and 

 chagrin that they had limbered up the guns and 

 were off at a gallop. We had then to efi"ect our 

 retreat to rejoin the column under a heavy fire of 

 grape and musketry, and many men and officers 

 were hit in doing it. I managed to get the Guides 

 to retire quietly, fighting as they went, and fairly 

 checking the enemy, on which I galloped back and 

 brought up two guns, when we soon stopped all 

 opposition and drove the last Pandy into Delhi. 



"My Guides stood firm and, as well as my new 

 men, behaved admirably : not so all who were 

 engaged, and it was in consequence of that poor 

 Chamberlain got wounded ; for seeing a hesitation 

 among the troops he led, who did not like the look 

 of a wall lined with Pandies, and stopped short 

 instead of going up to it, he leaped his horse clean 

 over the wall into the midst of them, and dared the 

 men to follow, which they did, but he got a ball in 

 the shoulder. There is not a braver heart or cooler 

 head in camp." ^ 



In that day's fighting Hodson seemed as usual to 

 bear a charmed life. Writing to his wife a few days 

 later, he confirms the story of a hair-breadth escape 

 which had just appeared in a Simla newspaper. 

 "The story in the papers about the boot was essen- 

 tially correct for once, though how they should have 



1 " 



' A charge of cavalry was turned by a few musket-shots from a 

 party under Hodson, who always turns up in moments of difficulty." 

 — Greathed'a ' Letters written during the Siege of Delhi.' 



