230 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



depended on perfect silence. ... I owe as mucli 

 to Dr Mactier's skill, patience, and kindness as any 

 wounded man ever owed to any doctor." 



How much he owed to Hodson's tender nursing 

 was a thing; which he could never foro;et. " He 

 watched and tended me with the affection of a 

 brother ; he antici|)ated all my wants, prevented me 

 from speaking, and carefully excluded every one 

 from the tent." " You know," wrote Seaton, long 

 after Hodson's death, "how he nursed me when 

 I was wounded. I am indebted for my rapid re- 

 covery in a very great measure to his care and 

 forethought ; and it was whilst lying helpless and 

 feeble I saw that the brave and stern soldier had 

 also the tenderness of a woman in his noble heart. 

 His constant care was to prevent Mrs Hodson from 

 feeling any anxiety that he could save her ; so that 

 whenever he w^ent out on any expedition that would 

 detain him beyond twenty-four hours, he invariably 

 asked me, and I used to make it my duty, to write 

 to Mrs Hodson daily, accounting for his absence, 

 and giving such details as I could of his doings." 



About this time Hodson consented, at General 

 Wilson's suggestion, to give up the command of the 

 Guides and retain the post of assistant quarter- 

 master - general. He had already found himself 

 overtaxed with too many duties. He would have 

 preferred to lead his old corps into Delhi — " but 

 it is best as it is. . . . The general was very com- 

 plimentary on my doings while commanding the 

 Guides, and ' trusted to receive equally invaluable 

 services from my new regiment.'" 



Before the end of July the adjutancy of his new 

 regiment had been conferred upon Lieutenant (now 



