BEFORE DELHI. 241 



On the mornin2: of the 16th Hodson marched on 

 to Bohar, five miles short of Rohtak. Here he had 

 hoped to "harass a la Cosaque a large party of 

 horsemen and foot, with two guns, who have been 

 moving along from Delhi, plundering the wretched 

 villagers en route, and threatening to attack Hansi. 

 They, however, thought discretion the better part 

 of valour, and hearing of our approach, started ojff 

 at a tangent before we got near enough to stop 

 them. 



" We have been drenched with rain, so I am 

 halting to dry and feed both men and horses, and 

 then we go on to Rohtak." 



On the morning of the 17th Hodson moved on 

 to Rohtak, the chief civil station of the district 

 which bears its name. " On reaching Rohtak," he 

 writes to his wife, " we found the Mussulman j)or- 

 tion of the people and a crowd of Irregulars drawn 

 up on the walls, while a considerable party were 

 on a mound outside. I had ridden forward with 

 Captain Ward and a few orderlies to see how the 

 land lay, when the rascals fired and ran towards 

 us. I sent word for my cavalry to come up, and 

 rode slowly back myself in order to tempt them 

 out, which had partly the desired eff*ect, and as 

 soon as my leading troop came up, we dashed at 

 them and drove them helter-skelter into the town, 

 killing all we overtook. We then encamped in what 

 was the kutcherry compound, and had a grateful 

 rest and a quiet night. The representatives of the 

 better-disposed part of the population came out to 

 me, and amply provided us with supplies for both 

 man and beast." 



But a yet more trying ordeal awaited Hodson and 



Q 



