244 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



very walls of the town, it being with some difficulty 

 that the officers could prevent their men entering 

 the town with the fugitives. Fifty of the enemy, 

 all horsemen, were killed on the ground, and many 

 must have been wounded." 



"Nothing," he adds, "could be better than the 

 conduct of all concerned. The Guide Cavalry be- 

 haved with their usual dashing gallantry, and their 

 example was well emulated by the men of my new 

 regiment, now for the first time engaged with an 

 enemy. They not only remained under fire unflinch- 

 ingly, but retired before the enemy steadily and 

 deliberately, and when ordered, turned and charged 

 home boldly. It would have been hopeless to ex- 

 pect this but for the magnificent leading and admir- 

 able management of the officers in command of the 

 several troops — Captain AVard and Lieutenants 

 M'Dowell, Wise, C. J. Cough, and H. Gough. 

 The difficulty of their task will be appreciated 

 when it is remembered that, with the exception of 

 the Guides, none of the party had been drilled or 

 formed or knew anything of field movements." 



That night the rebels cleared out of Eohtak and 

 took refuse in the neighbourinsj villao;es. On the 

 19th Hodson halted at a villao;e on the north side 

 of Eohtak to take in supplies, and to receive a 

 reinforcement of eighty well - equipped horsemen 

 from Jhind, "whom my good friend the Eajah 

 sent as soon as he heard I was coming Eohtak- 

 wards. So I have now 400 horsemen, more or 

 less, fresh ammunition having come in this morn- 

 ing, and am quite independent." 



Meanwhile a rumour had reached Wilson's camp 

 that Hodson had been driven by superior numbers 



