BEFORE DELHI. 245 



to take refuge within the walls of the jail at 

 Rohtak. The consequent alarm was not shared 

 by the Civil Commissioner, Hervey Greathed. " I 

 have such confidence," he wrote, " in Hodson's 

 audacity and resource, and it turned out he was 

 skirmishing with the enemy between the jail and 

 another building. 



"In the evening a letter came from him describ- 

 ing his position. He had seduced the enemy out 

 into a plain, and then driven them back pell-mell : 

 he then withdrew on the Gohanah road, in the 

 direction of Jhind, and was in communication with 

 the Jhind authorities." ^ 



With reference to the rumour mentioned above, 

 Hodson " cannot sufficiently condemn the idle 

 tongues and foolish brains that concocted such 

 absurd stories about me in the Rohtak business. 

 We were never in any extremity whatever, nor did 

 I ever feel the slightest anxiety, or cease to feel 

 that I was master of the situation. Danger there 

 must always be in war, but none of our own 

 creating, as the fools and fearful said, ever existed." 



On the evening of the 19th he received Wilson's 

 order recalling him to the camp before Delhi. 

 Marching leisurely back, he reached Sonpat on the 

 21st. On the evening of the 22nd he got a note 

 from General Wilson " desiring me to look out for 

 and destroy the 10th Light Cavalry mutineers from 

 Firozpur. He authorised my proceeding to Jhind, 

 but without going through the Rohtak district. 

 Now, as to do this would involve an immense 

 detour, and ensure my being too late, and conse- 

 quently having a long and fatiguing march for my 



^ Greathed's Letters. 



