250 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



tive between dooming his prisoner to instant death 

 and setting him free to plot further mischief against 

 the Government whose salt he had eaten. 



In connection with Hodson's work at this period 

 the following letter from an officer who served at 

 Delhi may fitly be introduced : — 



"The way Hodson used to work was quite 

 miraculous. He was a slighter man and lighter 

 weio-ht than I am. Then he had that most valuable 

 gift of being able to get refreshing sleep on horse- 

 back. 1 have been out with him all night following 

 and watching the enemy, when he has gone off 

 dead asleep, waking up after an hour as fresh as 

 a lark ; whereas, if I went to sleep in the saddle, 

 the odds were I fell off on my nose. 



" He was the very perfection of a ' free-lance,' and 

 such an Intelligence officer ! He used to know 

 what the rebels had for dinner in Delhi. 



" In a fight he was glorious. If there was only 

 a good hard scrimmage he was as happy as a king. 

 A beautiful swordsman, he never failed to kill his 

 man ; and the way he used to play with the most 

 brave and furious of these rebels was perfect. I 

 fancy I see him now, smiling, laughing, parrying 

 most fearful blows as calmly as if he were brush- 

 ing off flies, calling out all the time, ' Why, try 

 again now ' ; ' What's that ? ' ' Do you call yourself 

 a swordsman ? ' &c. 



" The way that in a pursuit he used to manage 

 his hog -spear was miraculous. It always seemed 

 to me that he bore a charmed life, and so the 

 enemy thought. 



" His judgment was as great as his courage, and 



