THE STORMING OF DELHI. 273 



we do with them ? ' said Hodson to me. ' I think we 

 had better shoot them here : we shall never £:et them 

 in.' . . . There was no time to be lost. 



" We halted the troop, put five troopers across the 

 road behind and in front. Hodson ordered the 

 princes to strip and get again into the cart. He 

 then shot them with his own hand. So ended the 

 career of the chiefs of the revolt, and of the greatest 

 villains that ever shamed humanity. Before they 

 were shot Hodson addressed our men, explaining 

 who they were and why they were to suffer death. 

 The effect was marvellous : the Mussulmans seemed 

 struck with a wholesome idea of retribution, and the 

 Sikhs shouted with delight, while the mass moved 

 off slowly and silently." 



Writing to his wife on the 25th, Hodson con- 

 gratulates himself on his success " in destroying the 

 enemies of our race ; the whole nation will rejoice, 



but I am pretty sure that however glad will be 



at their destruction, he will take exception to my 

 having been the instrument, in God's hands, of 

 their punishment. That will not signify, however : 

 I am too conscious of the rectitude of my own mo- 

 tives to care what the few may say, while my own 

 conscience and the voice of the many pronounce me 

 right." 



In another letter Hodson says : " The execution of 

 the princes could be hardly called one of ' unresist- 

 ing ' enemies, since they were surrounded by an 

 armed host, to whom we should have been most 

 unquestionably sacrificed if I had hesitated for an 

 instant. It was tliey or we, and I recommend those 

 who might cavil at my choice to go and catch the 

 next rebels themselves ! . . . I must be prepared to 



s 



