FROM UMBALA TO FATHIGARH. 301 



"As Hodson volunteered to open communication 

 with him, I furnished him with despatches, and sent 

 him off on the 30th, accompanied by Lieutenant 

 M'Dowell, and escorted by a small party of his 

 regiment. The chief was reported to be forty miles 

 from Be war. On the morning of the 31st I marched 

 to Bowgong, and in the evening one of Hodson's 

 sowars rode in to say that Captain Hodson and 

 Lieutenant M'Dowell had left part of their escort 

 at Bewar and had gone on to Chibramau, where 

 they had left the remainder of it and ridden on 

 alone ; that after they had left, a body of the rebel 

 cavalry had entered the town, surprised the escort, 

 and cut it up ; and that the gentlemen had not 

 since been heard of ! Although I knew that Hod- 

 son and M'Dowell were two of the most wide-awake 

 officers in the army, I could not but feel very un- 

 easy about them ; so I sent off about one hundred 

 of the sowars under an officer, and marched myself 

 an hour before daybreak next morning. 



" Every one felt imeasy, for Hodson's brilliant 

 qualities as a soldier had made themselves felt by 

 all. So when at daybreak a sowar rode up and 

 reported that he had returned safe to Bewar, the 

 relief from anxiety was felt by all in camp."^ 



Leaving fifty of his men at Bewar, fourteen miles 

 from Mainpuri, Hodson sped on with the remainder 

 some fourteen miles farther, to Chibramau. There 

 he left the remaining twenty-five, and pushed on 

 with M'Dowell alone to Gursahaiganj. But the end 

 of their ride was not yet, for there they learned that 

 the commander-in-chief had that day marched some 

 fifteen miles farther to Miran-ke- Serai. "This," 



1 From Cadet to Colonel. 



