304 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



animated conversation with him. We had a very 

 pleasant dinner, and at 8 p.m. started on our long 

 ride back." They reached Gursahaiganj without an 

 incident, and were half way thence to Chibramau 

 when they were hailed by a fakeer to whom Hodson 

 had given alms on his former journey. From the 

 grateful Brahman they learned that the twenty-five 

 sowars left by Hodson at Chibramau had been 

 attacked by a party of rebels and driven away 

 with the loss of several of their number. He had 

 reason also to believe that some of the rebels were 

 lurking about the road, in the hope of intercepting 

 the two Englishmen. 



"We deliberated," says M'Dowell, "what we 

 should do, and Hodson decided we should ride on 

 at all risks. ' At the worst,' he said, ' we can gallop 

 back ; but we'll try and push through.' The native 

 came with us, and we started. I have seen a few 

 adventures in my time, but must confess this was 

 the most trying one I had ever engaged in. It was 

 a piercing cold night, with a bright moon and a 

 wintry sky, and a cold wind every now and then 

 sweeping by and chilling us to the very marrow. 

 Taking; our horses off the hard road on to the side 

 where it was soft, so that the noise of their footfalls 

 could be less distinctly heard, we went silently on 

 our way, anxiously listening for every sound that 

 fell upon our ears, and straining our sight to see if 

 behind the dark trees dotted along the road we 

 could discern the forms of the enemy waiting in 

 ambush to seize us." 



As they drew near Chibramau the guide 

 whispered, " They are there," pointing to a garden 

 in a clump of trees in front. " Distinctly we heard 



