FROM FATHIGARH TO CAWNPORE. 313 



more as soon as our great task is accomplished. 

 I want a change after twelve years of work, and 

 I want to try what home and good treatment 

 will do for my ankle, which is very bad; in fact, 

 I am unable to walk a hundred yards without 

 pain. Well, I think I have done pretty well with 

 my left hand. They say I shall be well in six 

 weeks. / say in ten days." 



What grieved him most was "the loss of poor 

 Mac ; he was invaluable to me as a brilliant soldier, 

 a true friend, and thorough gentleman — I mourn as 

 for a brother." 



"My regiment," writes Sir Hugh Gough, who 

 arrived with his squadron too late to share in the 

 actual scrimmage, " came in for some very smart 

 fio-hting;, but with some sad results — in the death of 

 Charlie M'Dowell, our second in command, who was 

 killed by almost the first round-shot fired by the 

 enemy, and in Hodson himself being severely 

 wounded twice by sabre - cuts on his arm. My 

 brother (Charles), I heard, had two narrow escapes — 

 one from a spent bullet which a rebel sowar had 

 fired point-blank at him ; the other from a spear- 

 wound, which a man was in the act of delivering 

 when Hodson came up and disposed of his adversary. 

 Altogether they appeared to have had a very rough 

 melee, and I was much disappointed in being just 

 too late." ^ 



On February 1 Sir Colin Campbell began his 

 march upon Lucknow by way of Cawnpore. It was 

 not until three days later that Hodson found him- 

 self free to follow in the same direction. Seaton 

 appears to have felt deeply the parting from his old 



^ Old Memories. 



