314 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



comrades, and especially from Hodson himself. " All 

 through the siege of Delhi we had shared the same 

 tent, and there was something like a community of 

 goods between us. When I was wounded he had 

 tended me with anxious care and kindness, and when 

 under my command in the column he had served me 

 with the devotion of a brother, ever ready to further 

 my views to the utmost of his power, never sparing 

 himself where duty was to be done. He was the 

 very perfection of a commander of irregular cavalry 

 — one of those men who, from sound judgment, 

 high courage, strength of constitution, skill in the 

 use of weapons, and intuitive knowledge of human 

 nature, are fitted to be the eyes and ears of an 

 army, or to plan and carry out a bold and dashing 

 enterprise." ^ 



It was the last time that these two friends were 

 to meet on this earth. On the 5th of February 

 Hodson writes from Jalalabad, on the Grand Trunk 

 Eoad to Cawnpore : "Nothing can be more favour- 

 able than the state of my wounds, and I have felt 

 scarcely any inconvenience from travelling. I am 

 fortunate in having Colonel Burn for a travelling 

 companion — pleasant, intelligent, and warm-hearted. 

 He drives me in his buggy, and we breakfast to- 

 gether al fresco. Fancy the Carabineers of poor 

 Captain Wardlaw's squadron sending a deputation, 

 headed by a sergeant, to say on the part of the men 

 how grieved they were that I was hurt, and to 

 express their hope that I should soon be well 

 and in the field again. I confess these things 

 are more gratifying to me than any mention in 

 despatches." 



1 From Cadet to Colonel. 



