LAST SCENE OF ALL. 325 



by the soldiers of an arm renowned for matchless 

 services in every field. 



On the 4th Hodson had a long talk with Sir 

 Colin at the Dilkusha, whither his regiment had 

 been ordered by mistake. He found his chief 

 "even more than commonly kind and cordial." 

 " I am not very well," he writes on the 5th. 

 " This leg troubles me, and is the effect of the 

 erysipelas which attacked my arm in consequence 

 of the wounds closing too quickly. The truth is 

 that I lost about a pound and a half of blood when 

 I was wounded, and having had two slight bouts 

 of fever since, I am not so strong as I would be : 

 however, I am getting on, and am dosed with steel, 

 quinine, and port wine ad lib. My arm is pretty 

 well, but the wound opened again partially after 

 the 25th, and I have been obliged to submit to 

 bandages, &c. ; still I hope three or four days will 

 set me all right again." 



About this time he had the pleasure of meeting 

 again his old Cambridge friend Osborn Wilkinson, 

 then acting as deputy assistant quartermaster- 

 general to the Cavalry Brigade. Hodson was 

 anxious about the health of his dear friend Napier, 

 with whom he had breakfasted on the 4th in the 

 headcjuarters camp. " I grieved to see that he 

 looked worn and troubled. I fear his health is 

 very precarious." 



On the morning of the 6th he moved his men 

 from the Alambagh to a position nearer Lucknow 

 and the Dilkusha, Sir Hope Grant having placed 

 him in charge of the line of communications with 

 Jalalabad, the Alambagh, and Sir Colin's camp. 

 *' So I had to bring my men up here, half way 



