LAST SCENE OF ALL. 335 



with him, and made inquiries of him (the doctor) 

 about the nature of the wound and the treatment 

 that had been adopted. The wound was through 

 the liver, the ball having entered between two of 

 the false ribs in front and comins; out between tw^o 

 of the same ribs behind, thus entirely avoiding the 

 lungs. I found him very weak, but with a clear 

 firm voice, but cold hands and feet, and suffering 

 a good deal of pain. The pain was much relieved 

 by firm pressure of the hands, and I accordingly 

 sat down beside him, holding his right hand firmly 

 in mine and attending to keeping his feet covered, 

 and every now and then giving small doses of 

 brandy-and-water as his pulse showed he required 

 it. 



About midnight Hodson fell asleep. At 1 a.m. 

 on the 12th he woke up, and assured Dr Anderson 

 that he felt much better. So thought his doctor 

 also, for " the bleeding had ceased, his hands and 

 feet were warm, his pulse good, and he suffered 

 much less pain." 



He had strength enough to give Dr Anderson a 

 clear account of the circumstances which led to his 

 receiving the fatal wound. He had gone on with 

 the attacking column " as an amateur, but not lead- 

 ing or putting himself conspicuously in danger." 

 The fighting was nearly all over when he and Nihal 

 Singh entered the courtyard in which some of the 

 sepoys were still lurking. " I wonder if any one is 

 in that room," he said to his orderly. On reaching 

 the door two of the sepoys fired at him from inside. 

 One of the balls struck him, causing for the moment 

 great pain. He staggered back some paces before 

 he fell. Nihal Singh, he added, took him up in his 



