On driving to the dak-bungalow I found it crowded with officers, some of whom had been waiting there for days for an opportunity to go on to Delhi; they laughed at me when I expressed my intention of proceeding at once, and told me that the seats on the mail-carts had to be engaged several days in advance, and that I might make up my mind to stay where I was for some time to come.  I was not at all prepared for this, and I determined to get on by hook or by crook; as a preliminary measure, I made friends with the postmaster, from whose office the mail-carts started.  From him I learnt that my only chance was to call upon the Deputy-Commissioner, by whose orders the seats were distributed.  I took the postmaster’s advice, and thus became acquainted with Douglas Forsyth, who in later years made a name for himself by his energetic attempts to establish commercial relations with Yarkand and Kashgar.  Forsyth confirmed what I had already heard, but told me that an extra cart was to be despatched that night, laden with small-arm ammunition, on which I could, if I liked, get a seat, adding:  ’Your kit must be of the smallest, as there will be no room for anything inside the cart.’

I returned to the dak-bungalow, overjoyed at my success, to find myself quite an important personage, with everyone my friend, like the boy at school who is the lucky recipient of a hamper from home.  ’Take me with you!’ was the cry on all sides.  Only two others besides the driver and myself could possibly go, and then only by carrying our kits in our laps.  It was finally arranged that Captain Law and Lieutenant Packe should be my companions.  Packe was lamed for life by a shot through his ankle before we had been forty-eight hours at Delhi, and Law was killed on the 23rd July, having greatly distinguished himself by his gallantry and coolness under fire during the short time he served with the force.

We got to Kurnal soon after daybreak on the 28th.  It was occupied by a few of the Raja of Jhind’s troops, a Commissariat officer, and one or two civilians, who were trying to keep the country quiet and collect supplies.  Before noon we passed through Panipat, where there was a strong force of Patiala and Jhind troops, and early in the afternoon we reached Alipur.  Here our driver pulled up, declaring he would go no further.  A few days before there had been a sharp fight on the road between Alipur and Delhi, not far from Badli-ki-Serai, where the battle of the 8th June had taken place, and as the enemy were constantly on the road threatening the rear of the besieging force, the driver did not consider it safe to go on.  We could not, however, stop at Alipur, so after some consultation we settled to take the mail-cart ponies and ride on to camp.  We could hear the boom of guns at intervals, and as we neared Delhi we came across several dead bodies of the enemy.  It is a curious fact that most of these bodies were exactly like mummies; there was nothing disagreeable about them.