the remarkable ease with which the British were able to push forward on the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th.
When at last, on the 19th, the Burn bastion had been captured, the Commander-in-Chief, the old artillery Subahdár, Bakht Khán, represented to the King that his only way of safety lay in flight; he begged him to accompany the sipáhí army, which still remained intact, and with it to renew the war in the open country. That was the course which the descendant of Bábar, had he been young, would have undoubtedly followed. But the King was old — other influences were at work — and the King was persuaded to reject the bold counsels of his general and to accept those of his Queen and courtiers. He allowed the sipáhí army to depart, whilst he took refuge at the tomb of Humáyún, three miles and a half south from the city, prepared to submit to the conqueror.
Information of this retreat was conveyed to an officer who throughout the siege had made himself conspicuous for his love of adventure and daring, Hodson, of Hodson's Horse. Hodson asked and obtained the General's permission to bring in the old man, on the condition that his life should be spared. Hodson performed his task with tact and discretion. That night, the 20th, the King slept a prisoner in the Begam's palace.
But there were still his sons, the princes, to whom rumour had ascribed an active participation in all the bloody deeds which had characterised the early days of the rebellion. Hodson learned the day following that two of these, and a grandson, lay concealed in Humáyún's tomb, or in the vicinity. Again did he ask and obtain permission to bring them in. This time there was no stipulation for their lives. Hodson rode out with a hundred armed troopers, found them, persuaded them to surrender, disarmed their numerous following, placed the arms on
