1 62 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
2 bearers a high reward if they would carry both him-
3 self and his wounded brother officer to camp; but
4 there being only three men, the attempt failed.
5 Graydon then begged that he might be left behind,
6 as he said he knew he was mortally wounded and
7 could not survive. At length a loose pony belong-
8 ‘ing to an officer who had been killed, was secured,
9 and on this the officer reached camp. Two medi-
10 Two medical cal officers were wounded at Moodkee, and both
11 at Moodkee’ eventually died. They had advanced with their
12 The proper
13 place for
14 medical offi-
15 cers during
16 war,
17 respective regiments, the 3lst and 50th, with the
18 laudable purpose of assisting the wounded officers
19 and men, but in doing so, they necessarily exposed
20 their own lives. At Moodkee, the dust prevented
21 a view of what was going on in front, and the
22 officers in question were not aware .of their dan-
23 gerous position, On the line of march in an enemy’s
24 country, the rear is perhaps the least safe place,
25 but in a pitched battle, the medical officer’s place
26 is out of the range of shot, if he wish to be of
27 service to the wounded, aid his exposing himself
28 to the enemy's fire can serve no good purpose,
29 while it renders his services unavailable, in the
30 event of his being shot or wounded ; in either case,
31 he is justly blamed, and the remark is made that
32 “he had no business there.” In case of retreat,
33 there is of course no place of safety for any one,
34 and all must encounter the risk of being slain, but
35 with the British army in a fair field, there is little
36 chance, at least, in India, of such an occurrence.