The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-01-26
ADVENTURES WITH A THIJ1a,

messed, and although we sat down to tht
table at little after six o'clock, i. was neal
midnight when We rose from it.
/, When the cloth was removed and the wine.
were set, the real enjoyment Of the evening
began. Toasts, speeches and stories follow,
ed each other in quick succession, and with
a brilliancy that have rarely seen eaualed.
Among those present was General l.
= veteran, who had seen service in India
until his face was bronzed AZ his hair was
bleached white by the suns of that burning
sky. ! WAS especially eharm ed with him.
He was frank, outspokeu, genial man. and
at once gained both Jour respae, and friend
ship.
1t was late in the evening, when some oi
the company called OH him for story.
"a story 2" he said, with a smile. II am
but poor hand, gentlemen, at story telling
"Ssrsly, General" remarked eur host,
"you have seen too much active service in the
East not to have passed though some re-
marka abls adventures"
"Oh, if that is what you want, can oblige
you. have had some strange adventures
in nv life eaid the General thoughtfally.
lie. nae see. What shall it be? Suppose
| tell you my adventure with Thug
''By all means.' We exclaimed"
| "Well, them" began General l. leans
|
| went out to India IN the service of ''the
company" nearly forty years ago / was a
mere lad at thu: time, being barely eighteen.
| left Eng gland With determination TO max q
| Something of myself IN the land 10 which |
was going, and when | reached nv des.ina
, ton began Immediately 10 apply myself -
the duties of my profession. l lahored EnrI
and soou male progress. | studied closely
! the rnanacrs, customs, and language OF the
natives, ana spared no effort to make myself
as thorough An Indian as possible. lwanted
| to fit myself for any station in the CompAuy's
! service; for | meant 10 rise, and knew that
! | had n political influence to sustain me, |
would have to depend on my own merits for
! promotion. Ii wa, slow work at first, bu.
! perseversd and when | was forty three, ust
| fifteen years ago. | was q Colonel of cavalry,
and fa.ter myself thai | was the best in,
formed officer In the service, with regard TO
| the country | was serving. l do not say
| this through vanity, but Simply 10 let you
know wha: follows:
About that time the authorities OF Gale It
| IA were making strong efforts to suppress the
sect of Thugs, who, you well kno", are a
| band Of fana'ies, who make murder q part
of their religion. They rarely mol es. Euro
! pean, on account o. the grea: danger ia
which it woald havo placed them, but they
carried on regular system OF operations
| against the natives, aud especially against
| those who were friendly to Us Certain Sec
| lions of the country were kept III u state OF
! the most complete terror by them, AID their
| atrocities had increased - 80 g:eat an extent
| that the authorities thought 1t necessary 10
at once inaugural, the mort prompt and
decisive measures for their suppression
| In the district Of Be ares the trouble
very great. aad the Thugs msna.ei thsr
affairs with SO much dexteriiy that :or
time thev completely batiied the authorities.
| The command OF this district was now
| given to mo. on account Of nv knowledge OF
| lnd,n affairs, and my long experience in
the county. sli not nsci tho letter OF the
Governor-Gencral to assure me that II was
| delicate and difficult task that WAS assigned
me- and that VS. expected to stharge Il.
accepted the appointment Immediately. 1
wis gwen a regiment OF mounted men, pick
ed for THAR long experience IN the country,
! and al oacs Set out tor my command, bang
! determined 20 use no half way measures when
got there.
Upon aching tho neiybborhood Of BEN
ares We halted and encamped near the
Ganges, al out five miles from the city.
haa two reasons for doing this. One WAS,
| tha, | would be ablc by encGmping thers ~
move on the instant when occasion ireaulredi :
| the other tha, | would be irser there from
| the Spiss Of The Thugs than | would be IN
| the city | said nothing, and permitted my
| men to say nothing Of ths cause OF our com
! ing. but Al once set ny spies to work. As
| have said resolved to attempt NJ half way
| measures with the assa,sius, but 10 p oceed
| againsr them with the utmoss vig1r. and 10
/ snare none that offered resistance 10 me, In
! short. | was determined 10 capture Or ex-
| terminate them. Such as | captured were
. to he sent to Calcutta for trial, bat It was
| nv intention tina, these should be v'ry few
/ in mum ber as knew that stera measures on
NV par, wond do more TO strike terror to The
sect Than hundred civil trials and sxecu-
( tious.
! Through the instrumeta lty Of my spies
learned that my district vas infested W tn =
/ band of Thsgs, quite large in number. and
! under the direction of leader named Runl-
| heet He was described to me as the nirst
! active of all, and AS one of the most danger
GUS men the country had over known. set
/ ,o work at once i secured my district right
/ and left. by night and by day, and with geol
/ eifec; tsc.
/ Bv the time bad been there six we.ks
! had sent ter prisoners 10 Calcutta with their
/ families. mad hung twenty, cSusht in the act
! NJ s,rarqIirr their victims, and ha3 Destroy
/ ed QUE of their towns and temple. With
nv own hand broke the image OF their god
/ dess Kali into Thousand pieces, knowing
that this would lie 4 severe blow 10 them
This act. together with ths rest of my career
there. came near teing fatal to me. The
Thugs began TO consider me the cause as well
as he means of their u,isfortunef, and al
! length made me the object Of theft specisl
| vengeance
When had been in camp for about two
months my orderly informed me that there
| was n native wai,ing at the door of my tent
to see me ! had him shown in at once. lie
was small, spare man, of about thirty, and
nv frs, glance told me hat he was possessed
of more than ordinary strength. There wai
something unusually quiet and stsathy
abou. him and at Grst loosened my plsto
and regarded him with q suspicious glance
He did not seem to notice this but sa.uteo
me humbly and respectfully. Ia reply to my
demand to know his business, he stated tha
he wished to enter my service as spy. DE
was well ACQUAINTED with The country, anC
WAS sure be could make himself useful He
gave as his reason that his la;her and broth
er had been recently murdered BY the Thug
aud that he desired t. avenge them. l look
ed at the fellow searchIngly, but could gan
nothing from his eountsnance. which wa
fixed and devoid of expression, save strang'
and perpexing glitter in his eyes. lie tolt
me mis- name was Ali, and that he was No
hammedan said to him that if he woul'
come back at the same time next day woul'
, give him my answer.
After he left me thought long and seri
ously of his request, / did not like his looks
but though, he might he Of ssryi nee to me
felt confident that, it faithful, he wou
+, make an excellent spy, and | thought mysel
competent to the task OF watching him s
- closely that he would have no opportunity t