The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-07-07

on the frontier in
one OF the cities where
the Thugs ply their
dark calling and where some unfortunate SOL
der is found dead at his post with a mark
the dread sign of Thuggism-at his throat
We had hard work during the Sepoy re-
bellion putting down those infamous scoun-
drels, some of whom we had to blow from
the mouths of our guns, and when my regi-
ment went back to its old quarters near Agra
we were looked upon a lot Of rascals whose
Threats were good for nothing but cutting. and
for months we were compelled to be on the
alert day and night
While we had crushed out the revolt, we had
not subdued the tiger passions of the Sepoys.
They were ready at any time to strangle and
dagger us, and i recall more than one comrade
whose body was found in some out Of the. way
place with the death seal on his brow.
In the immediate vicinity of our barrack was
the palace Of rsjsh whose private menagerie
at one time was the most complete outside of
Mana Sahib's. But long before our coming
into the province of Delhi the old rajah obliged
the world by getting out of it, and his tigers,
two of which were always at his heels, were
set free and vanished in their native juugles.
There was story that the rsjah himself be-
longed to the Strangers of India that he was
in fact, the head of lot of Thugs, aud had
sworn TO take the lives Of SO many English
soldiers. But death, as have said, intervened
and put stop to his depredations, though not
until 20 men had felt the cord.
j used to walk around the wall that sur
rounded the rajah's garden. In some places
it was still intact, though weeds and tamarinds
topped it. and sometimes / thought I could
hear the growls of the tigers and even see the
rajah himself steal forth on his secret mission
of death.
We lost Corporal Sanders, q witty young
1rishman, the week after We came back to Agra.
he was found dead at the foot of the rajah's
wall. and at spot where the wall was solid and
no signs OF door were visible. Then we heard
q story which created q sensation. A native
said that man mad been killed by the phan-
tom strangers; that the ghosts of the old
rajah and his followers stole forth from the
gardens every night and pursued the same
murderous calling they pursued when flesh
and blood.
am not superstitious, having been raised to
laugh at ghost stories and Preside witches, but
something uncannylike took possession of
me whenever l walked down that wall and
noted Its ghoetly silence and forbidding aspect.
We buried Corporal Sanders, but not until
post norton had developed the fact that he
be had been strangled. The Surgeon would
not make full report to u.s. but he had pri-
vate talk with the Colonel, and learned after
wards that he said that Sanders had been stran-
gled by some demon hand.
creased until the regiment petitioned TO be sent
elsewhere, and were it not that we were the
Queens fsvorites we would have mutinied.
One night, three weeks after Sanders's death,
found myself near the wall of the rajahs gar
den. The moon was hanging In the sky like
great silver shield. and everything was still
but the night bird that erooned in the heart of
atsll tamariDd as ghostly as q dead man.
had lately emerged from the hospital hav-
Ing had siege Of fever which nearly sent me
TO the dead house. and was privileged char
scter, not having reported for duty.
In approaching the wall against which the
moon shone came face to face with one of our
regiment, who stood guard within few yards of
where poor Sanders had been found. / leaned
forward 90 as not to disturb the sentry, for
knowing the feelings of the boys over the
surgeons suppressed report. feared bullet
from his musket, aud / resolved to watch the
yellow awhile 10 see if he dreaded his beat.