Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-01-13
THE THUG.

"You lads have fine time Of 1t nova
days, with your machine guns and a com
missariat that knows canned meat from
castor oil"
+ was an Indian veteran who spoke
Sionel Carrill-to whom Myers and l,
returned from dacoit hunting in Burma,
had been relating our exploits.
Fifty years ago fighting was fighting"
he went on, but now
We smiled the smile of the young and
up to date. What did he know of the
vagaries of the modern savage; Of the da-
colt who came in the night noiselessly and
parted life and death with an ugly and
unnecessarily large stab in the breast?
The colonel read our thoughts.
"Dacoits may be stealthier foe" he
said, "but for undiluted vagabondism and
downright villainy give me the thugs"
"They must have been bad" ven
tured.
'At the very BEST and yet found a lit
tie grain of virtue in one said the vet
eran. "Shall 1 tell you yarnY 1t will
be like n page of ancient history now.
1T was in the autumn of 1894" pro-
ceeded the colonel. II went out from Hal
darabad under Major Groves northward
across the GOdavery after thugs. Groves
sent me off on my own account with a
noncoms. We had no success until Hosein
Ali fell into our hands. He was taken
with the proofs of guilt thick upon him
and the spoil in his possession. Yet he
denied with all the stubbornness of inno-
cence
81 looked long and f1xedly at the man.
He was fine specimen of a fine race. II
l had not been so absolutely certain of his
guilt, must have doubted that one of SO
gallant bearing could be that worst of
all criminals, thug.
"'What are you doing here, thenP'
asked him. What is your trade, your o.
cupationY How did you come by these
pearlsg
"'If l answer the sahib at ALL he re-
piled, 1T is that he may be satisfied and
let me go on my journey in peace am
on travel honestly to my sisters wedding,
and the stones are wedding gift
II don't believe word, said l. You
are thug and murderer and deserve
hanging hundred times, but-make your
self useful tell me your companions, show
me their haunts, take me to the graves of
your victims, and your life may be spared.
al know nothing of what you say, sa-
nib, he repeated doggedly.
"'Take him away commanded, and
in ten minutes time hang him..
NCNa'''
knew no better. 1 uttered the sentence
sharply and rose to leave the hut As
turned my back l heard a scuflle, and,
looking quickly round, was Just in time
to ward the prisoners hands from my
throat.
SIN another moment the men had him
down, and though he struggled desperate
ly he was bound and dragged to his feet
as l resumed my seat
"'None but the guilty would have be-
haved So l said sternly. knew no bet.
ter in those days. You have sealed your
doom.
1.-The man took a deep breath-he was
still painting from the struggle - and
shouted with an excess of strength and
enthusiasm:
"'Jey Bhowanee.'
at was the warcry of Thuggee, the in
vocation to the goddess. If anything more
was needed to convict him, it was provid.
ed in the extraordinary change in his ap-
pearance. All the signs of vice and Gu
pidity which l had looked for in vain at
first were now most prominent in the an
CRY, passion distorted face.
sit was plain that we had made a cap
ture of the first Importance. Such man
would, without doubt, be the leader or at
least very prominent member of any
gang with which he was connected and
would possess just the sort of informa-
ton we wanted.
''lnformers are supposed to be built of
different material. However, l deter
mined to try him, and as first step
had him Informed that unless he consent
ed to give the information we wanted he
would certainly be hanged in the morn
ing. AS an extra argument we built a
gallows opposite the window of his cell.
SAT first this only excited his derision.
The small hours of morning, however,
proved too much for him. was Weakened
early and told he wanted to speak.
"'Tell him he can say all he wants I'M
der the rope, was my reply.
"When the hour came, the man was led
out. Nothing remained of the scorn and
defiance of the previous day. A night of
passion and fear had broken him up.
LAS he caught sight of me he called
out, i will tell all. Sahib Bahadur.' One
of the sepoys, previously instructed, be-
gan to busy himself with the rope.
"'All?' l said. Nothing kept backP'
Nothing, he answered eagerly. AN
Ihave done and my companions
"'And their names, all of themP
eyes.
"'And help us to take them by all means
in your powerf'
the man who held the rope and who had
now made a pretty moose in it was enough.
al will, sahib, he muttered MY life
will be savedY'
"On condition that you carry out your
promise TO the letter / will do my best to
save It,
"There within yard of the gibbet the
prisoner told a tale of murder and robbery
appalling in its extent, sickening in it
cold bloodedness and elaboration. To
this he added list of some 80 or 40 40
complies, and, with remarkable effort
of memory, described the position of the
rude graves of over 100 victims.
"a couple of weeks of activity passed.
Thanks to Hosein, who had been shaved
and otherwise disguised, We not only COL