Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-01-05
THE THUG.

evan fellows have tine time or 1t
.---o7,rs with Your machine guns
md 2 commissariat that knows canned
meat from castor oil.
# WAS an Indian veteran who spoke
Colonel Camill-to whom Myers and
returned from dacoit hunting in
Burma, had been relating our exploits.
FIFTY years ago fighting was fight
ing" be 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 dacoit who came in the night
n9lsoIcssly and parted life and death
with an ugly and unnecessarily large
stab in the breast?
The colonel read our thoughts.
"Dacoits may be a stealthier foe,"
he said, "but for undluted vagabond-
ism and downright villainy give me
the thugs"
They must have been bad,' 1 vent
urod.
at the very best, and yet I found
little grain of virtue in one" said
the veteran. "Shall I tell you a yarn?
It will be like a page of ancient his
tory now.
ut was in the autumn of 1884" pro-
ceeded the colonel. II went out from
Haidarabad under Major Groves
northward across the Godavery after
thugs. Groves sent me off on my own
account with a troop Of about thirty
SeDoys and a couple of noncoms. We
had no success until Hosein Ali fell in
to 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 innocence.
i looked long and fXedly at the
man. He was a fine specimen Of
hne race. If 1 had not been so abso-
lutely certain of his guilt l must have
doubted that one of so gallant bear
ing could be that worst of all crimi-
nails, a thug.
What are you doing here, then?'
| asked him. What is your trade
your occupation? How did you come
by these pearls?
IF 1 answer the sahib at ALL he
replied. it 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 a we'd
ding gift
don't believe a word said l.
You are a thug and a murderer and
deserve hanging hundred times, but
make yourself useful, tell me your
companions, show me their haunts.
take me to the graves of your victims
and YOUR life may be spared
II know nothing of what you say,
s2hih,' he repeated doggedly.
Take him away I commanded,
ana in ten minutes time hang him.
'OI course this was pure bounce, but
ne Know no better. I uttered the SEN
teHFo sharply and rose to leave the
nut IS 7 turned my back 1 heard a
sc00lH and looking quickly round, was
JUST ID Time to ward the prisoners
ha1aS from my throat.
IN another moment the men had
MN down. and though he struggled
desperately, he was bound and dragged
10 HIS ieot rs | resumed my seat.
None but the guilty would have
oe.@'ed So I said sternly. l knew no
''0'Nf III those days. You have sealed
yoNr DOOM
Inc man took a deep breatt-he
was Sill painting from the struggle
ana shouted with an excess of strength
and enthusiasm:
Ley Bhowanee.'
II was the war cry of Thuggee. the
Invocation to the goddess. If anything
more was needed to convict him It
was provided in the extraordinary
.">'nge IN his appearance All the
SuS OF vice and cupidity which I had
.ooAed Tor In vain at first We're now
nos' prominent in the angry, passion
distorted face.
II was plain that we had made
o'p'uFe Of the first Importance. Such
min would, without doubt, be the
e'uer or at least very prominent
-isU1oer of any gang with which he
"S connected and would possess just
soFt OF information we wanted.
os 4ulorners are supposed to be built
0~r0lt material. However, / de-
.,'',l'I 10 try him, and as a first
mad him Informed that unless
~ N"Sented to give the information
"a y, united he would certainly be hang
49, - ~Ae morning. AS an extra argu-
W. VII, We built a gallows opposite the
",IdoW of his cell.
I'm ~ mfSt this only excited his deris-
eve, ne small hours of morning, how
AM, proved too much for him. I was
=, N'ued early and told he wanted
unao, MN he can say all he wants
w, Tue rope was my reply.
led ne ,en tne hour came, the man was
ua0 Nothing remained of the