Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-07-21

tVc, tiNs w ~ hNtp 'hy VI viz ppob e'N
leave the worthy Thugs to carry out
I their own sweet will Hence you see.
Sandy" removing his cigar for no.
mcnt in n nonchalant way, 1--WE need
expect no assistance from this crowd
w.uckily, I hadn't counted on it,
Joe" remarks the other, in something
of the same humor.
ut will he sight worth looking mt
when the signal is given. Keep your
eyes open, friend. You will receive a
scnsation,-that of being perhaps the
first man for whose benefit the signal
has been given and who lives to tel!
:hc tale
This is enough in itself to arouse
Sandy's hopes. Widc-awake he gen
orally is but just now his eyes seem
popping out of his head with eager
neSS.
They saurtcr slowly on. while their
body -guard--for such the ugly-looking
squad of Thugs appears to bc-kecps
them company. At the same time,
their number increases. Sandy can,
with only casual glance. count a
dozen men wearing the same peculiar
style of turban. There is somethln9
| odd and even grotcsque about it to
| him, now that he notes the fact Tint
| every one of the Thugs wears ono.
Other turbans he has noticed. but
| there seems to be a peculiar signif
canoe about this one, which can only
be explained by the fact that he knows
the nature of the society that appears
to have adopted 1t.
Why does not the critical moment
come? Are the Thugs waiting for
certain spot to be reached where tie
blood of the foreigners shall drench
the soil?
II Is a sensation to remember this
walk along the bustling Bhcndy Baa-
! ar Road. with its peculiar sights and
sounds and odOrs, all the while at.
tended by select body guard from
the picked members of Il secret society
| of assassinS, the ramifications of
which extend even beyond the limits
! Of India's wide borders.
| The most interesting part Of the
| business comes in just here: this body
guard has not their good at heart and
| does not thus convoy them in order to
! ward off danger. On the contrary,
each and every individual member Of
II has been bound by his oath to eff.
rect the death OF the Two =" "Nr>~.ervv-
| Their orders come from headquarters.
! and they obey with the blindness that
generally marks the actions of these
! children of destiny. How are they to
know that 1t Is the Russians gold
! that bought their leaders? Little they
care. since their oath binds them 90
blindly obey.
/ 1t Is coming soon. Sandy notes ttat
numhers of the people have already
edged away. When their eyes note
the strange turbanS worn by these
men and count the number, the fata!
thirteen. they exhibit all the signs of
sudden fear, and, turning. hasten from
the spot in undisguiScd alarm.
Still Mynheer Joe shows no alarn
himself, strange man that he Is. What
can he be made of to thus calmly face
a death that most men shundcr to con-
template? Really the fellow must have
been born without nerves, he has such
+, markable control over himself.
They have by SLOW stages reached
roiut on the road where the baZars are
thickest, and ordinarily here can be
seen the most interesting of all the
sights Bombay offers to the curiosity.
seeker.
"Iisten" says Joe, suddenly, at is
coming"
lie losses the remnant of his cigar
away, as If tired of smoking. Sandy
hastens to follow suit, for he wants
| his vision to he as clear as his other
| faculties are at this moment.
Mynhcer Joe has not made a blum
der in the matter of time. At the very
moment Sandy relieves himself of his
cigar there rises above the babel OF
voices, startling sound. Sandy has
acver heard anything like 1t before
and, please Heaven, he does not want
10 again, since he knows what 1t sig
1ifies.
The effect Is astounding. A dead
silence rciGns whore before all was
oustling confusion. People appear to
shrink away, so quickly do they get
their bodies out Of sight. This is
part of the business that amazes San
DIV. He sees the eager tradesman stop
in the midst of sentence and no
longer attempt to sell his wares. 1t
would he useless anyway, since his
late customer has apparently merged
into space, the spot that once knew
him knowing him no longer Thus
1t is with all-they melt away as does
the snow on an April morning when
the sun rises.
Perhaps Sandy can count thirty
while this change is taking place
around them, or it might be as he will
he able to cover only half of that num-
Der, so speedily is the metamorphosts
accomplished.
In one particular there is no change.
The fatal thirteen Thugs still sur.
round them. Not an avenue of es-
cape has been left open. Plainly, If
they live through this night it must be
! because they are able to meet the as
saults of the enemy with not only a
bold front but weapons that lessen
the number of the odds against them
at every discharge.
Sandy has produced his revolver,
but he clearly remembers his COM
| naniou'S pyullcjt Instructions and will