The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-06-03

1 Hindoo, and means that If they know
| what it good for themselves and fami-
lies. they win keep shy of the spot and
leave the worthy Thugs to carry out
their own sweet will Hence you see.
Sandy" removing his cigar for a mo-
ment in a nonchalant way, 1--WE need
expect no assistance from this crowd"
LUCKILY, hadn't counted on it.
Joe" remarks the other, in something
! of the same humor.
"It viii be sight worth looking at
when the signal is given. Keep your
eyes open, friend. You will receive a
sensation-that of being perhaps the
first man for whose benefit the signal
has been given and who lives to tell
The tale"
This is enough in itself to arouse
Sandy's hopes. Wide-awake he gen.
orally is, but just now his eyes seem
popping out OF his head with eager
ness.
They saunter slowly on, while their
body-guard-for such the ugly-looking
squad Of Thugs appears to be-keeps
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 something
odd and even grotesque about it to
him, now that he notes the fact that
every one of the Thugs wears one.
Other turbans he has noticed, but
there seems to be peculiar signifi-
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 q
certain spot to be reached where the
blood of the foreigners shall drench
the soil?
1t Is a sensation to remember this
walk along the bustling Bhendy Bar
ar Road, with its peculiar sights and
sounds and odors, all the while at
tended by select body-guard from
the picked members of a 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.
oh, md sva I,.r. Of
It has been bound by his oath to eff
feet the death OF the two Annefyenw~.
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 it is the Russians gold
that bought their leaders? Little they
care, since their oath binds them to
blindly obey.
1t Is coming soon. Sandy notes that
numbers 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 undisguised alarm.
Still Mynheer Joe shows no ALARM
himself, strange man that he is. What
can he be made of to thus calmly face
a death that most men shudder to con-
template? Really the fellow must have
been born without nerves, he has such
remarkable control over himself.
hau oil or,
point 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.
Listen" says Joe, suddenly. sit is
comingr'
He losses the remnant of his cigar
away, as If tired of smoking. Sandy
hastens to follow suit, for he wants
his vision to be as clear as his other
faculties are at this moment.
Mynheer 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, a startling sound. Sandy has
never heard anything like 1t before
and, please Heaven. he does not want
10 again, since he knows what 1t sig
nifies.
The effect Is astounding. A dead
silence reigns where before all was
sustling confusion. People appear to
shrink away. so quickly do they get
their bodies out of sight. This ID
part Of the business that amazes San.
dy. He sees the eager tradesman stop.
in the midst Of a sentence and no
longer attempt to sell his wares. 1t
would be useless anyway. since his
late customer has apparently merged
into space, the spot that once knew
him knowing him no longer. Thus
it 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