The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-01-13


wafer, but usually a polished stone. and
, heryl was especially esteemed.
The effect OF gazing at these intent
ly for a time was to abstract the mind
from normal sensory Impressions. and
TO induce a state Of partial hypnosis,
during which the scryer claimed he
could perceive In the crystal dream
pictures of great vividness, scenes at
a distance, occurrences OF the past,
and Of the future.
was still deep in this, when l
heard a step outside, the door opened.
and Godfrey came in. He smiled when
he saw what l was doing.
How have you been getting along?"
he asked.
Not very WELL" and / threw the
book back on the table. THE crystal
gazing isn't so bad-one can under
stand that; but the tumble Of abstrac-
tons which the Hindus call religion ID
too much for me. i didn't know 1t waa
so late l added. and looked at my
watch: but it was not yet IL o'clock.
I'm earlier than usual" said God
because / thought we'd better talk
things over. l saw Simmonds in town
tonight"
'Ah," said; and what did he tell
your"
Nothing didn't know already. The
police have discovered nothing new
or, IL they have, they're keeping 1t dark
until tomorrow. Simmonds did. how
ever, regale me with his theory of the
case. he says the murder was done
either by one Of the Hindus or by
young Swain"
What do you think?' l asked.
I'm inclined to agree with Sim
monds," said Godfrey grimly. With
the emphasis on the Hindss," he add
ed. seeing the look on my face. L
don't believe Swain had any hand in
it."
Neither do l." agreed. heartily. IN
fact such a theory is too absurd to
discuss"
Just the same,' said Godfrey, slow
ly, I'm glad he didn't touch Vaughan.
If he had happened to seize him by the
neck, while they were struggling to-
gether-in other words, If those finger
prints Goldberger found had happened
to be Swain's-things would have
looked bad for him. I'm hoping they'll
turn out to belong to one. Of the Hin
dus-but, as 1 said to Goldberger, I'm
afraid that's too good to be true"
which one OF the Hindus?" asked.
"Oh, the Thug, Of course"
I sat bolt upright.
THE Thug?" / echoed.
Didn't you get that far?" and God
frey picked up one OF the books and
ran rapidly through the pages. You
remember we found him squatting on
the floor with a rag and a tooth and
a bone in front Of him."
Yes"
And do you remember how the yogi
described them. when Goldberger asked
him about them?"
Very distlnctly-he called them the
attributes Of Kali"
Now listen to this: The Thugs
frSaf
murders in honor of Kali, the wife
of silva. who. they believe. assists them
and protects them. Legend asserts
that she presented her worshipers with
three things, the hem Of her lower gar
ment to use as a moose, a rib to use as
knife, and a tooth to use as a pick
AK in burying the victims" He glanced
at me. and then went on: but the
knife was little used, for the religious
character of an assassination came to
depend more and more upon its blood
less character, and for this a nose was
used. The aversion to bloodshed be-
came in time so great that many sects
human blood" He closed the book
and threw 1t on the table. Don't you
think that proves the case?"
YES" l said, thoughtfully. And the
yogi-is he also a Thug?"
ooh, no; a White Priest of silva
could never be a Thug. The worship
OF silva and Of Kali are the very op-
posites of each other The Saivas are
ascettcs. That is" he added, in another
tone, If the fellow is really a Saliva,
and not just plain fraud"
"All these fellows are frauds, more
or less, aren't they?" questioned
NO" was Godfrey's unexpected an
swer; the real yogin are no doubt
sincere; but a real yogi wouldn't waste
his time on a soft Drained old man,
and fire skyrockets off at midnight to
impress him. My own opinion is that
this fellow is a fakir-a juggler a
sleight OF hand mainland, of course,
a crook"
"Well?" I asked, as Godfrey stopped
and failed to continue.
Well that's as far as I've got Oh,
yes-theres Tota. A cobra is one Of
a fakir's stock properties"
But, Godfrey" protested, he is no
ignorant roadside juggler. He's a Gull
tivated man-an unusual man."
Certainly he is-most unusual. But
that doesn't disproVe my guess; it only
makes the problem harder. Even O
roadside iuggler doesn't do his tricks
for nothing-what reward is it this
fellow is working for? 1t must be a
big one, or 1t wouldn't tempt him"
II suppose Vaughan paid him we'll"
I ventured.
Yes; but did you look at him, Les
ter? You've called him unusual, but
that word doesn't begin to express him.
He's extraordinary. No doubt Vaughan
did pay him well, but it would take
something more than that to persuade
such a man to spend six months in a
place like that. And think can guess
at the stake he's playing for"
Continued next week.)