"Ram! Ram! Meer Sahib," was the salutation of the Sahoukar as we met
at the spot whither Bhikaree had guided us. "Ram! Ram! I am glad you
have condescended to keep company with your poor servant, for truly the
sweet savour of your fluent discourse has left a longing in my heart
to hear more of it, and happily I am so far favoured."
I returned the usual compliments, and we set forward on our journey.
Gradually my band arranged themselves around their new victims. All
were at their places, and I eagerly looked out for the first scout who
should give us intelligence that the bhil was ready. A strange feeling
it is, Sahib, that comes over us Thugs at such moments: not a feeling
of interest or pity for our victims, or compunction for the deed we are
about to do, as perhaps you might expect to hear, but an all-absorbing
anxiety for the issue of the adventure, an intense longing for its
consummation, and a dread of interruption from passing travellers; and
though I had become now callous in a great measure, still my heart
was throbbing with anxiety and apprehension, and my replies to the
Sahoukar's witty and jolly remarks were vague and abstracted: my whole
thoughts were concentrated upon the affair in hand, and it was not to
be wondered at. He remarked my altered behaviour, and I rallied myself,
and was soon able to amuse him as I had done before.
"Ah! that is like yourself, Meer Sahib," said he, as I had just given
utterance to a joke which caused his fat sides to shake,--"that is like
yourself. Why, man, whose face did your first glance on awaking from
sleep rest on? Surely on some melancholy being, and you have partaken
of his thoughts ever since."
"I know not, Séthjee," I replied; "but you know that a man cannot
always command the same evenness of temper, and I confess that my
thoughts were far away, at my home."
"Well," said he, "all I wish for you and myself is a safe return to
our homes, for this travelling is poor work, and I have been unlucky
enough to start on a very indifferent day after all my waiting. I had
determined on leaving Saugor nearly a month ago, but on consulting the
astrologer, he delayed me from time to time, declaring this day was bad
and that day was worse, until I could stay no longer: and it was all
to little purpose, and I pray Naraynu to protect me and you from all
Thugs, thieves, and Dacoos."
"Ameen," said I; "I respond to your prayer most fervently, for I am on
my way to my service, where we chance often to get harder knocks than
we can bear. But do they say there are Thugs on the road, and who or
what are they? the term is new to me."
"Why truly I can hardly tell you, Meer Sahib. The Thugs, they say, are
people who feign one thing or other, till they get unwary travellers
into their power, and then destroy them; I have heard too that they
have handsome women with them who pretend distress on the roads, and
decoy travellers who may have soft hearts, to help them; then they
fasten on them, and they have some charm from the Shitan which enables
them to keep their hold till their associates come up, despite of
all the efforts of the person so ensnared to gain his liberty. And
that either thieves, or Thugs, or rascals of some kind or other do
infest the highways is most true, for many travellers disappear in an
unaccountable manner. But I do not fear; I am in the company of honest
men, and we are a large party, and they must be stout men or devils who
would assail us."
I laughed inwardly at the Sahoukar's idea of Thugs, and had no doubt
that Ganesha Jemadar was, if the truth were known, at the bottom of
the disappearance of the travellers. But I answered gaily, "Ah! no
fear, my friend. These Thugs, as you say, may now and then light upon
an unsuspecting single traveller and kill him, but no one would dare
to touch a party like ours; and, Inshalla! if any appear, we will let
daylight into some of their skins; there is nothing I love better than
making keema (mincemeat) of these rascals. I have done so once or twice
already, and I never found them stand when a sword was drawn. But
yonder, I see, is one of my men sitting; I wonder how he got on before
us. I will ask him. He must have started early to get a rest on the
road;" and as we reached him he slowly raised himself from the ground,
and made his salutation to me and the Sahoukar; he appeared tired and
acted his part well.
"How is this, Ameer Singh?" said I, "how is it that you are so much in
advance of us?"
"Oh," replied he readily, "a thorn ran into my foot yesterday, and as
I knew you would not wait for me, I started at midnight with a few
others, who said they would be my companions, and we travelled on
leisurely; but I could not proceed farther, as my foot was painful, and
I determined to wait for the party here to get a lift on a pony."
"You shall have it," said I; "mount the one which carries my baggage,
and I will see that a barber examines your foot when we reach the end
of the stage. But where are your companions?"
"They said there was a small river in advance, about half a coss off,
and they would proceed thither and wash their hands and faces; they
bade me tell you that, if I could not follow them, you would find them
there."
"Good," said I, "and I am glad to hear there is water near; we can
dismount and refresh ourselves, for the stage is a long one: how say
you, Séth Sahib? You Hindoos are as particular about your morning
ablutions as we Moslems are."
"True, true," he replied; "the news is welcome, for my mouth is dry,
and I have not as yet washed it; we will stop for a short time;
besides, my stomach is empty, and I have sweetmeats with me which I
will share with you, Meer Sahib; it is ill travelling without something
in the inside."
"A good thought," I replied, "and I shall be glad of them; I usually
bring some myself, but have neglected to do so in this instance."
The scout was right, the rivulet he mentioned was scarcely as far as
he had said, and we reached it after a few minutes' riding; and sure
enough there were my men sitting unconcernedly by the edge of the
water, busily discussing a hasty meal of some cakes they had brought
with them. "Bhillmanjeh, have you cleaned the hole?" I eagerly inquired
of the Belha.
"Manjeh," he replied.
"What did you ask?" said the Sahoukar; "if they have not a clean vessel
for you to drink out of, you can have one of mine."
"Thanks for your kindness," I replied, "but my good fellow here tells
me that he has brought one, and cleaned it ready for me."
We all dismounted; the men rushed into the water, and were each and all
busily engaged in washing their mouths and teeth, and drinking of the
pure element which murmured over its pebbly bed beneath their feet;
but none of them quitted their stations, and only awaited the signal
to do their work. "Is the bhil far distant?" I asked of the Belha who
presented me with a lota of water for the purposes of ablution.
"About an arrow's flight," said he, "down yonder in that thicket; it is
a good place, and a well-known one; it was on this spot that Ganesha
Jemadar had a rare bunij last year. But do not delay for the sun is
high, and travellers may be coming from the stage before us; this is
the only running water on the road, and all hasten to it to refresh
themselves."
"Then I am ready," said I; "and when you see me close to the Sahoukar,
I will give the signal; I see the men are all prepared." And I walked
towards him.
"Why don't you give the jhirnee?" said Motee-ram to me as I passed him,
"we are all waiting for it."
"Now," said I, "be ready; I go to my station." The fellow near whom he
was standing turned round, hearing us converse in a strange language;
but he immediately afterwards sat down and resumed the operation of
cleaning his teeth with great assiduity: there were two men behind him
who would shortly save him the trouble!
"Why, Séthjee," said I, "I wonder you do not go up higher; here you
have the water muddied by all the fellows above you. Come with me, and
I will show you a deep place where I have just washed, and where the
water is clear."
"Ah, I did not think of it," said he; "I will follow you." He had been
washing low down, and as I got him into the middle of the party I gave
the jhirnee.
Sahib, though I had not killed a man with the roomal for nearly four
years, I had not forgotten my old trick: he was dead, I think, ere he
reached my feet. Stupid it was in us to delay, and I prevented the
like in future. Every man resumed his employment of washing himself
as though nothing had happened, and there lay the bodies on the sand.
We were once again fated to be interrupted. Two travellers were seen
approaching, and the bodies were hastily covered with sheets, as if
those who lay beneath them were asleep; and I cried to the men for some
of them to sit and others lie down, and all to feign great weariness.
They did so, and the men came up; they were poor creatures, hardly
worth killing, and I proposed to Peer Khan to let them go, but he would
not hear of it.
"Let them go!" he cried; "are you mad? Do you not think that these
fellows already suspect who we are? Does a man ever come into the
presence of the dead, be they ever so well covered or disguised,
without a feeling that they are dead? and see, some of our men are
speaking to them; they are true bunij, and Davee has sent them."
"As you will," said I; "but there may be more of them."
"Hardly so soon," replied he; "these fellows must have left in the
night to be here so early; but come, let us ask them." And we walked up
to them.
"Salam!" said I, "where are you from so early; you have travelled fast
if you have come from the stage we hope to reach in the course of the
day; how far is it?"
"It is seven long coss," said the man, "and the sun will be high and
hot before you reach it; but we are in haste, and must proceed."
"Stay," said I, "dare not move till you are allowed; and tell me, how
many travellers put up last night in the village from whence you have
come?"
"Two besides ourselves," replied the other of the two, evidently in
alarm at my question. "Why do you ask?"
"Are you sure there were no more?"
"Certain," he replied; "we travelled together from Jubbulpoor, and put
up in the same house."
"And how far are they behind you?"
"They will be here immediately I should think, for we started at the
same time, but have outstripped them."
"Good," said I; "now sit down there, and wait till they come."
"Why is this?" cried both; "by what right do you detain travellers? we
will go on."
"Dare to stir at your peril," said I; "you have intruded on us, and
must pay the penalty."
"What penalty? Are you thieves? if so, take what you will from us and
let us go."
"We are not thieves," said Peer Khan; "but stay quiet, we are worse."
"Worse! then, brother, we are lost," cried one to the other; "these
villains are Thugs; it is even as I whispered to you when you must
needs stop among them: they have been at their horrid work, and yonder
lie those whom they have destroyed."
"Yes," said I, "unhappy men, you have guessed right; yonder lie the
dead, and you will soon be numbered with them; it is useless to strive
against your destiny."
I turned away, for I felt, Sahib--I felt sick at the thoughts of
destroying these inoffensive people. They might have passed on--but
Peer Khan was right, they had detected the dead, though the bodies had
been laid out and covered as if the senseless forms were sleeping--but
they lay like lumps of clay. No measured breathing disturbed the folds
of the sheets which covered them, and a glance had been sufficient to
tell the tale to the unfortunate people who had seen them. But I shook
off the feeling as best I could; had I given way to it, or betrayed its
existence to my associates, the power I possessed over them would have
been lost--and it was the spirit of my existence.
"They must die," said I to Peer Khan; "you were right, and they had
guessed the truth; but I wish it had been otherwise, and the lazy
Lughaees had done their work quickly; they might have passed on, and we
have had a good morning's work without them; they are not worth having."
"I would not exchange places with them for anything you could name,
Meer Sahib, and perhaps it were well to put them out of their suspense."
"Do so, Peer Khan, and get the rest with them removed; I will deal
with one of the other two coming up. These fellows are half dead
already with fear, and the others I will fall on in my own way; I hate
such passive victims as these will be."
Peer Khan and another went to the miserable wretches, who remained
sitting on the ground where we had left them. I watched them; they
stood up mechanically when they were ordered to do so, and stretched
out their necks for the fatal roomal, and were slain as unresistingly
as sheep beneath the knife of the butcher. The rest of the travellers
were not long coming, and were only two, as the others had said.
"Now," said I to Motee, "these fellows must be dealt with at once: you
take one, I will the other; they must not utter a word."
"I am ready," said he; and we arose and lounged about the road. The
travellers came up. One was a young and the other an old man. I marked
the young one, and as he passed me a Thug laid hold of his arm; he
turned round to resent it, and I was ready. These too were carried
away, and after collecting our dispersed party, we once more pursued
our route without interruption.
It had been a good morning's work. The Sahoukar was as rich as the
Bhutteara had said, and four thousand three hundred rupees greeted
our expectant eyes as the contents of the laden ponies were examined:
besides these there were six handsome shawls, worth better than a
thousand more, and a few pieces of cotton cloth, which were torn up and
immediately distributed. The other four travellers had upwards of a
hundred rupees, a sum not to be despised, and which I divided equally
among the band, reserving the large booty, and adding it to the sum we
had already gained.