I live
peacefully in my home, doing no wrong to my fellows, in the eyes of all
my neighbours a man of wealth and respectability, who goes periodically
to his own country to draw rents from his lands. Little do my friends
know that when I do travel it is to worship Bowani by sacrificing to her
other travellers on the road. She gives us the omen to kill and we obey
her. Once the omen has been declared, it would be sacrilege not to kill
her destined victim.'

"'And you rob them too?' I asked discreetly.

"'Oh, naturally. But that is a mere incident. We kill those marked for
death by our divine Kali, and she freely bestows on us the wealth of her
victims. But we never kill to rob. That would be truly abominable. We
kill only in honour of Kali, of Bowani, the all-mighty, great Mother of
the Universe. For to her devout worshippers, the thugs, did she not give
one of her teeth for a pickaxe, a rib for a knife, and the hem of her
lower garment for a noose? So we strangle in her service, and with every
victim the act becomes more and more a delight to the soul.' As he
spoke, his muscular fingers and wrists automatically went through the
motions of tying and drawing the fatal noose. 'Once a man has become a
thug, he will remain a thug all the rest of his days. Even if he come to
possess the wealth of the world, he will continue to serve Bowani.'

"I had regained my momentarily disturbed composure, and was studying the
face of the man before me. It was a fine face, clear-cut, that of a
clean liver, unmarked by sensuality, unharmed by wine, keen of
intelligence, resolute of will. I could no longer deem him a madman. But
I saw I had to do with one so filled with fanaticism that he could look
upon murder as religion, plan it without misgiving, execute it without
pity, and remember it without remorse. But now there had occurred
something so to upset his mental balance that he feared the wrath of his
own goddess and fancied he heard her threatening voice in the air.

"'You have journeyed to Delhi from Daibul?' I asked, prompting him to
resume his story.

"'Yes, we were six thugs at the start, with fifteen others, merchants
and pilgrims, all of us agreeing to journey together for greater
protection on the road. As we proceeded day by day more travellers
joined us, some peaceful voyagers, the others thugs to a man. Of the
latter several were our own inveiglers, who had gone on in advance to
gain the confidence of likely victims and