nments of the native army, everywhere
distributing chupaties and whispering tales of the intention of the
Government to destroy the caste of the Sepoys by greasing the cartridges
with pig's fat. The man dressed like a trader was the last to enter.

"How goes it, Mukdoomee?"

"It is well, my lord; I have traversed all the districts where we dwelt
of old, before the Feringhee stamped us out and sent scores to death and
hundreds to prison. Most of the latter whom death has spared are free
now, and with many of them have I talked. They are most of them old, and
few would take the road again, but scarce one but has trained up his son
or grandson to the work; not to practice it,--the hand of the whites was
too heavy before, and the gains are not large enough to tempt men to run
the risk--but they teach them for the love of the art. To a worshiper of
the goddess there is a joy in a cleverly contrived plan and in casting
the roomal round the neck of the victim, that can never die. Often in
my young days, when perhaps twelve of us were on the road in a party, we
made less than we could have done by labor, but none minded.

"We were sworn brothers; we were working for Kali, and so that we sent
her victims we cared little; and even after fifteen or twenty years
spent in the Feringhee's prisons, we love it still; none hate the white
man as we do; has he not destroyed our profession? We have two things
to work for; first, for vengeance; second, for the certainty that if the
white man's Raj were at an end, once again would the brotherhood follow
their profession, and reap booty for ourselves and victims for
Kali; for, assuredly, no native prince would dare to meddle with us.
Therefore, upon every man who was once a Thug, and upon his sons and
grandsons, you may depend. I do not say that they would be useful for
fighting, for we have never been fighters, but the stranglers will be of
use. You can trust them with missions, and send them where you choose.
From their fathers' lips they have learnt all about places and roads;
they can decoy Feringhee travelers, the Company's servants or soldiers,
into quiet places, and slay them. They can creep into compounds and into
houses, and choose their victims from the sleepers. You can trust them,
Rajah, for they have learned to hate, and each in his way will, when the
times comes, aid to stir up men to rise. The past had almost become a
dream, but I have roused it into life again, and upon the d