pitched on the other side, leaving us
between them and the village. The _khalasis_ were all busily occupied
in pitching them. Nur Khan and his son Sadi Khan and a few others went
as soon as it became dark to the Munshi's tent, and began to play and
sing upon a _sitar_ as they had been accustomed to do. During this
time some of them took up the Munshi's sword on pretence of wishing
to look at it. His wife and children were inside listening to the
music. The _jhirni_ or signal was given, but at this moment the Munshi
saw his danger, called out murder, and attempted to rush through,
but was seized and strangled. His wife hearing him ran out with the
infant in her arms, but was seized by Ghabbu Khan, who strangled
her and took the infant. The other daughter was strangled in the
tent. The _saises_ (grooms) were at the time cleaning their horses,
and one of them seeing his danger ran under the belly of his horse
and called murder; but he was soon seized and strangled as well as
all the rest. In order to prevent the party pitching the officers'
tents from hearing the disturbance, as soon as the signal was given
those of the gang who were idle began to play and sing as loud as they
could; and two vicious horses were let loose, and many ran after them
calling out as loud as they could; so that the calls of the Munshi and
his party were drowned." They thought at first of keeping the infant,
but decided that it was too risky, and threw it alive into the grave
in which the other bodies had been placed. It is surprising to realise
that in the above case about half a dozen people, awake and conscious,
were killed forcibly in broad daylight within a few paces of a number
of men occupied in pitching tents, without their noticing anything of
the matter; and this may certainly be characterised as an instance of
murder as a fine art to show the absolute callousness of the Thugs
towards their victims and the complete absence of any feelings of
compassion, the story of the following murder by the same gang may be
recorded. [685] The Thugs were travelling from Nagpur toward Jubbulpore
with a party consisting of Newal Singh, a Jemadar (petty officer)
in the Nizam's army, his brother, his two daughters, one thirteen and
the other eleven years old, his son about seven years old, two young
men who were to marry the daughters, and four servants. At Dhurna the
house in which the Thugs lodged took fire, and the greater number
of them were seized by