firmly would beat me
savagely, uttering all the time torrents of vituperation and abuse.

"For some months I had to endure all the miseries which the malignant
humour of Sojah could inflict upon me. At length, seizing the first
opportunity which offered for making my escape, I managed to throw the
slave who was riding me, and fled with the speed of the wind. After
galloping for many coss, I became completely exhausted, and lay down in
an open field near the roadside to rest.

"I had not lain there many minutes, and was still panting and blown,
when I saw a party of rough-looking men advancing. Two of them were
mounted, and these rushing upon me before I could rise and make off,
they easily secured me and took me along with them. The two mounted
men having sold me to one of those on foot, soon afterwards left us,
and I proceeded in company with the others, carrying my new master on
my back.

"I soon discovered that the men who had seized me, and who took me home
with them to their village, formed part of a gang belonging to a
religious sect known in some parts of the country by the name of Thugs
or deceivers, and in other parts of the country by the name of
Phansigars or stranglers. I had thus an opportunity, such as no man in
human form could have, of observing their idolatrous religion and
revolting practices. These wretches worship a patron goddess, the
deity of destruction, called Kalee. Their trade from father to son for
generations is murder and robbery, and they believe that their goddess,
to whom they offer part of their plunder, surrenders into their hands
every one of their unhappy victims.

"I had not long been with them before a day was appointed for the
celebration of one of their religious, or rather superstitious, rites.
This was the consecration of the holy pickaxe, the implement always
used by these men for burying those whom they have slain. A fakir,
versed in all the learning of the Thugs, was seated, when the
auspicious day arrived, with his face turned to the west, and placed
the pickaxe in a brass dish which was set before him. In this he
proceeded to wash the axe, with four solemn and several washings.
First, in water; secondly, in a mixture of sugar and water; thirdly, in
sour milk; and fourthly, in spirit. These four ablutions being
finished, the fakir replaced in the brass dish the pickaxe together
with a cocoa-nut, some cloves, white sandal-wood, and sugar. Then
kindling a fire