r
our gang, as I may term it, had met with and joined the gang of Ramphul
Jemadar, and together they counted nearly thirty men.

"But the two Jemadars differed entirely as to the course to be pursued.
While Ramphul advocated joining and murdering the Rajah and his party,
Jowahir, on the other hand, contended that as it was absolutely
forbidden by the principles of their religion to kill a woman,
therefore, the wife of the Rajah being with him, the party ought to be
permitted to escape.

"'If once,' he said, 'Phansigars, abandoning their immemorial
traditions, took to killing women, or disregarding omens, what good
luck could they expect, or how could they escape capture and
destruction?'

"The dispute waxed hot, and continued until the spies announced the
near approach of the Rajah and his party, on which they hurriedly
agreed as a compromise that they should join if possible the Rajah's
party, and afterwards either slay or spare them as might be by further
discussion determined.

"Having despatched about half their men in advance, that their numbers
might not appear too formidable and perhaps alarm the travellers, the
two Jemadars waited, in their assumed character of peaceful and timid
merchants, the arrival of Gholab Khan.

"On seeing him they saluted him respectfully, and, professing great
uneasiness concerning the lonely and little-frequented character of
that part of the country which lay immediately before them, they begged
as a great favour to be allowed to join his party.

"To this request Gholab Khan very readily acceded, and the united party
proceeded amicably together, the Rajah and the two Jemadars riding and
conversing with each other, while the rest of the Thugs accompanied and
made themselves very agreeable to the Rajah's followers. The latter
were armed, whereas the peaceful and inoffensive-looking Thugs carried
no weapon, but had with them only the innocent roomal, which they knew
how to wield when the moment should arrive with such swift and fatal
dexterity.

"Now when Sojah, the Rajah's wife, peeping from her palanquin, saw me,
she instantly recognized me, and telling her husband that she had taken
a great fancy to the merchant's horse, because it so much resembled one
she had lost two years previously, she begged him to buy it for her.

"The Rajah, always anxious to oblige his wife, who had great influence
over him, began at once to negotiate with Jowahir. And the latter, who
wished to