ehind. Dick drew his remaining pistol, and shot
the man through the head.

He had then time to look round.

Both Surajah's shots had told, and he was now defending himself
against the assaults of two others, who were pressing him hard, while
a third stood irresolute a short distance away. Dick rushed to
Surajah's assistance. As he did so, the third man fled.

"After him, Ibrahim!" Dick shouted. "Not one of them must get away."

The two Thugs defended themselves, with cries of fanatical fury, but
their opponents were far better swordsmen, and, fighting coolly, were
not long before they cut them both down.

"What on earth is it all about, Dick?" Surajah asked, as, panting with
his exertions, he looked round after cutting down his opponent.

"Thugs," Dick said briefly.

"Are you sure, Dick?" Surajah asked presently. "It may be a terrible
business for us, if there is any mistake."

For answer, Dick pointed to the bodies of the two men he had first
shot. One still grasped the roomal, or twisted silk sash, while a like
deadly implement lay by the side of the other.

"Thank Heaven!" Surajah ejaculated. "I was afraid there might have
been a mistake, Dick, but I see that you were right, and that it was a
party of Thugs. If it had not been that you were on the watch for
them, and had your pistol ready, we should have lost our lives."

"It was a close shave as it was, Surajah. One second later, and you
and I should both have been strangled. I had my hand on my pistol, and
felt so sure that an attack was intended that, the moment something
passed before my face, although I had no idea what it was, I threw
myself back and fired at the man behind me, with an instinctive
feeling that my life depended on my speed. But it was only when, on
looking at you, I saw a man in the act of throwing a noose round your
neck, that I knew exactly what I had escaped."

"It was fortunate that they had not pistols," Surajah said. "We should
have had no chance against them, if they had had firearms."

"No; they could have shot us the moment I first fired. But Uncle said,
when he was talking to me one day, that he had heard that the
Stranglers did not carry firearms, because the reports might attract
attention; and that it was a matter of religion, with them, to kill
their victims by strangling; but that if the Strangler failed, which
he very seldom did, the other men would then despatch the victims with
their swords and knives.

"Ah! her