However, he escaped apprehension, and added, every year, with impunity, to his long catalogue of crime. But to return to the vocabulary--_Koojaoo_, an informer, or one who extorted hush-money from Thugs; _Khullee_, a Thug who, from ignoble care-giving impecuniosity, concealed himself on his return home to avoid his creditors--for the natives of Hindostan enjoy many of the blessings of an ancient and refined civilization; _Khomusna_, to rush in upon travellers when there was not sufficient time for the ordinary preparations; _Kanthuna_, or _Kanth dalna_, to stab when no opportunity was afforded for strangling--a very exceptional case--or to slash the suffocated victim, either to prevent revival, or the swelling of the body when buried, owing to the evolved gases finding no vent for escape. This gaseous inflation of the corpse was apt to cause the imposed earth to crack and open, when the horrid effluvia attracted jackals to the spot, who, by digging up the bodies, might discover the fact of a murder having been committed, and so lead to the detection of the murderers; _Kathee kurna_, to inveigle travellers, or to consult secretly as to the mode of doing away with them; _Kharoo_, a gang of Thugs; _Khuruk_, the sound of the consecrated pick-axe in making a grave, supposed to be audible only to the initiated; _Kurwa_, a square, or oblong grave, for one corpse or for many; _Gobba_, a circular grave, with a small pillar of earth left in the middle--it was believed to crack less than the ordinary grave, and was therefore preferred when the dead bodies were very numerous; _Kuthowa_, the Thug whose office it was to cut and stab the dead bodies; _Lugha_, the grave-digger; _Lutkuneea_, a very small purse, used exclusively by Thugs and professional thieves; _Maulee_, or _Phoola_, the Thug entrusted with the duty of taking to the village the money sent by the absent gang for the maintenance of their wives and families; _Nawureea_, a novice on his first expedition--sometimes they were compelled to kick the first murdered man five times on the back; _Nissar_, safe, as applied to any suitable place for lodging at, murdering, or dividing spoil--opposed to _tikkur_, unsafe; _Paoo_, an accomplice of Thugs; _Pehloo_, or _Sikka_, or _Roomal_, the handkerchief. This was, rather, a turban unfolded, or the long narrow cloth, or sash, worn round the waist. It was doubled to the length of about thirty inches, with a knot formed at the doubled extremity, and about eighteen inches from that a slip knot. The distance between these two knots was regulated by preparing the fatal instrument on the knee, which was made to do temporary duty for a neck. The use of the two knots was to give a firm hold. When the victim was fairly prostrated, the strangler adroitly loosened the slip knot, and made another fold of the cloth round his throat. Then placing his foot upon the back of his victim's neck, he drew the cloth tightly, as if--to