There used to be a sect of murderous stranglers, known as Thugs, who were especially devoted to the worship of Kali, and who performed their murderous work as a religious service to that goddess. The story of this people opens up a chapter of the greatest cruelty, going far beyond all the ordinary records of crime. Yet it was all done from a religious motive, as well as for love of plunder. Strange that it could be so! The legend that accounts for their origin is as follows: A long while ago a giant demon infested this world destroying mankind. The goddess Kali, to save mankind from utter destruction, attacked this demon and cut him down; but from the drops of blood that fell to the ground immediately there sprang up other demons--a host of them. Then Kali created two men, to whom she gave handkerchiefs, and whom she taught to strangle the demons without shedding blood. This was done, lest if their blood be shed more demons should spring up. Kali intended in this way to destroy the whole brood. When these men had strangled all the demons, she bade them strangle men in the same way, to repay her for her service to mankind. From these two men the Thugs came. [Illustration: NIGHT FEAST OF THE BLOODY GODDESS, KALI.] The Thugs were born such; at each one’s hearthstone his children were trained to the work of becoming murderers. The handkerchief with which the victim was strangled, and the pick-axe with which his grave was dug, were obtained from the priest, and were regarded as very sacred. Their method of procedure was like this: They waited about the inns or loitered along the roads waiting for travelers to overtake them. The Thug and his intended victim would journey together, and, little by little, he would worm out of him all his plans and intended movements. Thus the Thug could decide on the most suitable place and time. When they came to this, he would throw his strip of cloth about the unsuspecting stranger’s neck and draw it tighter and tighter until he was suffocated. If the Thugs traveled together with a party of merchants, each selected his victim, and all were strangled together. After death a hole, about three feet deep, was dug, and the corpse was buried face downwards. The greatest care was taken to shed no blood, and the whole was generally done under cover of the darkness of night. The whole sect was so banded together, having their scouts and spies, and systems of signaling one another, when they performed their work, that they were rarely detected. Every year several thousands of persons lost their lives at the hands of the Thugs. In the year 1826 the British government first discovered their existence. During the period of some nine years over fifteen hundred of the Thugs were arrested and executed. The sect is very nearly destroyed now. How astonishing that such a sect should not merely exist, but that they should perform their dastardly deeds as a religious service. The cannibalism of the