^74 OF THE MURDEEERS'- ■ 



haldnf:; neither are they accuflomed to murder rieat* t©^fk4l^^^o%k -Bii. 

 hitatfions ; cireumftances which not only prevera fufpicion attabhing tb 

 tbem-as the murderers, and to the local authonty as proteSing an(S 

 fharing the booty with them, but tend to throw »t upon others/ wiso 

 refide near to the fpot whither a traveller may have been traced^ and 

 where he was laft feen. Befides, a perfon fetting out on a JQurlTiey is 

 ofteb'unable tofix any period for his return ; and though he {hould 

 not revifit his home at the expeded time, his delay will, for k while, 

 excite litde al a rrri in thfe minds of his friends. He is fuppofed to be 

 unexpectedly detained'— to baiU-^to have met with ferae ordinary 

 accident— to have deferted his family— to have died-. -Should fu'fpicion 

 arife that he has been murdered^, fee f(!1: lYattributed to or^^^ high« 



way robbers, and it is but feidom tfeat minute enquiries caii be infli. 

 tuted by his bereaved relativeso " But fuppofing that fiiis "is done^ 

 and the prog refa' of the "miffing traveller traced'-- to- '^ ■ particular 

 ■place and not beyond it, flill -fufpicion would - be apt' to ^a-tfach 

 to anys rather than to a few apparently inoffenlive travellers, jou.r« 

 iieying- either for the pUTpofe oF-traffiCj as is inEiagine#t'''6r, "as Is often 

 preteiided, id fee-thelr rej:-ations:^br,..to^ be .prefent at' ioffse marriage;? 

 &hd A\%oY-if evfe'r ■nolie'ed, have pierhaps been long""^ fince f6Tgt>tteii;" 'If, 

 notwitkltenctieg all thefe improbabilities, fufpicio^ to^ld laff !ijt)bti i1^ 

 aSual perpretf?.tOT$9 where could they be fqtjfid r 



:?.uv;u ■:,:'.-:;--..- ' ,.;.^:^„.,,.^^ , .^OiJCOiq OJ «Isii ffiobi 



o:£v h 



. TnHS%rith"rerpe^ to fepoy?, wbbr!2avri:^gm>!MifedieaTe W"^^n<*^ 

 pever' rejoined their corps, thcconclulion'generally formed has 'been, 

 that th'ey' bad' defetfed— when, in various inft^nces, they had fallen fac- 

 rilices^tt^'iiewiles^of the Fhdmfgdrs. The fame oblervation is parti- 

 cularly applicable to goiak peons, charged via th- the conveyance of mo« 

 B€y:and valuables i many of whom having difappeared, no doubt was 

 entertained that they had abfconded, and appropriated ihe property to 

 ttbeir own ufe, gvca the appreh^nfiens which an iodiftin^i idea of 



