THE FORTY THIEVES 203

It was a matter of the greatest importance to
them to secure their riches. They agreed, there-
fore, to cut Cassim’s body into four quarters,
to hang two on one side and two on the other,
within the door of the cave, to terrify any person
who should attempt the same thing, determining
not to return to the cave till the stench of the
body was completely exhaled. They had no
sooner taken this resolution than they put it
in execution, and when they had nothing more
to detain them, left the place of their hoards
well closed. They mounted their horses, went
to beat the roads again, and to attack the
caravans they might meet.

In the meantime Cassim’s wife was very
uneasy when night came and her husband was
not returned. She ran to Ali Baba in alarm,
and said, “I believe, brother-in-law, that you
know Cassim, your brother, is gone to the forest,
and upon what account. It is now night, and
he is not returned; I am afraid some misfortune
‘thas happened to him.” Ali Baba, who had ex-
pected that his brother, after what he had said,
would go to the forest, had declined going him-
self that day for fear of giving him any umbrage ;
therefore told her, without any reflection upon
her husband’s unhandsome behaviour, that she