The first care of the robbers after this was to examine the cave. They
found all the bags which Cassim had brought to the door, to be ready
to load his mules, and carried them again to their places, but they
did not miss what Ali Baba had taken away before. Then holding a
council, and deliberating upon this occurrence, they guessed that
Cassim, when he was in, could not get out again, but could not imagine
how he had learned the secret words by which alone he could enter.
They could not deny the fact of his being there; and to terrify any
person or accomplice who should attempt the same thing, they agreed 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. 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 great alarm, and
said, "I believe, brother-in-law, that you know Cassim is gone to the
forest, and upon what account. It is now night, and he has not
returned. I am afraid some misfortune has happened to him."
Ali Baba told her that she need not frighten herself, for that
certainly Cassim would not think it proper to come into the town till
the night should be pretty far advanced.
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