Cassim, who heard the noise of the horses' feet, at once guessed
the arrival of the robbers, and resolved to make one effort for
his life. He rushed to the door, and no sooner saw the door open,
than he ran out and threw the leader down, but could not escape
the other robbers, who with their cimeters soon deprived him of
life.

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