He threw down the bags he had loaded himself with, and walked distractedly up and down the cave, without having the least regard to the riches that were around him.
About noon the robbers visited their cave. At some distance they saw Cassim’s mules straggling about the rock, with great chests on their backs. Alarmed at this, they galloped full speed to the cave. They drove away the mules, who strayed through the forest and were soon out of sight, and went directly, with their naked sabers in their hands, to the door, which, on their captain pronouncing the proper words, immediately opened.
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, ran out and threw the leader down, but could not escape the other robbers, who slew him with their scimitars.
The first care of the robbers after this was to examine the cave. They found all the bags Cassim had brought to the door, 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 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.
To terrify any person or accomplice who should attempt the same thing, they agreed to cut Cassim’s body into four
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