closed. They
mounted their horses, went to beat the roads again, and to attack
the caravans they might meet.

In the mean time, 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 has
happened to him." Ali Baba, who had expected that his brother,
after what he had said, would go to the forest, had declined
going himself that day, for fear of giving him any umbrage;
therefore told her, without any reflection upon her husband's
unhandsome behaviour, 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.

Cassim's wife, considering how much it concerned her husband to keep
the business secret, was the more easily persuaded to believe her
brother-in-law. She went home again, and waited patiently till
midnight. Then her fear redoubled, and her grief was the more sensible
because she was forced to keep it to herself. She repented of her
foolish curiosity, and cursed her desire of penetrating into the
affairs of her brother and sister-in-law. She spent all the night in
weeping; and as soon as it was day, went to them, telling them, by her
tears, the cause of her coming.

Ali Baba did not wait for his sister-in-law to desire him to go
to see what was become of Cassim, but departed immediately with
his three asses, begging of her first to moderate her affliction.
He went to the forest, and when he came near the rock, having
seen neither his brother nor the mules in his way, was seriously
alarmed at finding some blood spilt near the door, which he took
for an ill omen; but when he had pronounced the word, and the
door had opened, he was struck with horror at the dismal sight of
his brother's quarters. He was not long in determining how he
should pay the last dues to his brother, but without adverting to
the little fraternal affection he had shown for him, went into
the cave, to find something to enshroud his remains, and having
loaded one of his asses with them, covered them over with wood.
The other two asses he loaded with bags of gold, covering them
with wood also as before; and then bidding the door shut, came
away; but was so cautious as to stop some time at the end of the
fo