a
great number of large trees. Under these he and the slave dug a trench,
long and wide enough to hold all the robbers. Afterward they lifted the
bodies out of the jars, took away their weapons, carried them to the end
of the garden, laid them in the trench, and levelled the ground again.
When this was done, Ali Baba hid the jars and weapons; and as he had no
occasion for the mules, he sent them at different times to be sold in
the market by his slave.

While Ali Baba took these measures to prevent the public from knowing
how he came by his riches in so short a time, the captain of the forty
robbers returned to the forest with inconceivable mortification; and in
his confusion at his ill success, so contrary to what he had promised
himself, entered the cave, not being able, all the way from the town, to
come to any resolution how to revenge himself of Ali Baba.

The loneliness of the gloomy cavern became frightful to him. "Where are
you, my brave lads," cried he, "old companions of my watchings, inroads,
and labour? What can I do without you? Did I collect you only to lose
you by so base a fate, and so unworthy of your courage! Had you died
with your sabres in your hands, like brave men, my regret had been less!
When shall I enlist so gallant a troop again? And if I could, can I
undertake it without exposing so much gold and treasure to him who hath
already enriched himself out of it? I cannot, I ought not to think of
it, before I have taken away his life. I will undertake that alone,
which I could not accomplish with your powerful assistance; and when I
have taken measures to secure this treasure from being pillaged, I will
provide for it new masters and successors after me, who shall preserve
and augment it to all posterity." This resolution being taken, he was
not at a loss how to execute his purpose; but full of hopes, slept all
that night very quietly.

When he awoke early next morning, he dressed himself, agreeably to the
project he had formed, went to the town, and took a lodging in a khan.
As he expected what had happened at Ali Baba's might make a great noise,
he asked his host what news there was in the city? Upon which the
innkeeper told him a great many circumstances, which did not concern him
in the least. He judged by this, that the reason why Ali Baba kept his
affairs so secret, was for fear people should know where the treasure
lay; and because he knew his life would be sought on account of it. This
ur