“Before the close of that ill-fated day, the mothers and relations of the stolen were rushing in frantic despair through the fields, announcing to the husbands and fathers the misfortune which had overtaken them.

“The men immediately quitted their work, and armed only with their implements of labour pursued the ravishers for many a mile; but what could they do on foot against so many horsemen?  Perhaps it was fortunate for them that they could not overtake the robbers, for they would only have become additional victims.  They returned home to bewail their unhappy fate and curse the cruel authors of their misery.

“It happened about a year afterwards that the old man’s son returned from Candah[=a]r, to enjoy, as he anticipated, a few weeks’ happiness with his aged parents and blooming sister; but no sooner had he crossed the threshhold and received the blessing of his trembling parents, than he was made aware of the desolation that had passed over his house.  Vowing vengance on the perpetrators of this foul act, and calling down the anger of heaven on all the generation of Uzbegs, the brave Azeem left his home, and abandoning all hopes of repose, busied himself in collecting a band of athletic and desperate young men, who swore on the Kor[=a]n their determination to have revenge or perish in the attempt.  Young Azeem was unanimously chosen commander of the party, and the next morning at break of day, without further preparation beyond taking a small supply of food, they started on their journey.  Travelling long days, and resting short nights in the crevices of the mountains, after eighteen days’ toil, they at length reached a part of Tartary, distant only two days’ march from the fort belonging to the robber Uzbegs who had so cruelly injured them.  It now became necessary to advance with more circumspection, as they could no longer depend upon the peasants for protection in the less friendly country they had reached, so separating into several small parties they approached stealthily the Uzbeg fort; some kept the hills on either side, while the rest followed the winding of the grassy plains.  Thus proceeding, they formed a kind of circle round the fort, so that they could notice the ingress or departure of its tenants on every side.  The fort appeared too strong for an open attack, and when, at night, the leaders of the detached parties assembled to discuss their future plans and to report what they had seen during the day, it was determined to lie in ambush another day for the chance of the main body of the Uzbegs quitting their fort on some foray, so that they would have a better chance, should it become necessary to attack it.  Providence seemed to favour their designs, for early next morning considerable parties of Uzbegs were seen issuing from the fort and proceeding towards a large savannah, where some festival was evidently in preparation—­for, from the quantity of women and children who accompanied the horsemen, it was clear that fighting was not the business of the day.