among the tombs.[FN#44] The thieves came up to the place and
finding Er Razi bound by the feet and by him near seventy sticks,
marvelled at this with an exceeding wonderment and said, 'God
confound thee! This was sure an infidel, a man of many crimes;
for, behold, the earth hath rejected him from her womb, and by my
life, he is yet fresh! This is his first night [in the tomb] and
the angels were tormenting him but now; so whosoever of you hath
a sin upon his conscience, let him beat him, as a propitiatory
offering to God the Most High.' And the thieves said, 'We all
have sins upon our consciences.'

So each of them went up to the [supposed] dead man and dealt him
nigh upon a hundred blows, exclaiming the while, one, 'This is
for[FN#45] my father!' and another, 'This is for my grandfather!'
whilst a third said, 'This is for my brother!' and a fourth,
'This is for my mother!' And they gave not over taking turns at
him and beating him, till they were weary, what while El Merouzi
stood laughing and saying in himself, 'It is not I alone who have
entered into sin against him. There is no power and no virtue
save in God the Most High, the Supreme!'

Then the thieves addressed themselves to sharing their booty and
presently fell out concerning a sword that was among the spoil,
who should take it. Quoth the captain, 'Methinks we were better
prove it; so, if it be good, we shall know its worth, and if it
be ill, we shall know that.' And they said, 'Try it on this dead
man, for he is fresh.' So the captain took the sword and drawing
it, poised it and brandished it; but, when Er Razi saw this, he
made sure of death and said in himself, 'I have borne the washing
and the boiling water and the pricking with the knife and the