Hardly had Raja Randhir returned to the palace， and removed the traces of his night's occupation， when he received a second deputation of the merchants， complaining bitterly and with the longest faces about their fresh misfortunes.

　　"O pearl of equity！" said the men of money， "but yesterday you consoled us with the promise of some contrivance by the blessing of which our houses and coffers would be safe from theft； whereas our goods have never yet suffered so severely as during the last twelve hours."

　　Again Randhir dismissed them， swearing that this time he would either die or destroy the wretches who had been guilty of such violence.

　　Then having mentally prepared his measures， the Raja warned a company of archers to hold themselves in readiness for secret service， and as each one of his own people returned from the robbers' cave he had him privily arrested and put to death——because the deceased， it is said， do not， like Baitals， tell tales. About nightfall， when he thought that the thieves， having finished their work of plunder， would meet together as usual for wassail and debauchery， he armed himself， marched out his men， and led them to the rock in the jungle.

　　But the robbers， aroused by the disappearance of the new companion， had made enquiries and had gained intelligence of the impending danger. They feared to flee during the daytime， lest being tracked they should be discovered and destroyed in detail. When night came they hesitated to disperse， from the certainty that they would be captured in the morning. Then their captain， who throughout had been of one opinion， proposed to them that they should resist， and promised them success if they would hear his words. The gang respected him， for he was known to be brave： they all listened to his advice， and they promised to be obedient.

　　As young night began to cast transparent shade upon the jungle ground， the chief of the thieves mustered his men， inspected their bows and arrows， gave them encouraging words， and led them forth from the cave. Having placed them in ambush he climbed the rock to espy the movements of the enemy， whilst others applied their noses and ears to the level ground. Presently the moon shone full upon Randhir and his band of archers， who were advancing quickly and carelessly， for they expected to catch the robbers in their cave. The captain allowed them to march nearly through the line of ambush. Then he gave the signal， and at that moment the thieves， rising suddenly from the bush fell upon the royal troops and drove them back in confusion.

　　The king also fled， when the chief of the robbers shouted out， "Hola！ thou a Rajput and running away from combat？" Randhir hearing this halted， and the two， confronting each other， bared their blades and began to do battle with prodigious fury.

　　The king was cunning of fence， and so was the thief. They opened the duel， as skilful swordsmen should， by bending almost double， skipping in a circle， each keeping his eye well fixed upon the other， with frowning brows and contemptuous lips； at the same time executing divers gambados and measured leaps， springing forward like frogs and backward like monkeys， and beating time with their sabres upon their shields， which rattled like drums.

　　Then Randhir suddenly facing his antagonist， cut at his legs with a loud cry， but the thief sprang in the air， and the blade whistled harmlessly under him. Next moment the robber chief's sword， thrice whirled round his head， descended like lightning in a slanting direction towards the king's left shoulder： the latter， however， received it upon his target and escaped all hurt， though he staggered with the violence of the blow.

　　And thus they continued attacking each other， parrying and replying， till their breath failed them and their hands and wrists were numbed and cramped with fatigue. They were so well matched in courage， strength， and address， that neither obtained the least advantage， till the robber's right foot catching a stone slid from under him， and thus he fell to the ground at the mercy of his enemy. The thieves fled， and the Raja， himself on his prize， tied his hands behind him， and brought him back to the city at the point of his good sword.

　　The next morning Randhir visited his prisoner， whom he caused to be bathed， and washed， and covered with fine clothes. He then had him mounted on a camel and sent him on a circuit of the city， accompanied by a crier proclaiming aloud： "Who hears！ who hears！ who hears！ the king commands！ This is the thief who has robbed and plundered the city of Chandrodaya. Let all men therefore assemble themselves together this evening in the open space outside the gate leading towards the sea. And let them behold the penalty of evil deeds， and learn to be wise."

　　Randhir had condemned the thief to be crucified，[FN#109] nailed and tied with his hands and feet stretched out at full length， in an erect posture until death； everything he wished to eat was ordered to him in order to prolong life and misery. And when death should draw near， melted gold was to be poured down his throat till it should burst from his neck and other parts of his body.

　　[FN#109] Crucifixion， until late years， was common amongst the Buddhists of the Burmese empire. According to an eye-witness， Mr. F. Carey， the puishment was inflicted in two ways. Sometimes criminals were crucified by their hands and feet being nailed to a scaffold； others were merely tied up， and fed. In these cases the legs and feet of the patient began to swell and mortify at the expiration fo three or four days； men are said to have lived in this state for a fortnight， and at last they expired from fatigue and mortification. The sufferings from cramp also must be very severe. In India generally impalement was more common than crucifixion.