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226 TALES OF THE PUNJAB

began to think that they were never coming back again, and ccased to be on the look-out. But she was wrong, for one night, when she had left the window open, she was awakened by whisperings out- side, and at once recognised the thieves’ voices. She gave herself up for lost ; but, determined not to yield without a struggle, she seized her husband’s razor, crept to the side of the window, and stood quite still. By and by the first thief began to creep through cautiously. She just waited till the tip of his nose was visible, and then, flash !—-she sliced it off with the razor as clean as a whistle.

‘Confound it!’ yelled the thief, drawing back mighty quick ; ‘I’ve cut my nose on something !’

‘ Hush-sh-sh!’ whispered the others, ‘you'll wake some one. Go on!’

‘Not I!’ said the thief; ‘ I’m bleeding like a pig !’

‘Pooh !—knocked your nose against the shutter, I suppose,’ returned the second thief. ‘I'll go?’

But, swish !—off went the tip of his nose too.

‘Dear me!’ said he ruefully, ‘there certainly is something sharp inside!’

‘A bit of bamboo in the lattice, most likely,’ re- marked the third thief. ‘I'll go?’

And, flick !—off went his nose too.

‘It is most extraordinary !' he exclaimed, hurriedly retiring ; ‘I feel exactly as if some one had cut the tip of my nose off!’

‘Rubbish !’ said the fourth thief.'What cowards you all are! Let me go!’

But he fared no better, nor the fifth thief, nor the sixth,

‘My friends!’ said the captain, when it came to