LAWS OF MURDER. 
75 
stay the night, our open menzil would be attacked, both by the 
Rhabadites and their brethren from the mountains. The posi¬ 
tion we had taken up was within a pistol-shot of the village 
walls ; and having at this juncture no other guard than my own 
people, part of whom, from sickness, were incapable of any 
service in action, a council was held, what was best to be done. 
Amerat, our next halting-place, lay at little more than four 
farsangs distant; and, for my part, thinking with Sir John Fal- 
staff, that “ discretion is the better part of valour,” I gave orders 
for a timely retreat. At any rate, we thought, should our un¬ 
provoked enemy make a sortie before we were off, it was more 
in order to be found up, mounted, and armed, than surprised 
in the night, with one half of our able-bodied men most likely 
asleep. In such a case, the sick and feeble would have been 
put to death immediately, and without mercy, by these sta¬ 
tionary robbers ; for that, I understand, is the title they deserve; 
the Ketkhoda himself, having impudently told us that he was a 
fearless brother of the Fielly tribe, an independent race. Our 
quadrupeds and baggage must have fallen an easy prey; as each 
of us would have had enough to do to defend himself against 
superiority of numbers. Indeed, we might have sold our lives at 
a dear rate; but the chance of saving them would not have been 
worth a sous ; robbery and murder being substance and shadow 
with these brigands ; and, besides, the death of a Christian would 
rather have been considered a meritorious act, by the best of 
the horde. 
The Persian laws, with regard to murder, operate both on 
cities and tribes. By them the murderer is held responsible to 
the family of the slain, to repay, with his own, the blood he has 
shed; and the act of justice is to be performed by the nearest of 
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