Now the officer did not yet know that the _dahs_ of his men had been stolen, so bowing before the Golden Foot, he replied:
"Head of thy servant's body, there is but one thing to be done, they are worthy of death. Their lord should pass judgment upon them without mercy and that immediately."
"That is a good judgment," replied the king, and turning again to the officer of the guard, he said:
"Last night I saw the great and renowned robber chief, Boh Lek Byah, in this palace. I took him prisoner with mine own hands, behold, he lies tied fast with ropes in yonder room, but all the guards who should have been watching were asleep. Where are their _dahs_? Let every man who has no sword be impaled before I eat my morning rice."
Then were the hearts of the king's _amats_ full of joy when they heard that the thief whom they all feared was a prisoner in the palace, and they praised the wondrous bravery and subtlety of their royal master, saying that without doubt he was the bravest and wisest king who ever sat under a white umbrella.
The king was very proud as he listened to their praises and gave orders that the robber chief should be brought before him.
When Boh Lek Byah was led to the Golden Foot he prostrated himself, and the king said:
"If a man be found in the royal palace at night what hath custom decreed should be the punishment for his presumption?"
Then the prisoner said: "King above all kings, it is death."
"Hast thou anything to say why thou shouldst not be impaled or given to the tigers to eat?" demanded the king in a terrible voice.
"Lord of the world," replied the unfortunate man, "last night thou didst ask to become disciple to our lord's slave. Will the disciple order his teacher to be executed? When our lord's slave was beneath the royal astrologer's house he discovered that his new disciple was the Eater of the Country and so when our lord of the Golden Palace ordered his slave to enter, he would have been worthy of death had he not obeyed. Will the Son of the Sun execute his slave for following his words?"
Then when the king heard that the robber had known who he really was, he marveled much at his wisdom, and said:
"Assuredly thou art too wise a man for the tigers to eat. Take thou yonder sword, it belonged to him who yesterday was captain of the royal guard. Follow me and thou shalt later become my chief _amat_."