among the soldiers who followed the Amat Loeng was
one who had a very wise and clever wife, and when she saw her husband
march away and knew the great danger that he and his fellows were in,
she went to the wife of another soldier, and this is what she said:

"Sister, oie, listen to my words. If we do naught but sit in our houses
and weep our husbands will all assuredly arrive at destruction, for the
_boh_ is a very cruel and cunning man. Of what use will our houses be to
us if we have no husbands? Listen, therefore, to what I say. The man who
collects the blackmail for the _boh_ from the headman of a village
across the river and delivers it into his hand is well known to me. His
name is Maung Gyei, and he sells books in the bazaar. He is a very wise
man, and knows all the followers of the Boh Lek Byah. Let our husbands
fight the _boh_ with silver. It is sharper than a sword, and injures not
the man who handles it skillfully. We will collect all the money we can.
I will sell my earrings, thou canst sell thy bracelets, and the wives of
all the other soldiers can do likewise. This will bring a big bag of
silver, and half of it we will give to Maung Gyei. He will then call
some of the followers of the _boh_ to a secret place and tell him that
the Amat Loeng will give him the balance in return for the head of their
master, if they take it to his lordship ere three days have have
elapsed. Our husbands will then bring the head of this wicked man to the
royal palace and lay it before the Golden Foot; they will reap much
honor and glory for having fulfilled the order of the king and the
country will be freed from this great trouble."

Now, when the wives of the other soldiers heard these words they
perceived that she was indeed a very clever woman, fit to be the wife of
a great _amat_ instead of a common soldier, and one ran swiftly after
the _amat_ and his men, for in truth they had not gone far, but were
traveling slowly, because they feared to come up with the _boh_ and his
fierce followers; and they were filled with joy at the good news the
messenger brought them. At the order of the _amat_ his men hid
themselves in a thick jungle till the money should be collected and
brought to them.

After two days and when it was very dark, a man came to them saying that
he was the friend of Maung Gyei, and bore with him the head of the
robber chief, and thereupon showed it wrapped up in a cloth. Then were
the soldiers full of joy aga