cattle all his life, and
he wasn't rich and he wasn't proud, so he just borrowed a bed from the
innkeeper, set it down beside an old buffalo who reminded him of home,
and in five minutes was fast asleep.

In the middle of the night he woke, feeling that he had been disturbed,
and putting his hand under his pillow found to his horror that his bag
of money had been stolen. He jumped up quietly and began to prowl around
to see whether anyone seemed to be awake, but, though he managed to
arouse a few men and beasts by falling over them, he walked in the
shadow of the archways round the whole serai without coming across a
likely thief. He was just about to give it up when he overheard two men
whispering, and one laughed softly, and peering behind a pillar, he saw
two Afghan horsedealers counting out his bag of money! Then Moti went
back to bed!

In the morning Moti followed the two Afghans outside the city to the
horsemarket in which they horses were offered for sale. Choosing the
best-looking horse amongst them he went up to it and said:

'Is this horse for sale? may I try it?' and, the merchants assenting, he
scrambled up on its back, dug in his heels, and off they flew. Now Moti
had never been on a horse in his life, and had so much ado to hold on
with both hands as well as with both legs that the animal went just
where it liked, and very soon broke into a break-neck gallop and made
straight back to the serai where it had spent the last few nights.

'This will do very well,' thought Moti as they whirled in at the
entrance. As soon as the horse had arrived at its table it stopped of
its own accord and Moti immediately rolled off; but he jumped up at
once, tied the beast up, and called for some breakfast. Presently the
Afghans appeared, out of breath and furious, and claimed the horse.

'What do you mean?' cried Moti, with his mouth full of rice, 'it's my
horse; I paid you fifty pieces of silver for it--quite a bargain, I'm
sure!'

'Nonsense! it is our horse,' answered one of the Afghans beginning to
untie the bridle.

'Leave off,' shouted Moti, seizing his staff; 'if you don't let my horse
alone I'll crack your skulls! you thieves! I know you! Last night you
took my money, so to-day I took your horse; that's fair enough!'

Now the Afghans began to look a little uncomfortable, but Moti seemed so
determined to keep the horse that they resolved to appeal to the law, so
they went off and laid a complaint before the k