till
she had seen through the window that opened on the yard whatever might
happen there.

It was not long before the captain of the robbers got up, and, seeing
that all was dark and quiet, gave the appointed signal by throwing
little stones, some of which hit the jars, as he doubted not by the
sound they gave. As there was no response, he threw stones a second
and a third time, and could not imagine why there was no answer to his
signal.

Much alarmed, he went softly down into the yard, and, going to the
first jar to ask the robber if he was ready, smelt the hot boiled oil,
which sent forth a steam out of the jar. From this he suspected that
his plot was found out, and, looking into the jars one by one, he
found that all his gang were dead. Enraged to despair, he forced the
lock of a door that led from the yard to the garden, and made his
escape. When Morgiana saw him go, she went to bed, well pleased that
she had saved her master and his family.

Ali Baba rose before day, and went to the baths without knowing what
had happened in the night. When he returned he was very much surprised
to see the oil jars in the yard and the mules in the stable.

"God preserve you and all your family," said Morgiana when she was
asked what it meant; "you will know better when you have seen what I
have to show you."

So saying she led him to the first jar, and asked him to see if there
was any oil. When he saw a man instead, he started back in alarm.

"Do not be afraid," said Morgiana; "he can do neither you nor anybody
else the least harm. He is dead. Now look into all the other jars."

Ali Baba was more and more amazed as he went on, and saw all the dead
men and the sunken oil jar at the end. He stood looking from the jars
to Morgiana, till he found words to ask, "And what is become of the
merchant?"

"Merchant!" answered she; "he is as much one as I am."

Then she led him into the house, and told of all that she had done,
from the first noticing of the chalkmark to the death of the robbers
and the flight of their captain. On hearing of these brave deeds from
Morgiana's own lips, Ali Baba said to her,--

"God, by your means, has delivered me from death. For the first token
of what I owe you, I give you your liberty from this moment till I can
fully reward you as I intend."

Near the trees at the end of Ali Baba's long garden, he and Abdalla
dug a trench large enough to hold the bodies of the robbers. When they
were burie