and without shutting his shop, where he had nothing valuable to
lose, he led the robber to the place where Morgiana had bound his eyes.
"It was here," said Baba Mustapha, "I was blindfolded; and I turned as
you see me." The robber, who had his handkerchief ready, tied it over
his eyes, walked by him till he stopped, partly leading, and partly
guided by him. "I think," said Baba Mustapha, "I went no farther," and
he had now stopped directly at Cassim's house, where Ali Baba then
lived. The thief, before he pulled off the band, marked the door with a
piece of chalk, which he had ready in his hand; and then asked him if he
knew whose house that was; to which Baba Mustapha replied, that as he
did not live in that neighbourhood he could not tell. The robber,
finding he could discover no more from Baba Mustapha, thanked him for
the trouble he had taken, and left him to go back to his stall, while he
returned to the forest, persuaded that he should be very well received.
A little after the robber and Baba Mustapha had parted, Morgiana went
out of Ali Baba's house upon some errand, and upon her return, seeing
the mark the robber had made, stopped to observe it. "What can be the
meaning of this mark?" said she to herself. "Somebody intends my master
no good: however, with whatever intention it was done, it is advisable
to guard against the worst." Accordingly, she fetched a piece of chalk,
and marked two or three doors on each side in the same manner, without
saying a word to her master or mistress.

In the meantime the thief rejoined his troop in the forest, and
recounted to them his success. All the robbers listened to him with the
utmost satisfaction; when the captain, after commending his diligence,
addressing himself to them all, said: "Comrades, we have no time to
lose: let us set off well armed; but that we may not excite any
suspicion, let only one or two go into the town together, and join at
our rendezvous, which shall be the great square. In the meantime, our
comrade who brought us the good news, and I, will go and find out the
house, that we may consult what had best be done."

This plan was approved of by all, and they were soon ready. They filed
off in parties of two each, and got into the town without being in the
least suspected. The captain, and he who had visited the town in the
morning as spy, came in the last. He led the captain into the street
where he had marked Ali Baba's residence; and when they came to