out,
and I will be with you in a trice." He returned to the house,
and Morgiana led him to his chamber. She then told Abdallah, her
fellow-slave, to set on the pot to make some broth for her master, who
had gone to bed. Meanwhile her lamp went out, and she had no more oil in
the house. "Do not be uneasy," said Abdallah; "go into the yard and take
some out of one of those jars." Morgiana thanked him for his advice,
took the oil pot, and went into the yard. When she came to the first jar
the robber inside said softly: "Is it time?"

Any other slave but Morgiana, on finding a man in the jar instead of the
oil she wanted, would have screamed and made a noise; but she, knowing
the danger her master was in, bethought herself of a plan, and answered
quietly: "Not yet, but presently." She went to all the jars, giving
the same answer, till she came to the jar of oil. She now saw that her
master, thinking to entertain an oil merchant, had let thirty-eight
robbers into his house. She filled her oil pot, went back to the
kitchen, and, having lit her lamp, went again to the oil jar and filled
a large kettle full of oil. When it boiled she went and poured enough
oil into every jar to stifle and kill the robber inside. When this brave
deed was done she went back to the kitchen, put out the fire and the
lamp, and waited to see what would happen.

In a quarter of an hour the Captain of the robbers awoke, got up,
and opened the window. As all seemed quiet, he threw down some little
pebbles which hit the jars. He listened, and as none of his men seemed
to stir he grew uneasy, and went down into the yard. On going to the
first jar and saying, "Are you asleep?" he smelt the hot boiled oil, and
knew at once that his plot to murder Ali Baba and his household had been
discovered. He found all the gang was dead, and, missing the oil out of
the last jar, became aware of the manner of their death. He then forced
the lock of a door leading into a garden, and climbing over several
walls made his escape. Morgiana heard and saw all this, and, rejoicing
at her success, went to bed and fell asleep.

At daybreak Ali Baba arose, and, seeing the oil jars still there, asked
why the merchant had not gone with his mules. Morgiana bade him look
in the first jar and see if there was any oil. Seeing a man, he started
back in terror. "Have no fear," said Morgiana; "the man cannot harm
you: he is dead." Ali Baba, when he had recovered somewhat from his
astoni