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 mean time, the robber rejoined his troop in the forest, and
recounted to them his success; expatiating upon his good fortune, in
meeting so soon with the only person who could inform him of what he
wanted to know. 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, without its appearing who we are; 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 mean time, 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 speech and plan was approved of by all, and they were soon ready.
They filed off in parties of two each, after some interval of time, 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 the first of the houses which Morgiana
had marked, he pointed it out. But the captain observed that the next
door was chalked in the same manner and in the same place; and showing
it to his guide, asked him which house it was, that, or the first. The
guide was so confounded, that he knew not what answer to make; but still
more puzzled, when he and the captain saw five or six houses similarly
marked. He