t, Mariano busied himself in making the useful
preparations. He wound the rope tightly round his waist, and covered it
with a thin scarf such as was commonly worn by the Moors. He also
trimmed and prepared a small lantern.

"Now," said Bacri, looking at his watch, "you may go. But, stay--not in
the direction of our usual passage. You could not move ten yards from
my door to-night without being intercepted. Follow me; I have long been
prepared for emergencies such as this."

"Good-night, Angela," said Mariano, extending his hand, as he prepared
to follow the Jew.

"Oh, be careful," said Angela earnestly. "From the little I have heard
it seems that there is much danger impending."

"What I can do to avert it shall be done," replied the youth, kissing
his hand to the girl as he passed through the doorway and followed his
master to the terrace-roof of the house.

We have said that Algerine roofs are flat, but they are by no means
regular. There are often various elevations on the same roof, and
various forms, as if the architect had terminated the summits of the
several walls and partitions at the dictates of a wayward fancy rather
than a settled plan. In some cases a step--in others a flight of
steps--formed the communication between one part of a roof and another,
while division-walls varying from a foot to two yards in height, cut it
up into irregular squares and triangles. Such roofs are eminently
fitted for the game of "hide and go seek," to which, doubtless, they
have been applied more or less since the days of Abraham.

Issuing on the terrace of his house, then, Bacri pointed out to Mariano,
by the light of the moon, which was slowly descending to its bed in the
Sahel hills, that the roof of his neighbour's house could be easily
reached by a single step.

"You will cross over this roof," he said, taking a ring from his finger
and placing it on that of his slave, "and be sure that you tread with
care until you come to the other edge of it, where you will be able to
place yourself in the shadow of a chimney until a cloud covers the moon.
My neighbour is not a friend, therefore tread like a cat. Attend well
to my directions now, and obey them implicitly. You require no arms.
Whatever happens to you, offer no resistance, as that will only ensure
death. When the moon is clouded leap to the next roof, which you may
see now in line with yonder minaret. There is about six feet between
the two--which is n