THE FORTY THIEVES 229

and buy nineteen mules, with thirty-eight large
leather jars, one full of oil, and the others empty.

In two or three days’ time the robbers had
purchased the mules and jars, and, as the mouths
of the jars were rather too narrow for his. pur-
pose, the captain caused them to be widened ;
and after having put one of his men into each,
with the weapons which he thought fit, leaving
open the seam which had been undone to leave
them room to breathe, he rubbed the jars on the
outside with oil from the full vessel.

Things being thus prepared, when the nineteen
mules were loaded with thirty-seven robbers in
jars, and the jar of oil, the captain, as their
driver, set out with them, and reached the town
by the dusk of evening, as he had intended.
He led them through the streets till he came to
Ali Baba’s, at whose door he designed to. have
knocked, but was prevented by his sitting there
after supper to take a little fresh air. He
stopped his mules, addressed himself to him, and
said, “I have brought some oil a great way, to
sell at to-morrow’s market; and it is now so
late that I do not know where to lodge. If I
should not be troublesome to you, do me the
favour to let me pass the night with you, and I
shall be very much obliged by your hospitality.”