418 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.

lost their labour, and that now nothing remained but to return
‘to their place of retreat.

When the troop had reassembled in the forest, the conductor
was unanimously declared deserving of death ; he presented his
head with firmness to him who advanced to sever it from his
body.

Another robber, who flattered himself with hopes of better
success than he who had just been punished, now presented
himself, and requested to be sent on the mission. It was
granted him. He went to the city, corrupted Baba Mustapha
by the same artifice that the first had used, and he lead him to
the house of Ali Baba with his eyes bound.

The thief marked it with red in a place where it would be less
discernible, thinking that would be a sure method of distinguish-
ing it from those that were marked with white. Buta short time
after, Morgiana went out as on the preceding day, and on her
return the red mark did not escape her piercing eye. She
reasoned as before, and did not fail to make a similar red mark
on the neighbouring doors.

The thief returned to his companions in the forest and they
repaired to the city in the same order, and with as much care as
before. The captain and the robber went immediately to the
street where Ali Baba resided ; but the same difficulty occurred
as on the former occasion. The captain was irritated, and the
thief in as great a consternation as he who had preceded him in
the same business.

Thus was the captain obliged to return again on that day with
his comrades as little satisfied with his expedition as he had been
on the preceding one. The robber who was the author of the
disappointment underwent the punishment to which he had
before voluntarily submitted himself.

The captain now undertook the business himself: he went to
the city, and with the assistance of Baba Mustapha, he found
the house of Ali Baba, but not choosing to amuse himself in
making marks on it, which had hitherto proved so fallacious,
he examined it so thoroughly that at last he was certain he could
not mistake it.

The captain, satisfied of having obtained the object of his
journey, returned to the forest to the robbers. “ Comrades,”
said he, addressing them, “ nothing now can prevent our taking