Page:Ali Baba, or, The forty thieves (2).pdf/13

 13                    the precautions he had taken, triumphantly conducted his captain to the spot, but great indeed was his confusion and dismay, when he found it impossible to say which, among fifteen houses marked exactly alike, was the right one. The captain furious with his disappointment, returned again with the troop to the forest; and the second robber was also condemned to death. The captain having thus lost two of his troop, judged that their hands were more active than their heads in such service; and he resolved to employ no other of them, but to go himself upon the business. Accordingly he repaired to the city, and addressed himself to the cobbler Mustapha, who for six pieces of gold readily performed the same service for him as he had done for the two other strangers, and the captain much wiser than his men, did not amuse himself with setting a mark upon the door, but attentively considered the house, counted the number of its windows, and passed by it                    very often to be certain that he should know it again. He then returned to the forest and ordered his troop to go into the town, and buy nine- teen mules and thirty-eight large jars, one full of oil and the rest empty. In two or three days the jars were brought and all things in readiness, and the captain