Page:Ali Baba, or, The forty thieves (4).pdf/12

12 evening; and that the captain and the robber who had discovered the house, were to go there first, to find out to whom it belonged, Accordingly, being arrived in the street, and having a lantern with them, they began to examine the doors, and found, to their con- fusion and astonishment, that ten doors were marked exactly alike. The robber who was the captains guide could not say one word in explanation of his mystery ; and when the disappointed troop got back to the forest, his enraged companions or- dered him to be put to death. Another now offered himself upon the same conditions as the former; and having bribed Mustapha, and discovered the house he made a mark with dark red chalk upon the door, in a part that was not in the least conspicuous: and carefully examined the surrounding doors, to be certain that no such mark was upon any one of them. But nothing could escape the prying eyes of Morgiana : scarcely had the robbers de parted when she discovered the red mark; and getting some red chalk, she marked seven doors on each side precisely in the same place, and in the same manner. The robber, valuing himself highly upon 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