AliBabaandtheFortyThieves(parttwo)阿里巴巴與四十大盜

Meanwhile,therobbershadagainvisitedtheircave;andfindingthatthebodyhadbeenremoved,sawthatsomebodyknewtheirsecret,andresolvednottoresttilltheyfoundoutwhoitwas.Oneofthemproposedtogointothetowntoseeifhecouldfindaclue,andthecaptainallowedhimtodoso.Hefellin,byaccident,witholdMustapha,whotoldhimofhowhehadbeenhiredtosewupadeadbody.Therobberatoncefeltthathewasonthetrackoftheonehewaslookingfor,soheofferedtheoldmanalargepieceofgoldtoshowhimthehousewherehehaddonethesewing.Mustaphaexplainedthathiseyeshadbeencoveredontheway,buttherobberthoughtthatifhewereagainblindfoldedhemightremembertheturnshehadmade,andsofindtheplace.Theytriedthisplan.Mustaphawalkedonandatlaststoppedbeforeahousewhichwas,indeed,AliBaba”s.Therobbermarkedthedoorwithchalk,andreturnedtohiscomrades.

Shortlyafter,Morgianacameoutofthehouseandsawthemark,andthinkingitmightmeanmischief,shemarkedtwoorthreedoorsoneachsideinthesameway.

Therobber,inthemeantime,hadreportedhissuccess,andthecaptainorderedalltogointothetown,separately,andmeettogetheratacertainplace,wherehewouldjointhem.Hetooktherobberwhohadfoundthehouse,andwentwithhimtolookatit,andseewhathadbestbedone.TherobberledhimintothestreetwhereAliBabalived,andwhentheycametooneofthedoorswhichMorgianahadmarked,hepointedtoit,butthecaptainnoticedthatthenexthousewasmarkedinthesameway,andonlookingfurtherfoundfiveorsixmore.Hesawthattheywerefoiled,andorderedhismentoreturntotheforest.Whentheygotthere,theyputtodeaththerobberwhotheythoughthaddeceivedthem--afatewhichheadmittedhedeservedfornottakingmorepains.

Anotherofthetroopthensaidhewouldtrythetask.HewentandengagedMustaphatoleadhimashehadthefirstone,andwhenhestoppedatthehouse,heputamarkwithredchalk,inaplacewherehethoughtitwouldnotbeseen.

ButitdidnotescapetheeyesofMorgiana,andshemarkedtheotherhousesinthesameplaceandmanner.

Therobberswenttothetownasbefore,butwhenthecaptainandtherobbercametothestreettheyfoundthattheywerebaffledagain.Soallreturned,andthesecondrobberwasputtodeathforhisfailureasthefirsthadbeen.

Thenthecaptainwenthimself,andgotMustaphatoconducthiminthesamewayhehadtheothers;buthedidnotputanymarkonthehouse.Instead,helookedatitsocarefullythathewouldknowitwhenhesawitagain.Hethensenthismentobuynineteenmulesandthirty-eightleatheroil-jars,onefullofoilandtherestempty.Whentheyhadbroughtthemtothecave,heputamanineachoftheemptyjars,andloadedallthejarsonthemules,andsetoutforthetownsoastoreachitaboutdark.

HeledhismulesthroughthestreetstillhereachedthehouseofAliBaba,towhomheappliedforlodging;sayingthathewasanoilmerchantwhohadjustarrived,andcouldnotfindaplacetostay.AliBabawashospitableandallowedhimtodrivehismulesintohisyard,whereheunloadedthem,andsetthejarsinrows,whisperingtohismenthatwhentheyshouldhearhimthrowastoneoutofthewindow,theymustcomeoutofthejars,andhewouldjointhem.Hethenwentintothehouseandwasshowntoaroom.

NowithappenedthatMorgiananeededsomeoil,andasitwastoolatetobuyany,shethoughtshewouldtakealittleoutofthejarsintheyard.Soshewentoutwithheroil-potanddrewnearoneofthejarstohelpherself,when,tohergreatsurprise,sheheardaman”svoicewithinitsay,softly,“Isittime?“Startledasshewas,shedidnotloseherpresenceofmind,butanswered,“Notyet,butpresently.“Shewentinthiswaytoallofthejars,answeringthesameuntilshecame,lastofall,tothejarofoil.

Sheatoncesawthedangertowhichhermasterwasexposed,andlaidaplantoavertit.Shefilledagreatkettlefromthejarofoil,andsetitonthefiretilltheoilwasboiling.Thenshetookitandpouredenoughintoeachjartokilltherobberinside.Afterthatshewentintothehouse;and,puttingoutherlight,watchedthroughawindowtoseewhatwouldhappen.

Shehadnotwaitedlongbeforethecaptain,hearingnoonestirring,openedhiswindowandbeganthrowingstonesatthejars.Butasnomovementfollowed,hebecamealarmedandstoledownintotheyard,wherehefoundthatallofhismenweredead.Fullofrageanddespair,heclimbedoverthewalloftheyardandmadehiswayofftothecave.

WhenMorgianasawhimgo,shewenttobedwellpleasedtohavesucceededinsavinghermasterandhisfamily.ThenextmorningshetoldAliBabaofwhatshehaddone,andheandoneofhisservantsdugatrenchinhisgardeninwhichtheyburiedtherobbers.

ThecaptainsoonlaidaplottoberevengedonAliBaba,whomhenowhatedworsethanever.Firstchanginghislooksasmuchashecould,hewenttothetownandrentedawarehouse,towhichhetookalotofsilksandotherstuffs,andsetupasamerchantunderthenameofCogiaHassan.

NowAliBaba”ssonwasamerchant,and,asithappened,hadhiswarehousenearthatofCogiaHassan;andasAliBabaoftenwentthere,thecaptainsoondiscoveredtheirrelationship.Sohesethimselftogetintothefriendshipoftheson,andsucceededsowellthathewassooninvitedtoAliBaba”shousetodine.

Hewent,andcarriedconcealed,adaggerwithwhichheintendedtokillAliBabaatthefirstchance.Atthetablehetooknosalt,foramongthePersians,eventhewickedestthinkitwrongtokillamanwhosesalttheyhaveeaten.Morgiana,whowasserving,noticedthis,anditcausedhertosuspecthim.Onlookingathimmoreclosely,shewassurethathewasthefalseoilmerchant.Shesawhispurpose,andthoughtofaboldschemetodefeatit,andrelievehermasterofallfurtherdangerfromhim.

Shewasafinedancer,andoftendancedbeforetheguestsofAliBaba;so,afterthemeal,asAliBabaandhissonandtheirguestsatsmoking,shecametogiveaperformance.Shecarriedatambourineinonehand,andintheotheradagger,which,indancing,shepointedplayfullyatthebreastofeachasthoughthatwerepartofthedance.Whenshewasthroughshewentfromonetoanotherwithhertambourine,accordingtothecustom,andAliBabaandhissoneach