came to the first of the houses which Morgiana had marked, he
pointed it out. But the captain observed that the next door was
chalked in the same manner, and in the same place; and showing it
to his guide, asked him which house it was, that, or the first.
The guide was so confounded that he knew not what answer to make,
but still more puzzled when he and the captain saw five or six
houses similarly marked. He assured the captain, with an oath,
that he had marked but one, and could not tell who had chalked the
rest, so that he could not distinguish the house which the cobbler
had stopped at.

The captain, finding that their design had proved abortive, went
directly to the place of rendezvous, and told his troop that they
had lost their labor, and must return to their cave. He himself
set them the example, and they all returned as they had come.

When the troop was all got together, the captain told them the
reason of their returning; and presently the conductor was
declared by all worthy of death. He condemned himself, acknowledging
that he ought to have taken better precaution, and prepared
to receive the stroke from him who was appointed to cut off
his head. But as the safety of the troop required the discovery
of the second intruder into the cave, another of the gang,
who promised himself that he should succeed better, presented
himself, and his offer being accepted, he went and corrupted
Baba Mustapha, as the other had done; and, being shown the
house, marked it in a place more remote from sight with red chalk.

Not long after, Morgiana, whose eyes nothing could escape, went
out, and seeing the red chalk, and arguing with herself as she had