Сердца трех / Hearts of three. Уровень 3

“Why will you risk your necks in a mad attempt like that?”

“You mean you doubt me?” Torres bristled. “Solanos are my oldest and most honored friends.”

Old Enrico began to speak.

“Senor Torres, you are indeed an old friend of the family. Your late father and I were comrades, almost brothers. But truly your plan is hopeless. To storm the jail is truly madness. Just look at the thickness of the walls.”

Torres briefly apologized and departed for San Antonio.

“What have you against Senor Torres? Why did you reject his plan and anger him?” Leoncia demanded of Francis.

“Nothing,” was the answer, “except that we do not need him. He is a fool and he will spoil any plan. And we just don’t need him. Now his plan is all right. We’ll go straight to the jail and take Henry out. And we don’t need to trust to rascals. Six men of us can do it.”

“There is a dozen guards at the jail,” Ricardo[38 - Ricardo – Риккардо], Leoncia’s youngest brother, a lad of eighteen, objected.

Leoncia frowned at him; but Francis said,

“That’s true,” he agreed. “But we will eliminate the guards.”

“The five-foot walls,” said Martinez Solano[39 - Martinez Solano – Мартинес Солано], twin brother to Alvarado[40 - Alvarado – Альварадо].

“That’s what I mean. Do you, Senor Solano, have plenty of saddle horses[41 - saddle horses – верховые лошади]? Good. And you, Alesandro[42 - Alesandro – Алесандро], can you bring me a couple of sticks of dynamite? Good.

And do you have some bottles of rye whiskey?”

Chapter V

It the mid-afternoon, Henry, at his barred cell-window, stared out into the street. The street was dusty and filthy. Next, he saw a light wagon. The wagon was drawn by a horse. In the seat a gray-headed, gray-bearded man strove vainly to check the horse[43 - to check the horse – сдержать лошадь].

Henry smiled. Just opposite the window, the old man made a last effort.

The driver fell backward into the seat. Then the wagon was a wreck. The gendarmes came out of the jail. The old man went hurriedly to the wagon and examined some cases, large and small. One of the gendarmes addressed him.

“Me? Alas senors, I am an old man, and far from home. I am Leopoldo Narvaez[44 - Leopoldo Narvaez – Леопольдо Нарваэс]. I have driven from Bocas del Toro. It has taken me five days. My home is in Colon.