Сердца трех / Hearts of three. Уровень 3

But tell me, is there Tomas Romero[45 - Tomas Romero – Томас Ромеро] in this city?”

“There are many Romeros in Panama,” laughed Pedro Zurita[46 - Pedro Zurita – Педро Зурита], the assistant jailer[47 - assistant jailer – помощник начальника тюрьмы]. Do you mean the rich Tomas Romero who owns many cattle on the hills?”

“Yes, senor, it must be he. I shall find him. If my precious goods can be safely stored, I shall seek him now.”

He took out from his pocket two silver pesos and handed them to the jailer.

“Careful, senors, careful,” the old man said, greatly anxious. “Handle it gently. It is fragile, most fragile. “

Then he added gratefully: “A thousand thanks, senors. Tomorrow I shall return, and take my goods. Good-bye, senors!”

In the guardroom, fifty feet away from Henry’s cell, the gendarmes were robbing Leopoldo Narvaez.

“Leave it alone, Pedro,” one of the gendarmes laughed at him.

The assistant jailer sighed, walked away and sat down, looked back at the box, and sighed again.

“Take the hatchet there and open the box,” he said. “Open the box, Ignacio[48 - Ignacio – Р?гнасио], we will look, we will only look. Then we will close the box again.”

“Whiskey! The old man was a fool,” laughed gendarmes. “That whiskey was his, all his, and he has never taken one little sip!”

In few minutes everybody was drunk.

“My prisoners,” he maundered. “I love them as brothers. Life is sad. My prisoners are my children. Behold! I weep. Let us share with them. Ignacio, carry a bottle of this elixir to the Gringo Morgan. He will drink and be happy today.”

Henry was crossing his big cell to the window when the heard a key in the door. Ignacio came in, completely drunk, bottle in hand, which he gravely presented to Henry.

“With the high compliments of our good jailer, Pedro Zurita,” he mumbled. “He says to drink and forget that he must hang you tomorrow.”

“Tell Senor Pedro Zurita to go to hell along with his whiskey,” Henry replied.

The gendarme suddenly become sober.

“Very well, senor,” he said, and locked the door.

In a rush Henry was at the window just in time to encounter Francis face to face.