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32 - Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley · Mark of Zorro

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Close quarters over the hills peeped the moon signor Czaro
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  Speaker 1: would have had the sky heavy with clouds this night
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  Speaker 1: and the moon obscured, could he have had things his
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  Speaker 1: own way? For now he was riding along the upper trail,
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  Speaker 1: and his pursuers were close behind and could see him
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  Speaker 1: against the brightening sky. The horses ridden by the troopers
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  Speaker 1: were fresh, too, and the most of those belonging to
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  Speaker 1: the men of His Excellency's escort were magnificent beasts, as
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  Speaker 1: swift as any in the country, and able to endure
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  Speaker 1: many miles of travel at a terrific pace. But now
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  Speaker 1: the highwaymen thought only of getting all the speed possible
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  Speaker 1: out of his own mount, and of making as great
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  Speaker 1: as he could the distance between himself and those who followed,
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  Speaker 1: for at the end of his journey he would need
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  Speaker 1: quite a little time if he was to accomplish what
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  Speaker 1: he had set out to do. He bent low over
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  Speaker 1: the Senorita and felt his horse with the reins, making
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  Speaker 1: himself almost a part of the animal. He rode as
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  Speaker 1: any good horseman can. He reached the crest of another
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  Speaker 1: hill and glanced back before he began the descent into
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  Speaker 1: the valley. He could see the foremost of his pursuers.
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  Speaker 1: Had Senor Tzorro been alone, no doubt the situation would
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  Speaker 1: have caused him no uneasiness. For many times he had
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  Speaker 1: been in a position more difficult and had escaped. But
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  Speaker 1: the Senorita was on the saddle before him now, and
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  Speaker 1: he wanted to get her to a place of safety,
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  Speaker 1: not only because she was the Senorita and the woman
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  Speaker 1: he loved, but also because he was not the sort
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  Speaker 1: of man to let a prisoner he had rescued be recaptured.
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  Speaker 1: Such an event, he felt would be a reflection on
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  Speaker 1: his skill and daring. Mile after mile he rode the Senorita,
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  Speaker 1: clinging to him and neither speaking a word. Senor Tzorro
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  Speaker 1: knew that he had gained some on those who followed,
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  Speaker 1: but not enough to suit his purpose. Now he urged
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  Speaker 1: his horse to greater effort, and they flew along the
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  Speaker 1: dusty highway, past haciendas where the hounds barked in sudden alarm,
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  Speaker 1: past the huts of natives, where the clamor of beating
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  Speaker 1: hoofs on the hard road caused bronze men and women
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  Speaker 1: to tumble from their bunks and rush to their doors.
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  Speaker 1: Once He charged through a flock of sheep that was
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  Speaker 1: being driven to Reini de Los Angeles and the market there,
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  Speaker 1: and scattered them to either side of the road, leaving
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  Speaker 1: cursing herders behind him. The herders gathered the flock again,
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  Speaker 1: just in time to have the pursuing soldiers scatter it
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  Speaker 1: once more. On and on he rode until he could
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  Speaker 1: see far ahead the mission buildings at San Gabriel glistening
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  Speaker 1: in the moonlight. He came to a fork in the
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  Speaker 1: road and took the trail that ran to the right
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  Speaker 1: toward the hacienda of Frey Filippe. Signor Zorro was a
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  Speaker 1: reader of men, and he was trusting to his judgment tonight.
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  Speaker 1: He had known that the Senorita Lolita have to be
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  Speaker 1: left either where there were women elsewhere there was a
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  Speaker 1: robed Franciscan to stand guard over her. For Senorzarro was
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  Speaker 1: determined to protect his lady's good name, and so he
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  Speaker 1: was pinning his faith to old Fray Felipe. Now the
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  Speaker 1: horse was galloping over softer ground and was not making
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  Speaker 1: such good speed. Senorzaro had little hope that the troopers
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  Speaker 1: would turn into the San Gabriel road when they arrived
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  Speaker 1: at the fork, as they might have done had it
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  Speaker 1: not been moonlight, and they had been unable to catch sight.
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  Speaker 1: Now and then of the man they pursued. He was
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  Speaker 1: within a mile of Frey Felippes Hacienda. Now and once
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  Speaker 1: more he gave his horse the spurs in an effort
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  Speaker 1: to obtain greater speed. I shall have scant time, Senorita,
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  Speaker 1: he said, bending over her and speaking into her ear.
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  Speaker 1: Everything may depend upon whether I have been able to
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  Speaker 1: judge a man correctly. I ask only that you trust me.
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  Speaker 1: You know I do that, Signor, And you must trust
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  Speaker 1: the man to whom I am carrying you, Senorita, and
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  Speaker 1: listen well to his advice upon all matters concerned with
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  Speaker 1: his adventure. The man is afray, then everything will be well, Signor,
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  Speaker 1: she replied, clinging to him closely. If the saints are kind,
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  Speaker 1: we shall meet again soon, Senorita. I shall count the
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  Speaker 1: hours and deem each one of them an age. I
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  Speaker 1: believe there are happier days ahead for us. May Heaven
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  Speaker 1: grant it. The girl breathed. Where there is love, there
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  Speaker 1: may be hopes, Senorita. Then my hope is great, Signor,
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  Speaker 1: and mine, he said. He turned his horse into Fray
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  Speaker 1: Philippe's driveway now and dashed toward the house. His intention
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  Speaker 1: was to stop only long enough to leave the girl,
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  Speaker 1: hoping that Fray Felipe would afford her protection, and then
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  Speaker 1: ride on, making considerable noise and drawing the troopers after him.
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  Speaker 1: He wanted them to think that he was merely taking
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  Speaker 1: a short cut across Fray Felipe's land to the other road,
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  Speaker 1: and that he had not stopped at the house. He
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  Speaker 1: reined in his horse before the veranda steps, sprang to
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  Speaker 1: the ground, and lifted the Signorita from the saddle. Hurrying
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  Speaker 1: with her to the door. He beat against it with
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  Speaker 1: his fist, praying that Fray Filipe was a light sleeper
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  Speaker 1: and easily aroused. From the far distance. There came a
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  Speaker 1: low drumming sound that he knew was made by the
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  Speaker 1: hoofs of his pursuer's horses. It seemed to Senorzorro that
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  Speaker 1: it was an age before the old Fray threw open
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  Speaker 1: the door and stood framed in it, holding a candle
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  Speaker 1: in one hand. The highwayman stepped in swiftly and closed
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  Speaker 1: the door behind him so no light would show outside.
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  Speaker 1: Fray Filippe had taken a step backward in astonishment. When
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  Speaker 1: he beheld the masked man and the Senorita. He escorted,
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  Speaker 1: I am Senor Zorro. Fray, the highwayman said, speaking swiftly
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  Speaker 1: and in low tones. Perhaps you may feel that you
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  Speaker 1: owe a small debt for certain things, for punishing those
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  Speaker 1: who oppressed and mistreatd me. I owe you a large debt, Caballearro,
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  Speaker 1: though it is against my principles to countenance violence of
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  Speaker 1: any sort. Fray Felipe replied, I was sure that I
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  Speaker 1: had made no mistake in reading your character. Senor Zara
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  Speaker 1: went on this, Senorita is Lolita, the only daughter of
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  Speaker 1: Don Carlos Pulido. Huh. Don Carlos has a friend of
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  Speaker 1: the frailis, as you well know, and has known depression
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  Speaker 1: and persecution the same as they. To day, the governor
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  Speaker 1: came to Reina, to Los Angeles and had Don Carlos
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  Speaker 1: arrested and thrown into the carcel on a charge that
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  Speaker 1: has no true worth. As I happen to know, he
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  Speaker 1: also had the Dona Catalina and this young lady put
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  Speaker 1: in Carcel. In the same prison room with drunkards and
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  Speaker 1: dissolute women. With the aid of some good friends, I
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  Speaker 1: rescued them. May the Saints bless you, Signor with that
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  Speaker 1: kind action, Fray Filippe cried, troopers are pursuing us. Fray,
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  Speaker 1: it is not seemly, of course, that the Signorita ride
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  Speaker 1: farther with me alone. Do you take her and hide her, Fray,
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  Speaker 1: unless you fear that such a course may cause you
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  Speaker 1: grave trouble. Signor Fray Felipe thundered. If the soldiers take her,
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  Speaker 1: they will put her in carcel again, and probably she
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  Speaker 1: will be mistreated. Care for her, then, protect her, and
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  Speaker 1: you will more than discharge any obligation you may feel
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  Speaker 1: that you owe me, and you, Signor, I shall ride
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  Speaker 1: on that the troopers may pursue me and not stop
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  Speaker 1: here at your house. I shall communicate with you later, Fray.
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  Speaker 1: It is agreed between us. It is agreed, Fray. Felipe
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  Speaker 1: replied solemnly, and I would clasp you by the hen
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  Speaker 1: signor that hand class was short, yet full of expression
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  Speaker 1: for all that. Senor Zuro then whirled toward the door.
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  Speaker 1: Blow out your candle, he directed, They must see no light.
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  Speaker 1: When I opened the door in an instant, Fray Felippe
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  Speaker 1: had complied, and they were in darkness. Senorita Lolita felt
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  Speaker 1: Senor Tzarro's lips press against her own for an instant
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  Speaker 1: and knew that he had raised the bottom of his
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  Speaker 1: mask to give her this caress. And then she felt
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  Speaker 1: one of Fray Felipe's strong arms around her. Be of
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  Speaker 1: good courage, daughter the phray, said Senor Zorro, it appears
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  Speaker 1: has as many lives as a cat, and something tells
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  Speaker 1: me he was not born to be slain by troopers
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  Speaker 1: of his excellency. The highwayman laughed lightly at that, opened
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  Speaker 1: the door and darted through, closed it softly behind him,
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  Speaker 1: and so was gone. Great eucalyptus trees shrouded the front
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  Speaker 1: of the house and shadows, and in the midst of
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  Speaker 1: these shadows was Senor Zorro's horse. He noticed, as he
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  Speaker 1: ran toward the beast that the soldiers were galloping down
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  Speaker 1: the driveway, that they were were much nearer than he
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  Speaker 1: had expected to find them. When he emerged from the house.
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  Speaker 1: He ran quickly toward his mount, tripped on a stone
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  Speaker 1: and fell, and frightened the animal, so that it reared
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  Speaker 1: and darted half a dozen paces away, and into the
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  Speaker 1: full moonlight. The foremost of his pursuers shouted when he
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  Speaker 1: saw the horse and dashed toward it. Senorzarro picked himself up,
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  Speaker 1: gave a quick spring, caught the reins from the ground,
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  Speaker 1: and vaulted into the saddle. But they were upon him,
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  Speaker 1: now surrounding him, their blades flashing in the moonlight. He
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  Speaker 1: heard the raucous voice of Sergeant Gonzalez, ordering the men alive.
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  Speaker 1: If you can, soldiers, his excellency would see the rogue
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  Speaker 1: suffer for his crimes. Add him, troopers buy the saints.
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  Speaker 1: Senor Zorro parried a stroke with difficulty and found himself
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  Speaker 1: unhorsed on foot. He fought his way back into the shadows,
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  Speaker 1: and the troopers charged after him. With his back to
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  Speaker 1: the bowl of a tree, Senorzoro fought them off. Three
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  Speaker 1: sprang from their saddles to rush in at him. He
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  Speaker 1: darted from the tree to another, but could not reach
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  Speaker 1: his horse. But one belonging to a dismounted trooper was
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  Speaker 1: near him, and he vaulted into the saddle and dashed
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  Speaker 1: down the slope toward the barnes and corral after the rogue.
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  Speaker 1: He heard Sergeant Gonzales, shouting, He's excellency will have us
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  Speaker 1: fleet alive if this pretty highwayman escapes us. Now. They
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  Speaker 1: charged after him, eager to win promotion and the reward,
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  Speaker 1: but Senor Zarro had some sort of a start of them,
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  Speaker 1: enough to enable him to play a trick. As he
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  Speaker 1: came into the shadow cast by a big barn, he
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  Speaker 1: slipped from the saddle at the same time giving the
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  Speaker 1: horse he rode a cut with his rowels. The animal
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  Speaker 1: plunged ahead, snorting with pain and fright, running swiftly through
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  Speaker 1: the darkness toward the corral below. The soldiers dashed by
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  Speaker 1: in pursuit. Senorzarro waited until they were passed, and then
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  Speaker 1: he ran rapidly up the hill again. But he saw
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  Speaker 1: that some of the troopers had remained behind to guard
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  Speaker 1: the house, evidently with the intention of searching it later,
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  Speaker 1: And so he found he could not reach his horse,
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  Speaker 1: and once more there rang out that peculiar cry, half
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  Speaker 1: shriek and half moan with which Senorzaro had startled those
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  Speaker 1: at the Hacienda of Don Carlos Pullito. His horse raised
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  Speaker 1: its head, whinnied once in answer to his call, and
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  Speaker 1: galloped toward him. Senorzarro was in the saddle in an instant,
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  Speaker 1: spurring across a field directly in front of him. His
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  Speaker 1: horse went over a stone fence as if it had
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  Speaker 1: not been in the way, and after him speedily came
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  Speaker 1: a part of the troopers. They had discovered the trick
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  Speaker 1: he had used. They charged him from both sides, met
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  Speaker 1: behind him, followed and strained to cut down his lead.
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  Speaker 1: He could hear Sergeant Pedro Gonzalez shouting lustily for them
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  Speaker 1: to make a capture in the name of the governor.
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  Speaker 1: He hoped that he had drawn them all away from
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  Speaker 1: Frey Felipes house, but he was not sure, and the
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  Speaker 1: thing that demanded his attention the most now was the
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  Speaker 1: matter of his own escape. He urged his horse cruelly,
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  Speaker 1: knowing that this journey across plowed ground was taking the
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  Speaker 1: animal's strength. He longed for a hard trail the broad highway,
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  Speaker 1: and finally he reached the ladder. Now he turned his
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  Speaker 1: horse's head toward Rayena de Los Angeles, for he had
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  Speaker 1: work to do there. There was no Senorita before him
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  Speaker 1: on the saddle now, and the horse felt the difference.
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  Speaker 1: Senor Zuro glanced behind and exulted to find that he
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  Speaker 1: was running away from the soldiers over the next hill,
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  Speaker 1: and he would be able to elude them. But he
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  Speaker 1: had to be on guard, of course, for there might
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  Speaker 1: be troopers in front of him too. His Excellency might
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  Speaker 1: have sent reinforcements to Sergeant Gonzales, or might have been
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  Speaker 1: watching from the tops of the hills. He glanced at
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  Speaker 1: the sky and saw that the moon was about to
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  Speaker 1: disappear behind a bank of clouds. He would have to
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  Speaker 1: make use of the short period of darkness he knew.
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: Down into the little valley, he rode and looked back
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  Speaker 1: to see that his pursuers were only at the crest
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  Speaker 1: of the hill. Then came the darkness, and at the
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  Speaker 1: proper time. Senor Czarro had a lead of half a
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  Speaker 1: mile on the pursuing soldiers now, but it was not
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  Speaker 1: his intention to allow them to chase him into the pueblo.
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  Speaker 1: He had friends in this locality. Beside the highway was
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  Speaker 1: an adobe hut where there lived a native. Senor Zarro
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  Speaker 1: had saved from a beating. Now he dismounted before the
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  Speaker 1: hut and kicked against the door. The frightened native opened it.
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  Speaker 1: I am pursued, Senor Czarro said that appeared to be
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  Speaker 1: all that was necessary for the native. Immediately through the
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  Speaker 1: door of the hut open wider. Senor Tzarro led his
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  Speaker 1: horse inside, almost filling the crude building, and the door
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  Speaker 1: was hastily shut again. Behind it, the highwayman and the
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  Speaker 1: natives stood listening, the former with pistol in one hand
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  Speaker 1: and its naked blade in the other. End of Chapter