Latest / Mark of Zorro / 37 - Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley

Transcript

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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The fox at bay. He darted to the window and
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: glanced out. The troopers were surrounding the building. He could
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: see the Governor stalking across the plaza, crying his orders.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Down the San Gabriel trail, came the proud Don Alejandro
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Vega to pay his visit to the Governor, and he
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: stopped at the plaza's edge and began questioning men regarding
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: the cause for the tumult. All are in it the death,
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Senor Tsorro said, laughing, I wonder where my brave caballeros
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: are those who rode with me. You expect their aid,
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: she asked, Not so, Senorita. They would have to stand
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: together and face the Governor, tell him their intentions. It
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: was a lark with them, and I doubt whether they
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: take it seriously enough to stand by me now. It
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: is not to be expected. I fight it out alone,
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: not alone, Signor. When I am by her side, he
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: clasped her in his arms, pressed her to him. I
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: would we might have our chance, he said, But it
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: would be folly for you to let my disaster influence
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: your life. You never have seen my face, even, Senorita,
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: you could forget me. You could walk from this place
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: and surrender. Send word to Don Diego Vega that you
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: will become his bride, and the Governor then would be
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: forced to release you and clear your parents of all blame. Ah, Signor, think, Senorita,
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: think what it would mean. His excellency would not dare
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: stand an instant against a Vega. Your parents would have
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: their lands restored. You would be the bride of the
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: richest young man in the country. You would have everything
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: to make you happy, everything except love, Signor, and without love,
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: the rest is as naught. Think, Senorita, and decide for once.
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: In all you have but a moment. Now I made
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: my decision long ago. Signore A Pulito loves, but once
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: does not wed where she cannot love Caa. He cried
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: and pressed her close again. Now there came a battering
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: at the door, Senor sorrow. Sergeant Gonzales cried, well, Signor
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: Zorro asked, I have an offer for you from his excellency,
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: the Governor. I am listening loud one. His excellency has
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: no wish to cause your death or injury to the
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: Senorita you have in sight with you. He asked that
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: you opened the door and come out with the lady.
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: To what end, Senorzorro asked, you shall be given a
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: fair trial, and the Signorita also thus you may escape
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: death and receive imprisonment instead. Huh, I have seen samples
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: of his Excellency's fair trials, Senorsarrow responded, think you I
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: am an imbecile. His Excellency bids me say that this
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: is the last chance that the offer will not be renewed.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: His Excellency is wise not to waste breath renewing it.
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: He grows fat and his breath is short. What can
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: you expect to gain by resistance save death? Gonzalez asked,
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: how can you hope to offstand a score and a
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: half of us? It has been done before, loud one,
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: we can batter in the door and take you, after
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: a few of you have been stretched lifeless on the floor.
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: Signor Tzarro observed, who will be the first through the
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: door by sergeant for the last time, Come in and
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: drink a mug of wine with me, said the highwayman, laughing,
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: meal marsh and goat's milk, swore Sergeant Gonzales. There was
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: quiet then for a time, and Signor Tzarro, glancing through
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: the window, cautiously so as not to attract a pistol shot.
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: Observed that the governor was in consultation with the sergeant
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: and certain of the troopers. The consultation ended, and Signor
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: Zaro darted back from the window. Almost immediately the attack
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: upon the door began. They were pounding at it with
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: heavy timbers, trying to smash it down. Senor Czarro, standing
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: in the middle of the room, pointed his pistol at
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: the door and fired, and as the ball tore through
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: the wood and somebody outside gave a shriek of pain,
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: he darted to the table and started loading the pistol again.
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: Then he hurried across to the door and observed the
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: hole where the bullet had gone through. The plank had
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: been split, and there was quite a crack in it.
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: Senor Zaro put the point of his blade at this
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: crack and waited again. The heavy timber crashed against the door,
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: and some trooper threw his weight against it. Also. Senorzio's
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: blade darted through the crack like a streak of lightning,
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: and came back red. And again there was a shriek outside,
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: and now a volley of pistol balls came through the door,
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: but Senor Zorro, laughing, had sprung back out of harm's way.
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: Well done, Signor Senorita, Lolita cried, we shall stamp our
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: mark on several of these hounds before we are done.
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: He replied, I would that I could aid you, Signor.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: You are doing it, Senorita. It is your love that
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: gives me my strength. If I could use a blade, ah, Senorita,
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: that is for a man to do. Do you pray
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: that all may be well? And at the last signor,
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: if it is seen that there is no hope, may
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: I then see your dear face. I swear it, Senorita,
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: and feel my arms about you, and my lips on yours.
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: Death will not be so bitter. Then the attack on
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: the door was renewed. Now pistol shots were coming through
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: it regularly, and through the one open window also, and
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: there was nothing for Signor Zoro to do except stand
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: in the middle of the room and wait, his blade
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: held ready. There would be a lively few minutes, he promised.
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: When the door was down and they rushed in at him,
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: it seemed to be giving way now. The Senorita crept
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: close to him, tears streaming down her cheeks and grasped
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: him by the arm. You will not forget, she asked.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: I'll not forget, Senorita. Just before they break down the door, Signor,
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: take me in your arms and let me see your
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: dear face and kiss me. Then I can die with
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: good grace too. You must live, not to be sent
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: to a foul carsel, Signor. And what would life be
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: without you? There is don Diego. I can think of
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: nobody but you, Signor. A polito will know how to die.
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: And perhaps my death will bring home to men the
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: perfidy of the Governor. Perhaps it may be of service. Again,
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: the heavy timber struck against the door. They could hear
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: his Excellency shouting encouragement to the troopers, could hear the
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: natives shrieking, and Sergeant Gonzales crying his orders in his
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: loud voice. Senor Tzarro hurried to the window again, chancing
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: a bullet, and glanced out. He saw that half a
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: dozen troopers had their blades ready, were prepared to rush
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: over the door. The moment it was down. They would
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: get him, but he would get some of them first. Again,
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: the ram against the door, It is almost the end. Signor,
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: the girl whispered, I know it, Senorita, I would we
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: had had better fortune. Yet I can die gladly since
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: this love has been in my life. Now signor your
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: face and lips. The door is crashing in. She ceased
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: to sob and lifted her face bravely. Senor Tzorro sighed,
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: and one hand fumbled with the bottom of his mask.
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: But suddenly there was a tumult outside in the plaza,
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: and the battering of the door ceased, and they could
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: hear loud voices that they had not heard before. Senor
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: Czarro let go of his mask and darted to the window.
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: End of chapter