Latest / Mark of Zorro / 38 - Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley

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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The men unmasked. Twenty three horsemen were galloping into the plaza.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: The beasts they rode were magnificent. Their saddles and bridles
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: were heavily chased with silver, Their cloaks were of the
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: finest materials, and they wore hats with plumes, as if
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: this was somewhat of a dress affair, and they wished
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: the world to know it. Each man sat straight and
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: proud in his saddle, his blade at his side, and
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: every blade had a jeweled hilt, being at once serviceable
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: and a rich ornament. They galloped along the face of
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: the tavern, between the door and the soldiers who had
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: been battering it, between the building and the governor and
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: assembled citizens. And there they turned and stood their horses
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: side by side, facing his excellency. Wait there is a
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: better way, their leader cried. Huh, screeched the Governor. I
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: understand here we have the young men of all the
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: noble families in the Southland. They have come to show
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: their loyalty by taking this curse of Capistrano. I thank you, Caballeros.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: Yet it is not my wish to have any of
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: you slain by this fellow. He is not worthy your blades. Senores,
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: do you ride to one side and lend the strength
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: of your presence and let my troopers deal with a
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: rogue again. I thank you for the show of loyalty,
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: for this demonstration that you stand for law and order
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: in all it means for constituted authority, peace. Their leader cried,
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: your excellency, we represent power in this section, do we
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: not you do? Caballeros, the governor said. Our families say
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: who shall rule, what laws shall be termed? Just do
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: they not? They have great influence. The governor said, you
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: would not care to stand alone against us? Most assuredly not,
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: his excellency cried, but I pray you let the troopers
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: get this fellow. It is not seemly that a caballero
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: should suffer wound or death from his blade. It is
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: to be regretted that you do not understand. Understand, queried
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: the governor in a questioning tone, glancing up and down
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: the line of mounted men. We have taken council with ourselves, Excellency.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: We know our strength and power, and we have decided
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: upon certain things. There have been things done that we
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: cannot countenance. The freelis of the missions have been despoiled
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: by officials. Natives have been treated worse than dogs. Even
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: men of noble blood have been robbed because they have
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: not been friendly to the ruling powers. Caballero, Peace, excellency,
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  Speaker 1: until I have done. This thing came to a crisis
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: when a Hidalgo and his wife and daughter were thrown
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: into a car cell by your orders. Such a thing
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: cannot be countenanced, excellency, And so we have banded ourselves together,
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: and here we take a hand. Be it known that
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: we ourselves rode with the Signor Tsarro when he invaded
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: the carsel and rescued the prisoners, that we carried Don
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: Carlos and the Dona Catalina to places of safety, and
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: that we have pledged our words and honors and blades
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: that they may not be persecuted. More, I would say
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: silence until I have done. We stand together, and the
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: strength of our united families is behind us. Call upon
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  Speaker 1: your soldiers to attack us. If you dare, every man
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: of noble blood up and down the length of El
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: Camino Real would flock to our defense, would unseat you
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: from your office, would see you humbled. We await your answer, Excellency,
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: What what would you, his excellency gasped first, proper consideration
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: for Don Carlos Pulito and his family. No carcel for them.
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: If you have the courage to try them for treason,
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: be sure that we will be on hand at the
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: trial and deal with any man who gives perjured testimony,
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: and with any magistrato who does not conduct himself properly.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: We are determined, Excellency. Perhaps I was hasty in the matter,
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: but I was led to believe certain things. The governor said,
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: I grant you your wish. One side. Now, Caballero's where
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: my men get at this rogue in the tavern. We
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: are not done. Their leader said, we have things to
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: say regarding this signor Zorro. What has he done, actually, Excellency,
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  Speaker 1: is he guilty of any treason? He has robbed no
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: man except those who rob the defenseless first. He has
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: whipped a few unjust persons. He has taken sides with
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: the persecuted, for which we honor him. To do such
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: a thing. He took his life in his own hands.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: He successfully evaded your soldiers. He resented insults, as any
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: man has the right to do. What would you a
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: complete pardon? Here and now for this man known as
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: Senor Zorro Never. The governor cried, he has affronted me personally.
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: He shall die the death. He turned around and saw
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: Don Alejandro Vega standing near him. Don Alejandro, you are
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  Speaker 1: the most influential man in this self country, he said.
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  Speaker 1: You are the one man against whom even the governor
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  Speaker 1: dare not stand. You are a man of justice. Tell
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  Speaker 1: these young caballeros that what they wish cannot be granted.
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  Speaker 1: Bid them return to their homes, and this show of
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  Speaker 1: treason will be forgotten. I stand behind them, Don Alejandro,
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  Speaker 1: thundered you. You stand behind them. I do, your excellency.
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  Speaker 1: I echo every word they have spoken in your presence.
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  Speaker 1: Persecution must cease, grant their requests. See that your officials
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  Speaker 1: do right hereafter return to San Francisco, Docese, and I
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: take my oath that there shall be no treason in
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: this Southland. I shall see to it myself. But oppose them, excellency,
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  Speaker 1: and I shall take sides against you. See you driven
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  Speaker 1: from office and ruined, and your foul parasites with you,
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: these terrible, wilful Southland. The governor cried, your answer, Don
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: Alejandro demanded, ah I can't do nothing but agree, the
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: governor said. But there is one thing. Well, I spare
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: the man's life if he surrenders, but he must stand
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: trial for the murder of Captain Ramond, murder queried the
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: leader of the Caballeros. It was a duel between gentlemen, Excellency,
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: Signor Czarro resented an insult on the part of the
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: commandante to the Senorita Ha. But Ramon was a caballero,
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: and so is the Signor Zorro. He told us as much,
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: and we believe him, for there was no falsehood in
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: his voice. So it was a duel, Excellency, and between
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: gentlemen according to the code. And Captain Ramond was unfortunate
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: that he was not a better man with a blade.
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: That is understood your answer. I agree, the governor said weakly.
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: I pardon him and I go home to San Francisco.
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: Diaces and persecution ceases in this locality. But I hold
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: don Aaljandro to his promise that there will be no
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: treason against me here. If I do these things, I
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: have given my word, Don Alejandro said. The Caballeros shrieked
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  Speaker 1: their happiness and dismounted. They drove the soldiers away from
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: the door, Sergeant Gonzale's growling into his mustache, because here
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: was the reward gone glimmering again within there. Signor Czarro
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: one cried, have you heard? I have heard Caballero open
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  Speaker 1: the door and come out amongst us a free man.
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: There was a moment's hesitation, and then the battered door
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: was unbarred and opened, and Signor Czarro stepped out, with
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: the Senorita on his arm. He stopped just in front
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  Speaker 1: of the door, removed a sombrero, and bowed low before them.
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: A good day to you, Caballeros, he cried, Sergeant. I
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: regret that you have missed the reward, but I shall
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: see that they amount this place to the credit of
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: you and your men. With the landlord of the tavern,
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: pay the saints. He is a caballero, Gonzalis cried. Unmasked
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  Speaker 1: man cried the Governor. I would see the features of
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  Speaker 1: the person who has fooled my troopers, has gained caballeros
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  Speaker 1: to his banner, and has forced me to make a compromise.
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  Speaker 1: I fear that you will be disappointed when you see
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: my poor features. Senor Czarro replied, do you expect me
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: to look like Satan? Or can it be possible, on
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: the other hand, that you believe I have an angelic countenance?
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: He chuckled, glanced down at the Senorita Lolita, and then
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: put up a hand and tore off his mask. A
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: chorus of gasps answered the motion, an explosive oath or
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: two from the soldiers, cries of delight from the caballeros,
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  Speaker 1: and a screech of mingled pride and joy from one
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  Speaker 1: old Hidalgo. Don Diego, my son, my son, and the
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: man before them seemed to droop suddenly in the shoulders
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: and sighed and spoke in a languid voice. These be
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: turbulent times. Can a man never meditate on music? And
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: the poets? And Don Diego Vega, the curse of Capistrano
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  Speaker 1: was clasped for a moment in his father's arms. End
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  Speaker 1: of chapter