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

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  Speaker 1: Thirty one, the rescue Senor Zorro knocked upon it with
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  Speaker 1: the hilt of his sword. They heard a man gasp inside.
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  Speaker 1: Presently heard his steps on the stone flooring, and after
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  Speaker 1: a little time light showed through the cracks, and the
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  Speaker 1: aperture was opened, and the sleepy face of the guard appeared.
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  Speaker 1: What is wanted, he asked. Senor Zorro thrust the muzzle
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  Speaker 1: of his pistol through the aperture and into the man's face,
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  Speaker 1: and in such fashion that the little door could not
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  Speaker 1: be closed. Open if you value your life, open and
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  Speaker 1: make not the slightest sound. Senor Zuro commanded, what is this,
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  Speaker 1: Signor Zorro is talking to you by the saints, Open fool,
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  Speaker 1: or you die instantly. Ah, I'll open the door. Do
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  Speaker 1: not shoot, good, Senor Zorro. I am only a poor
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  Speaker 1: guard and not a fighting man. I pray you do
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  Speaker 1: not shoot. Open quickly as soon es I caond fit
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  Speaker 1: key to lock, good, Signor Zorro. They heard him rattling
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  Speaker 1: the keys. Presently one was turned in the lock, and
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  Speaker 1: the heavy door was thrown open. Senor Czarro and his
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  Speaker 1: four companions rushed inside and slammed and fastened the door again.
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  Speaker 1: The guard found the muzzle of a pistol pressed against
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  Speaker 1: the side of his head, and would have knelt before
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  Speaker 1: these five masted and terrible men. Only one of them
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  Speaker 1: caught him by the hair and held him up. Where
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  Speaker 1: sleeps the keeper of this infernal hole, Senor Tzarro demanded,
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  Speaker 1: in yonder room, Senor, and where have you put Don
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  Speaker 1: Carlos Pullito and his ladies in the common prison room?
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  Speaker 1: Signor Senorsarro motioned to the others, strode across the room
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  Speaker 1: and threw open the door to the jailer's chamber. The
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  Speaker 1: man already was sitting up in bed, having heard the
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  Speaker 1: sounds in the other room, and he blinked in fright
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  Speaker 1: when he beheld the highwayman by the light of the candle.
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  Speaker 1: Do not make a move, Signor Sorrow warned one screech,
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  Speaker 1: and you are a dead man. Senorzorro confronts you. Nay,
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  Speaker 1: the saints preserve me. Where are the keys to the
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  Speaker 1: prison rooms? A ah, on that table, Signor Senorsorro picked
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: them up, and then whirled upon the jailer again and
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  Speaker 1: rushed toward him. Lie down, He commanded, on your face, scoundrel, Senorzarro,
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  Speaker 1: tore strips from a blanket and bound the jailer's hands
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  Speaker 1: and feet, and made a gag which he affixed to
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  Speaker 1: escape death. He said, then it is necessary for you
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  Speaker 1: to remain exactly as you are now, without making a sound,
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  Speaker 1: for some time after we have left the carsel. I
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  Speaker 1: shall leave it to your own judgment to decide the
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  Speaker 1: length of time. Then he hurried back into the main office,
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  Speaker 1: beckoned the others, and led the way down the evil
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  Speaker 1: smelling hall. Which door he asked of the guard the
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  Speaker 1: second one signor. They hurried to it, and Senorzarro unlocked
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  Speaker 1: it and threw it open. He forced the guard to
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  Speaker 1: hold a candle high above his head. A gasp of
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  Speaker 1: pity came from beneath the Highwoman's mask. He saw the
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  Speaker 1: aged don standing by the window, saw the two women
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  Speaker 1: crouched on the bench, saw the vile companions they had
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  Speaker 1: in this miserable place. Now, may Heaven forgive the gov'nor,
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  Speaker 1: he cried Senorita. Lolita looked up in alarm, and then
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  Speaker 1: gave a glad cry. Don Carlos whirled at the Highwayman's words.
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  Speaker 1: Senor Tzarro, he gasped the same Don Carlos I have
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  Speaker 1: come with some friends to rescue you. I cannot allow it, segor.
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  Speaker 1: I shall not run away from what is in store
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  Speaker 1: for me, and it would avail me little to have
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  Speaker 1: you do the rescuing. I am accused now of harboring you.
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  Speaker 1: I understand. How will it look then if you affect
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  Speaker 1: my escape? There is no time for argument, Senor Zorro said,
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  Speaker 1: I am not alone in this, but have twenty six
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  Speaker 1: men with me, and a man of your blood, and
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  Speaker 1: gentle ladies such as those of your family. Should not
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  Speaker 1: spend an entire night in this miserable hole if we
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  Speaker 1: can prevent it, Caballeros, The last word was one of command.
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  Speaker 1: Two of the caballeros threw themselves upon Don Carlos, subdued
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  Speaker 1: him quickly, and half carried him into the hall and
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  Speaker 1: along it towards the office. Two others grasped the Dogna
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  Speaker 1: Cadalina by the arms as gently as they could, and
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  Speaker 1: so carried her along. Senor Zarro bowed before the Senorita
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  Speaker 1: and extended the hand, which she clasped gladly. You must
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  Speaker 1: trust me, Senorita, he said, to love is to trust
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  Speaker 1: signor all things have been arranged. Ask no questions, but
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  Speaker 1: do as I bid come. He threw an arm around
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  Speaker 1: her and so led her from the prison room, leaving
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  Speaker 1: the door open behind him. If some of the miserable
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  Speaker 1: wretches there could win through and out of the building,
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  Speaker 1: Senior Zaro had no wish to prevent them. More than
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  Speaker 1: half of them, he judged were there because of prejudice
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  Speaker 1: or injustice. Don Carlos was causing an unearthly clamor, shouting
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  Speaker 1: that he refused to be rescued and that he would
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  Speaker 1: stay and face the governor at the trial, and showed
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  Speaker 1: the blood that was in him. Donia Catalina was whimpering
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  Speaker 1: a bit because of fright, but made no resistance. They
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  Speaker 1: reached the office and Sienorzaro ordered the guard to a
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  Speaker 1: corner of it, with instructions to remain there quietly for
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  Speaker 1: some time. After they had gone, and then one of
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  Speaker 1: the caballeros threw open the outside door. There was a
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  Speaker 1: tumult outside. At that moment. Two soldiers had approached with
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  Speaker 1: a fellow caught stealing at the tavern, and the caballeros
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  Speaker 1: had stopped them. One glance at the mass faces had
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  Speaker 1: been enough to tell the troopers that here was something wrong.
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  Speaker 1: A soldier fired a pistol and a caballero answered the fire,
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  Speaker 1: neither hitting the mark, but the shooting was enough to
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  Speaker 1: attract the attention of those in the tavern, and also
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  Speaker 1: of the guards at the presidio. Troopers at the Presidia
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  Speaker 1: were awakened immediately and took the places of the guards,
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  Speaker 1: while the latter mounted and spurred down the hill to
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  Speaker 1: ascertain the cause of the sudden tumult. At that hour
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  Speaker 1: of the night. Sergeant Pedro Gonzales and others hurried from
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  Speaker 1: the tavern. Sigorzarro and his companions found themselves facing a
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  Speaker 1: resistance when they least expected it. The jailer had gathered
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  Speaker 1: courage enough to work himself free of gag and bonds,
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  Speaker 1: and he shrieked through a window of his chamber that
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  Speaker 1: prisoners were being rescued by Signor Zorro. His shriek was
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  Speaker 1: understood by Sergeant Gonzales, who screeched for his men to
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  Speaker 1: follow him and earn a part of his excellency's reward.
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  Speaker 1: But the caballeros had their three rescued prisoners on horseback,
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  Speaker 1: and they spurred through the gathering throng, and so dashed
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  Speaker 1: across the plaza and toward them the highway. Shots flew
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  Speaker 1: about them, but no man was hit. Don Carlos Pulito
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  Speaker 1: was still screaming that he refused to be rescued. Donia
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  Speaker 1: Catalina had fainted, for which the caballero who had her
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  Speaker 1: in charge was grateful, since he could give more attention
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  Speaker 1: to his horse and weapons. Senor Zorro rode wildly, with
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  Speaker 1: the Signorita Lolita in the saddle before him. He spurred
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  Speaker 1: his magnificent horse ahead of all the others and so
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  Speaker 1: led the way to the high road, and when he
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  Speaker 1: had reached it, he pulled up his mount and watched
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  Speaker 1: the others come galloping to the spot to ascertain whether
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  Speaker 1: there had been casualties. Carry out your orders, caballeros, he commanded,
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  Speaker 1: when he saw that all had won through safely, and
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  Speaker 1: so the band was broken into three detachments. One rushed
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  Speaker 1: along the Palo road with Don Carlos. Another took the
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  Speaker 1: highway that would lead them to the hucienda of Don
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  Speaker 1: Alejandro Sigorzarro, riding without any of his comrades at his side,
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  Speaker 1: galloped toward Lord Fray Felipe's place. The Signorita's arms clasped
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  Speaker 1: tightly about his neck, and the Senorita's voice in his ear.
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  Speaker 1: I knew that you would come for me, signor she said,
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  Speaker 1: I knew you were a true man and would not
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  Speaker 1: see me and my parents remain in that miserable place.
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  Speaker 1: Senor Zero did not answer her with words, for it
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  Speaker 1: was not a time for speech with his enemy so
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  Speaker 1: close at his heels, But his arm pressed the Signorita
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  Speaker 1: closer to him. He had reached the crest of the
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  Speaker 1: first hill, and now we stopped the horse to listen
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  Speaker 1: for sounds of pursuit and to watch the flickering lights
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  Speaker 1: far behind, for there was a multitude of lights in
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  Speaker 1: the plaza now, and in all the houses for the
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  Speaker 1: pueblo had been aroused. The presidio building was ablaze with light,
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  Speaker 1: and he could hear a trumpet being blown, and knew
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  Speaker 1: that every available trooper would be set on the chase.
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  Speaker 1: The sound of galloping horses came to his ears. The
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  Speaker 1: troopers knew in what direction the skewers had traveled, and
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  Speaker 1: the pursuit would be swift and relentless, with his Excellency
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  Speaker 1: on the scene to offer fabulous rewards and urge on
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  Speaker 1: his men with promises of good posts and a promotion.
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  Speaker 1: But one thing pleased Signor Czaro. As his horse galloped
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  Speaker 1: down the dusty highway and the Signorita clung to him
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  Speaker 1: and the keen wind cut into his face, he knew
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  Speaker 1: that the pursuit would have to be divided into three parties.
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  Speaker 1: He pressed the Signorita to him again, put spurs to
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  Speaker 1: his horse, and rode furiously through the night. End of
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  Speaker 1: chapter