minute or two. He has followed us at a distance, to be
sure that we were not watched. He enlisted me in this enterprise,
and I have gladly given my assistance, which indeed was confined to
bringing you here. All the rest he has managed himself, with the
aid of six of his men who accompanied him here. He has been longer
over it than he had expected, but we had difficulties that we did
not anticipate."

He spoke in French, but added: "I understand sufficient Portuguese
to follow anything that you say, senor."

"I am indeed grateful to you all," Ryan said warmly. "It is good of
you, indeed, to run so great a risk for a stranger."

"Not exactly a stranger, senor, since you are a friend of my
friend, Leon Gonzales."

At this moment the door of the room opened, and the officer named
entered and warmly shook hands with Ryan, and congratulated him
cordially on his release.

"Thanks to you, senor," Dick said gratefully.

"It has been a matter of duty, as well as pleasure," the other
replied courteously; "for Moras committed the task of freeing you
to my hands."

"I have just been telling Senor Ryan," the other said, "that you
found it somewhat more difficult than you expected."

"Yes, indeed. In the first place, my face is known to so many here
and, unhappily, so many Spaniards are friends of the French, that I
dared not show myself in the streets, in the daytime. And before I
tell my story, Alonzo, please open a bottle of wine, and produce a
box of cigars. Our friend has not had a chance of a decent smoke
since he has been shut up.

"Now, senor, I will tell you all about it," he went on, as soon as
the glasses were filled and the cigars lighted. "In the first
place, one of the men with me has a cousin who works for the baker
who contracts for the supply of bread to the prison and,
fortunately, it was one of his duties to go with the bread, to hand
it over and see it weighed. That simplified affairs amazingly. In
the next place, it was necessary to get hold of the soldier who
usually handed the bread to the non-commissioned officers, who each
took the rations for the prisoners under their special charge. I
had been well provided with money and, when the soldier came out
one evening, I got into conversation with him. He assented
willingly enough to my offer to have a bottle of good wine
together. Then I opened the subject.

"'I believe you distribute the bread rations to the prisoners?" I
said.

"He nodded.

"