Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 2
Themenarereadytomakethebreak.Wecancatchthemred-handed.Itisuptometosetthetime.I’lltellthemtwoo’clockto-nightandtellthemthat,withtheguardsdoped,I’llunlocktheircellsandgivethemtheirautomatics.If,attwoo’clockto-night,youdon’tcatchthefortyIshallnamewiththeirclothesonandwideawake,then,Captain,youcangivemesolitaryfortherestofmysentence.AndwithStandingandthefortytightinthedungeons,we’llhaveallthetimeintheworldtolocatethedynamite.”
“Ifwehavetoteartheprisondownstonebystone,”CaptainJamieaddedvaliantly.
Thatwassixyearsago.Inalltheinterveningtimetheyhaveneverfoundthatnon-existentexplosive,andtheyhaveturnedtheprisonupside-downathousandtimesinsearchingforit.Nevertheless,tohislastdayinofficeWardenAthertonbelievedintheexistenceofthatdynamite.CaptainJamie,whoisstillCaptainoftheYard,believestothisdaythatthedynamiteissomewhereintheprison.Onlyyesterday,hecameallthewayupfromSanQuentintoFolsomtomakeonemoreefforttogetmetorevealthehiding-place.Iknowhewillneverbreatheeasyuntiltheyswingmeoff.
