"I think not," replied the Mexican. "One of the men say, 'Let us go up on the mountain and catch them,' but the padron, he say very quick, 'No, no. I do not go up on the mountain. While they are there they do no harm, but if they come down here, then——!'"
"I see," said Dick. "They mean to hold the fort against all comers. It is pretty evident, I think, that Galvez has been back to his old haunts, hunted out a couple of his old-time cronies, and brought them back to garrison the Casa, meaning to defy the law to get him out."
"That's it, I expect," said I. "And our chances of getting into the strong-room are a good deal slimmer than ever."
It certainly did look so; yet, as it happened, I never made a greater mistake.
Who would have guessed how soon we were to get that chance? And who would have guessed that the man who was to provide the opportunity—and that by a plan so bold that I am astonished at it yet—was the man whom I had that day mentally accused of cowardice? How I did apologize to him in my thoughts!
"José," said Pedro, "does the padron still go to bed every night at ten o'clock, as he used to do?"
"Si," replied the cowman.
"Does he always come out to the well to get a drink of cold water just before he goes to bed, as he used to do?"
"Si," replied the cowman once more.
"Those two men, are they to sleep in that room next the padron's?"