In the darkness he could see nothing, but he heard the heavy tread of two sentries.

As the sound of their footsteps faded away in the distance, he heard a sudden exclamation and a slight movement and, a few seconds later, a voice below asked in a whisper: "Are you there ?" "Yes," Ryan replied joyfully.
Putting a noose which was at one end of the rope over the stump of one of the bars, he at once slid down.

A moment later, the other man descended after him.
"This way, senor," the voice said and, taking his hand, led him across the street; and then, after a quarter of a mile's walk, stopped at the door of a large house.

He opened this with a key, and led the way up the stairs to the second floor; opened another door, and said: "Enter, senor, you are at home." Ryan had noticed that the man who had released him had not followed them, but had turned away as soon as they left the prison.
"You are most welcome, senor," his guide said as, opening another door, he led the way into a handsome apartment, where a lamp was burning on the table.
"First let me introduce myself," he said.

"My name is Alonzo Santobel, by profession an advocate.