"Senor Ramo incarcerated?" he asked. "Is it possible?"
"Very much so," went on Mr. Robinson, grimly. "And now we come to
demand the release of Senor Ralcanto--or at least I demand to have an
interview with him--as does his daughter--that we may take measures
for freeing him. If you will look at the copies of these papers, you
will see what authority we have," and he tossed some letters, and
copies of the documents Inez had recovered, on the table.
"I am sorry, but it is impossible to grant what you request," said
the commandant stiffly, hardly glancing at the papers.
"Why?" asked Mr. Robinson, truculently. "Do you mean we cannot see
the prisoner, or that you will not release him?"
"Both!" was the surprising answer. "You cannot see Senor Ralcanto
because he is not here. And I cannot release him, had I the power,
for he has released himself. In other words, Senor, he has escaped!"
"Escaped!" cried Jack and Cora in a breath. "My father escaped!"
murmured Inez. "Oh, praise ze dear God for zat! He is free! Oh,
but where is he?"
"That I know not, Senorita," was the stiff answer. "I wish I did.
We have searched for him, but have not found him. He must have had
friends working for him on the outside," and he glanced with
suspicious eyes at our friends.
"Well, we probably would have worked for him, had we had the chance,"
said Mr. Robinson, "but we had no hand in his escape.
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