"Courage--we cannot be far away from his cell now. Bear up, and all will be well. To fail at this time would mean his death." Roderic did not add that their own fate would probably be also sealed--he knew that fact only too well, but it was useless to mention it. At any rate all Inez thought of was Leon's welfare. She seemed to call upon some reserve force, and her companion knew the crisis had been safely passed, for which he was deeply thankful. When he said he believed they were near the spot where they would find Leon, he spoke truly. There were strong evidences of dungeons all around them, some with the doors entirely gone, while others had a stout barrier hanging from one great rusty hinge. It might be supposed that ere long they would run across those still remaining in a good state of preservation, and in which prisoners were confined. Perhaps an especial guard had been stationed in the passage. If so it would be Roderic's duty to take care of him, and to this end he had previously made ample preparation. Desperate measures are only carried to a successful issue by heroic treatment, and no man was better equipped for this purpose than the American who dared enter San Juan while the Spanish flag still waved over the walls. The darkness was now against them, and it would have been almost impossible to advance but for a streak of luck that separated clouds and moon, and allowed the latter to sift her silvery radiance down through various breaches in the overhanging walls, thus dissipating to some extent the appalling gloom. Thanks then to this feeble illumination Roderic with his keen vision was enabled to discover a figure ahead. Spanish soldiers doing duty in the tropics are generally in the habit of wearing white uniforms made of some coarse drilling or canvas. It was this fact that betrayed the presence of the guard, and Roderic mentally thanked his lucky stars for the favor. He watched the man. The Spaniard seemed nervous, and would walk up and down with jerky steps, stopping now and then to try the doors of several cells. Roderic was unable to decide what the man was up to, since Spanish soldiers as a rule are not given to exert themselves overly much. Now and then the fellow would stop, and at such times his attitude strongly reminded the watcher of one who was straining his hearing in the hope of catching some eagerly anticipated signal. After a little reflection Roderic felt compelled to decide that the fellow was anxiously waiting for a relief guard to appear, although this hardly satisfied him. His duty in the premises was clear enough. That guard was in the way. He threatened to block their game just when, after surmounting so many difficulties, it promised to bring them success. Such a thing could not be allowed. The guard would have to succumb, like all Spaniards, to superior Yankee dominion.