"Ah；that's like the dear old girl.Do you know，I've an idea that when I'm down and out she'll relent and come to my assistance with a fatted calf c？It would be just like her.I'veknown of others she befriended.Her hobby is to help poor girls.There was that Leighton girl，for instance，whose smuggling，murderous father was imprisoned for life.The poor little thing hadn't a friend in the world till mother took her in hand and put her in a training school for nurses.The mother wrote me how interested she was in that case.Her protegea did her credit，it seems，for the child turned out a very good nurse，who—who—"He suddenly paused，flushed red and stared at the girluncertainly.
"You say your name is—Travers？"he asked."Yes，"she replied，casting down her eyes."Not—Leighton？""Cannot you pull the cork，Se？or Runyon ？I am so thirsty！"cried Inez quickly，to save her friend from disclosing her secret.But big Runyon was bright enough，in spite of his peculiarities.He read Mildred's confusion and suspected the truth，but was too considerate to press the question.
"The cork is obstinate，"said he；"so we won't argue with the thing，"and he struck the neck of the bottle against a corner of the seat and broke it so neatly that not a drop of the contents was spilled.Then he took a cup from the shelf andpoured out some of the wine.
"It's a native vintage，"said he，"but it ought to be mellow and mild after all the years it has lain here."Inez drank.The California Mexicans are accustomed to the native wines and consume them as freely as water.But Mildred，although again pressed to quench her thirst，steadfastlya refused.
Runyon took a little of the wine，for he also was thirsty，and then he made an examination of the other seats.Some contained more wine；others were quite empty；but no water was discovered anywhere.
"Now I shall go below，"said Runyon，"and see if Ican unearth anything of importance there.Do you hear those dull sounds on the other side of the wall？They tell us that our friends are busy drilling the holes.It's wonderful how tough that adobe is."Little Jane had awakened again and Inez took baby Jane in her arms and，with Mildred，followed Runyon down the stairs into the lower chamber.Here they watched his careful inspection of the room but did not hope for any favorable result.
"Here is food，"he announced，as，having given up theidea of ？nding egress，he came upon the cans of tomatoes and corn.
"Yes；but we have no can—opener，"replied Mildred；"and，unless the contents were cooked，they would not be eatable.""I'm not thinking of the eatables，"said Runyon，takingout a small pen—knife，for he had already ruined the larger one he always carried."Tomatoes usually have a lot of liquid in the cans，a sort of watery juice which I am sure would help to relieve your thirst."He began prying at the tin with a knife blade，but it was aheavy quality of plate，such as is rarely used nowadays，and resisted his attempt.Soon the blade of the frail tool snapped at the handle，and he tried the other blade.That，too，soon broke and Runyon regarded the can with a sort of wonder.
"It beats me，"he said，shaking his head."But I don'tlike to give up，and that tomato—juice would be of service if we could only get at it."Looking around for another implement his eye spieda the revolver hanging upon its peg.
"Ah！if that weapon is loaded I'll use a bullet as a can—opener，"he exclaimed，and reaching up he removed the revolver from its place.
"Good；six cartridges，32caliber，"said he."Now，young ladies，if you can stand the noise，and the powder hasn't spoiled，I believe I can make a hole in that can which will allow the juice to run out.""I don't care，"said Inez，"but I will take Mees Janeupstairs，rst.""The sound will echo like a regular battle，"said Mildred；"but as I am really thirsty and your suggestion of relief temptsme，I am willing to have you shoot the pistola."Runyon placed the can upon the edge of the low hinged table，where it stood about waist high.When Inez had gone above with little Jane，the man took a position whereby he faced obliquelyb the outer wall and aiming at the tomatoes said：
"Better stop up your ears，Miss—Mildred."
She obeyed and he ？red.
Even their anticipations could not prepare them for the wild riot of sound that followed the explosion.The bullet found its mark，for the can toppledc and fell from the shelf and lay spilling its contents upon the floor.The bullet went farther and struck a creviced of the outer wall.A cloud of smoke for a moment obscurede their view and Mildred，regarding the tomato—can，cried out：
"Oh，pick it up！Pick it up，quick！It is spilling."Runyon made no reply.He was staring straight ahead，in a dazed，bewildered way，and now Mildred's eyes followed his.
The smoke was rolling out of a large aperture in the outer wall.Three huge blocks of adobe，neatly joined together，had swung outward，moved by a secret spring which the bullet had released.
Through the grim prison wall they were looking out at the sunshine that ？ooded the rose garden.
Mildred sank to her knees，sobbing with joy.Big Runyonwalked to the staircase.
"Hi，there，Inez！"he called."Come down here and take Toodlums to her mother.I'll bet a button she'll be jolly glad to see that kid again ！"