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escaped from here?”
    “I don’t even want to think about it. Other guys don’t matter!”
    They both lay face down on their cots and remained for some time without speaking. The idea which had just hatchedin their heads was enough to occupy their minds. They closed their eyes, oblivious to the presence of their dumb cellmate, whose hole-in-the-corner existence did not interfere with their thoughts. The distant roar of the sea did not trouble them either. They were lost in their fanciful dreams and nothing mattered to them except their wild scheme.
    “We’ll be running a big risk,” said Hal.
    “Getting hit by bullets as we get away… or hunted down by dogs… or by men!… Any one of them would be painful… But, the hell with it, why should that bother us?”
    “Right!” said Hal. “Too damn right!”
    Then they returned to their idle musings. Suddenly, Hal exclaimed:
    “I got an idea!”
    “What idea?”
    “At least for the date of… of the caper!”
    “Caper’s the word for it!”
    “We do it on the day they execute that guy…”
    “Why?”
    Hal beamed, looking very pleased with himself.
    “Try this for size, man. The Bull said the execution is going to be held on some local holiday. From early morning there’ll be a lot of coming and going in this place, right? Since it’s a pretty depressing sight, the screws will be trying to keep their spirits up. The ones that are off duty will be out making the most of the fair, the rest will have a drink or two… In other words, the routine will be different: are you with me?”
    Frank nodded.
    “Yes, that’s pretty smart thinking. And now I’m going to tell you who is going to open the cell door for us.”
    “Who?”
    “The Bull,” said Frank mysteriously.
    “Have you included miracles in our marriage settlement?”
    Frank shook his head.
    “It’s no miracle, Hal. Have you noticed how he likes dropping in here for a chat? He’s fond of the sound of his own voice… We’ll keep an eye out for him… When he comes anywhere near, we’ll pretend we’re having an argument. He’ll be in here like a flash! You can count on him. And once he’s here…”
    “We jump him!” Hal said callously.
    “We’ll punch his lights out permanent!”
    “That’s what I mean by jumping him!”
    “We’ll take his keys!” said Frank.
    “Yes… and his piece!”
    They continued discussing their plan for the rest of that day and, when night came, they were still sitting side by side on the same bed, whispering vague thoughts to each other.
    They were still there when the Bull took them by surprise. His pasty face appeared suddenly through the bars.
    “Aha!… Still chatting, are we, in this neck of the woods? No, no, Nanette! You’ll have to button it, boys! It’s time! The time when the imagination does what the temperature of the sick does: it rises! It’s like the air is full of girls! It’s not good for the health! So you’d best lie on your bellies and think about something else!… Something depressing. Like life, for example!”
    He broke off to spit the flower he was chewing into the middle of the cell, as was his wont.
    “Myself, I’m off to my bed. My old lady’s already there, ready and waiting. Oh, if you only knew my Suzanne! A pair of buttocks on her like a mare!”
    He gave a chortle of delight.
    Hal cleared his throat. He was about to come out with something insulting, but Frank squeezed his arm hard to shut him up.
    “Did you want to say something?” asked the Bull in his sugary voice, for he hadn’t missed Hal’s reaction.
    Hal shook his head.
    “Nothing, chief!”
    “Good… I like men who can keep their mouths sewn up! Right, I’ll say goodnight, then!”
    The scuffing sound of shoes and he was gone.
    “See?” said Hal. “Perhaps the thing I like best about our plan is that it starts with that bastard getting bumped off!”
    He picked up the faded rose the big man had spat out.
    “Since he likes flowers, we’ll make sure