Page:The Jail, Experiences in 1916.pdf/120

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J. S. MACHAR

emotion that he would certainly otherwise have done "something rash".

And Mr. Goldenstein declared that he would sleep well that night.

After 11 o'clock the orderlies brought the midday meal. Papa Declich fished the meat out of the soup, but he only pecked at the vegetables and with a smile put the dish back on the kneading board. There was no cursing today, but merely the announcement that "it isn't fit for food"—yesterday's supplies from the caterer were not as yet used up.

Sunday was a day when prisoners were allowed to have supplies of washing and clothing brought them,—the clothing had to be disinfected, and a written declaration given as to the completed disinfection, and the declaration had to make it clear that they had been disinfected within the course of the last twenty-four hours.

They were given out to us immediately after the meal. Josefínka had brought me a cushion, a blanket, Odol and washing. My shirt was already as black as the floor and, being a modest man, I felt exceptional happiness at being able to put on clean linen.

One o'clock in the afternoon. Roll-call. This was the evening roll-call. We were counted, and that brought the day to an end. Today there would be no exercise.

But at two o'clock the door opened to admit a new colleague. There entered an elderly man with a straw hat, with pince-nez, with a bag in his hand and wearing a waterproof overcoat. He put the bag down by the wall, stood beside it and declared: "Gentlemen, I have been brought here by mistake,—within an hour I shall certainly be led out again."

We smiled.

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