Page:The Jail, Experiences in 1916.pdf/149

 numbers were taken off to the barracks—either at night by foot; transport, or else during the day in green vehicles. There they transferred the individuals who had been sentenced to shorter terms of punishment amounting to a few months, or persons whose examination had reached a deadlock, and who could be quietly laid "upon ice". Like Voronin of old. There waited those whom nobody troubled about. So it seemed as if Dušek were right; they wanted to keep us there for the duration of the war, and all cross-examinations were an empty and useless farce. Klofáč was incarcerated in the tower, he had been incarcerated at Prague for years,—and not even the charge against him had been drawn up.

Dušek collected his things, he had equipment for the four seasons of the year, and we parted. For an indefinite period? For ever? Who could say? I was grateful to destiny, since it had to be, for having brought me into number 60 while he was there, and grateful to him for having initiated me into all the features of life and existence there. We were able to accompany him only to the door, he went to the green vehicle with defence-corps men. That was a sad afternoon following his departure,—there was silence in the room, everybody had been fond of him, and it was not until the evening that the tongues were loosened, as it were,Comma, not dot, in the original text [sic] The censorists expressed the opinion that he was "ein sehr anständiger Mensch" (a very decent man). Hedrich recalled his first meeting with him, Budi declared that such a man could not and must not be condemned, while Papa Declich remarked that he was now the only one who remained of them all as "alte Diener" (old servant). "Alte Diener" was his customary formula when he introduced himself.

Budi then took Dušek's place in the superintendent's office.

Prosperity ensconced itself in our room. Papritz permitted the censorists to get their food from a restaurant, and the censorists