Page:The Jail, Experiences in 1916.pdf/166

 himself after his daily sessions in the dock. And Zamazal was standing and waiting for me. He was emaciated, sallow, unwell. He uttered a sentence, and anybody could see what sort of man this "traitor" was. He related about the course of the trial. The reading of the indictment, the speeches of Kramář and Rašín, the defence by Körner. He said that he also was composing a speech which he wanted to deliver. I begged him for God's sake not to do it.

Our dear Hedrich was at last brought up for trial. He was taken to the Rossau barracks before the brigade court. He soon returned sad and overwhelmed. For those few spoons from Belgrade he had received three weeks close arrest, but he was not overwhelmed by the three weeks, but because he had to leave us. From the six months which he had served here they had deducted his sentence, and found that he had been imprisoned longer than was necessary, and that he must now return to his regimental unit somewhere in Russian Poland. He walked about the room with bowed head, closed eyes, and even his little cigar was hanging with the end towards the floor. He was reflecting and considering what he should do so as not to have to leave number 60. He was advised one thing and another, even "fallotish" things, and the good lad already decided that he would perpetrate "something".

I took him on one side and dissuaded him from everything. I reminded him of his future life, and the results that any such folly would have on it. Then I called his advisors to us, and in his presence I reproached them for wanting to spoil his future.

Suddenly a fresh idea ocurred to him. He would go to the lieutenant-colonel and ask him to keep him here. He said that he had once dressed his wife's and daughter's hair, and the old gentlemen used to come every day to look at this work, and had spoken to him in a very benevolent manner.