"
His head, however, hurt him too much for him to continue the strain
of thought, and, after a while, he dozed off to sleep. When he
awoke, a faint light was streaming in through a slit, two or three
inches wide, high up on the wall. He still felt faint and dizzy,
from the effects of the blow. Parched with thirst, he tried to call
out for water, but scarce a sound came from his lips.
Gradually, the room seemed to darken and become indistinct, and he
again lapsed into insensibility. When he again became conscious,
someone was pouring water between his lips, and he heard a voice
speaking loudly and angrily. He had picked up a few words of Polish
from Stanislas--the names of common things, the words to use in
case he lost his way, how to ask for food and for stabling for a
horse, but he was unable to understand what was said. He judged,
however, that someone was furiously upbraiding the man who was
giving him water, for the latter now and then muttered excuses.
"He is blowing the fellow up, for having so nearly let me slip
through their fingers," he said to himself. "Probably they want to
question me, and find out who I have been in communication with.
They shall get nothing, at present, anyhow."
He kept his eyes resolutely closed.
Pages:
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243