Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 3
“Whohadsquealed?”wastheironequest,andthroughoutthenightthequestwaspursued.ThequestforCecilWinwoodwasvain,andthesuspicionagainsthimwasgeneral.
“There’sonlyonething,lads,”SkysailJackfinallysaid.“It’llsoonbemorning,andthenthey’lltakeusoutandgiveusbloodyhell.Wewerecaughtdeadtorightswithourclotheson.Winwoodcrossedusandsquealed.They’regoingtogetusoutonebyoneandmessusup.There’sfortyofus.Anylyin’sboundtobefoundout.Soeachlad,whentheysweathim,justtellsthetruth,thewholetruth,sohelphimGod.”
Andthere,inthatdarkholeofman’sinhumanity,fromdungeoncelltodungeoncell,theirmouthsagainstthegratings,thetwo-scoreliferssolemnlypledgedthemselvesbeforeGodtotellthetruth.
Littlegooddidtheirtruth-tellingdothem.Atnineo’clocktheguards,paidbravoesofthesmugcitizenswhoconstitutethestate,fullofmeatandsleep,wereuponus.Notonlyhadwehadnobreakfast,butwehadhadnowater.Andbeatenmenarepronetofeverishness.Iwonder,myreader,ifyoucanglimpseorguessthefaintestconnotationofamanbeaten—“beatup,”weprisonerscallit.Butno,Ishallnottellyou.Letitsufficetoknowthatthesebeaten,feverishmenlaysevenhourswithoutwater.
Atninetheguardsarrived.Therewerenotmanyofthem.
