"And quite useless," I added in Hungarian. "If we escaped the officer, we could not leave the city."
"What do you say, Stephen?"
"Surrender is a poor way of beginning a fight."
"So it is!" laughed our companion; "but, as your brother remarked, we can't help ourselves. The question is, Shall we walk to prison as gentlemen, or be dragged there as criminals? So, by your leave, I'll take advantage, in all our names, of the offer we have received."
Our captor, who was certainly a very polished gentleman, did all he could to soften the blow.
Very few people noticed us as we walked towards the infantry barracks, where we were to be detained till further orders.
The officer did not know the reason of our arrest; but he assured us the victors were acting mercifully, and, unless our fault had been extremely grave, we need not fear.
At the barracks the soldiers offered us no indignities, which was in striking contrast with their treatment of some students brought in at the same time, whom they loaded with abuse and even struck.
They looked on these enthusiastic youths as the authors of all the mischief, and to a certain extent they were doubtless right.
Our prison was a small, square room with whitewashed walls, bare of furniture, but having benches round the sides.