“I’m glad, though,” said Sidney, “that we didn’t take any such desperate step as that. It is much better to wait till night and see if we can’t get out through the window, as I believe we can.”
“Those fellows are so stupid,” said Raymond, “that I don’t believe they would know enough to stop us if they saw us climbing out of the window. Think of their not finding the rest of our money! It’s lucky for us they didn’t.”
The day wore on past noon, and the boys took a lunch from their knapsacks. Though the lunch was extremely simple, consisting mainly of dry bread, they were able to occupy considerable time in disposing of it, for very careful mastication was necessary in order to swallow the food without water, of which there was none. Aside from that diversion there was nothing whatever for them to do while they waited the arrival of night.
The window looked out against a blank wall, only a few feet away, and gave them no view of the village. The door was so extremely thick that it allowed no sound to penetrate. Though it opened on the street, the boys could distinguish no noise of passing feet, and what appeared strange to them was that the only noise they heard seemed to come from the roof.
When the boys were put into the jail in the morning, the whole affair of their arrest and imprisonment had been so hasty and so bewildering that they had not taken note of the fact that the jail was situated against the mountain-side. Above the jail other buildings ran up the steep slope, and the roofs of the lower lines of buildings formed front yards for the next line of buildings above, and so on to the top. So the roof of the jail no doubt was occupied, possibly as a stable for the horse that belonged to the family above. On that plan are built many of the mountain villages of Daghestan, very like the villages of our own Pueblo Indians.
Toward night the English-speaking policeman opened the door and brought in water and black bread, closing the door after him. The drink, though in a repulsive-looking receptacle, was most welcome to the boys.
“You like it here?” asked the man, with a twinkle in his eyes.
“No, it’s filthy,” replied Raymond.
“Yes, pretty dirty, not like New York jail.”
“Do you know a New York jail?”