"I don't think that," I remarked, "otherwise those rascals would have relieved us of our money."
"Well, they took my knife," grumbled Felgate. "Ah! What fools these Dutchmen are! Look! Why should we not take some small articles that might aid our escape?"
He pointed to the walls, where hung several small knives. We immediately secured one each, and in addition concealed a few iron spikes under our clothing, chuckling to ourselves at the folly of our captors in searching us before we were left alone amid so terrible yet useful an array of instruments.
Then, having completed our inspection, we seated ourselves on the framework of the rack, relapsing into a silence that was broken only by the occasional scamper of a swarm of rats across the floor, and the rippling of a stream of water outside the thick stone walls of our prison.
The solitude was unbearable, though we never stopped to consider what it would have been like had we been placed in separate rooms. At length Felgate stood up, and, seizing a hammer that was used apparently to drive the wedges into the boot, he strode across to the door and began to thunder a rain of blows upon it. Then he waited, but for all the good it did he might well have saved himself the trouble. No one came to see who was the cause of the clamour, and silence again reigned supreme.
The hours rolled slowly by, and just as the daylight that filtered through the narrow windows began to fade, our prison door was thrown open and the guards reappeared. Hardly able to repress a smile that flitted across his grim features, the sergeant deliberately walked up to Felgate, relieved him of the knife and two spikes that he had concealed, and replaced them. Greville and I were served in the same manner, our crestfallen faces plainly showing our dismay. We had been watched through some secret spy-hole during the whole time we were left, as we had imagined, alone.
Once more we were taken into the presence of the magistrate, who, phlegmatic as ever, merely raised one eyebrow slightly and tapped the book in front of him with the feathered end of his pen.
The gesture was impressive with its silent enquiry, but with the obstinacy of our race we again refused to give any pledge that would debar us from making any attempt at escape. A sign, and we were hurried from the burgomaster's presence, and, with a file of pikemen surrounding us, we were taken, not to that loathsome dungeon, but into the open air.
Through crowds of silent spectators we were marched, along a broad street planted with tall trees, the light of the buildings on the far side being reflected in the placid waters of a canal. Then we crossed a drawbridge, and a hundred yards farther our guards halted outside a building the entrance to which was gained by a double flight of broad stone steps.
A challenge and a password were exchanged, and we were handed over to another armed guard, who escorted us to a small room, which, though roughly furnished, was a surprisingly comfortable prison. Some bundles of straw were thrown on the floor, a plain though ample meal was provided, and we were left to ourselves once more.