“This is but poor fare for prisoners uncondemned,” I observed. “Could you not, friend, obtain us something better?”
“Good enough for men who have only a few days to live,” he answered, in a gruff voice.
“They will not venture to execute Englishmen, or those under English protection,” I answered, in as bold a voice as I could muster; “so you will not frighten us out of our appetites, friend.”
“Caged birds don’t often crow as loudly as you do,” observed the jailer. “However, it is as well to enjoy your life while you have it; so I will not try further to put you out of humour.”
Hoping that I had by degrees softened the jailer’s feelings I took from my pocket a single piece of gold, which I placed in his hand. As he looked at it, his countenance brightened.
“Ah! now we understand each other,” he observed. “And what is it you want me to do for this?”
“To bring us better food,” I answered; “and let me know what is going forward without the walls. The man who would help us to escape would find it to his advantage; for, although the British Government would desire to protect us, Duke Alva is occasionally apt to execute his prisoners first and then to apologise afterwards, when he has found out that they were guiltless.”
“We must not speak against the authorities from whom we take our bread,” answered the jailer; but he still lingered, willing apparently to hear what more I had to say. I, however, thought that I had said enough to show him what were our wishes and intentions. At last he took his departure, looking far more pleasantly at us than he had done when he entered. We were left, therefore, alone to discuss our rough fare. As we had been kept without food for some time, we were glad to eat it, coarse as it was.
We had no other visitor after this till the next morning. We employed the time in examining our cell, to ascertain if there was any possible means of getting out. Jacob said that he had heard of men burrowing under the walls, others had got out the iron bars in the windows, or worked their way through a hole which they managed to form in the roof. But there appeared very little chance of our getting out that way. Our only hopes lay in the assistance the jailer might afford us. I cannot say that we slept very pleasantly, for our beds were composed of heaps of half-rotten straw; and though we could not find any way of getting out of our dungeon, rats and other vermin found their way in, and continued running about the floor, and frequently jumping over us during the dark hours of the night.
The next morning the jailer again made his appearance, with a basket, in addition to the usual prison fare, containing some white bread and pastry, and several other articles of food. Without hesitation I paid the price demanded for it, and then asked him if he had any news.