IX
VASSILY knew well that cell on the upper floor.
He knew its floor, and began at once to take out
bits of it. When he had managed to get under
the floor he took out pieces of the ceiling beneath,
and jumped down into the mortuary a floor below.
That day only one corpse was lying on the table.
There in the corner of the room were stored bags
to make hay mattresses for the prisoners. Vassily
knew about the bags, and that was why the
mortuary served his purposes. The prop in the
door had been unscrewed and put in again. He
took it out, opened the door, and went out into
the passage to the lavatory which was being built.
In the lavatory was a large hole connecting the
third floor with the basement floor. After having
found the door of the lavatory he went back
to the mortuary, stripped the sheet off the dead
body which was as cold as ice (in taking off the
sheet Vassily touched his hand), took the bags,
tied them together to make a rope, and carried
the rope to the lavatory. Then he attached it
to the cross-beam, and climbed down along it.
The rope did not reach the ground, but he did
not know how much was wanting. Anyhow, he
had to take the risk. He remained hanging in
the air, and then jumped down. His legs were
badly hurt, but he could still walk on. The
basement had two windows; he could have climbed
out of one of them but for the grating protecting
them. He had to break the grating, but there
was no tool to do it with. Vassily began to look
around him, and chanced on a piece of plank with
a sharp edge; armed with that weapon he tried
to loosen the bricks which held the grating. He
worked a long time at that task. The cock
crowed for the second time, but the grating still
held. At last he had loosened one side; and then
he pushed the plank under the loosened end and
pressed with all his force. The grating gave way
completely, but at that moment one of the bricks
fell down heavily. The noise could have been
heard by the sentry. Vassily stood motionless.
But silence reigned. He climbed out of the window.
His way of escape was to climb the wall.
An outhouse stood in the corner of the courtyard.
He had to reach its roof, and pass thence to the
top of the wall. But he would not be able to
reach the roof without the help of the plank; so
he had to go back through the basement window
to fetch it. A moment later he came out of the
window with the plank in his hands; he stood still
for a while listening to the steps of the sentry.
His expectations were justified. The sentry was
walking up and down on the other side of the
courtyard. Vassily came up to the outhouse,
leaned the plank against it, and began climbing.
The plank slipped and fell on the ground. Vassily
had his stockings on; he took them off so that
be could cling with his bare feet in coming down.
Then he leaned the plank again against the house,
and seized the water-pipe with his hands. If only
this time the plank would hold! A quick movement
up the water-pipe, and his knee rested on
the roof. The sentry was approaching. Vassily
lay motionless. The sentry did not notice him,
and passed on. Vassily leaped to his feet; the
iron roof cracked under him. Another step or
two, and he would reach the wall. He could
touch it with his hand now. He leaned forward
with one hand, then with the other, stretched out
his body as far as he could, and found himself
on the wall. Only, not to break his legs in jumping
down, Vassily turned round, remained hanging
in the air by his hands, stretched himself out,
loosened the grip of one hand, then the other.
"Help, me, God!" He was on the ground.
And the ground was soft. His legs were not
hurt, and he ran at the top of his speed. In a
suburb, Malania opened her door, and he crept
under her warm coverlet, made of small pieces
of different colours stitched together.