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and had some beer。 When I came out I sat on the same seat in the
Square。 I meant to wait till dark and then walk out of the city and
take the train at some little station; but while I was sitting there
I went to sleep。 A policeman woke me。 He had my wig in his hand。
〃'Why do you wear a wig?' he said。
〃I answered: 'Because I am bald。'
〃'No;' he said; 'you're not bald; you've been shaved。 I can feel the
hair coming。'
〃He put his finger on my head。 I felt reckless and laughed。
〃'Ah!' he said; 'you'll come with me and explain all this; your nose
and eyes are looked for。'
〃I went with him quietly to the police…station。。。。〃
Harz seemed carried away by his story。 His quick dark face worked;
his steel…grey eyes stared as though he were again passing through
all these long…past emotions。
The hot sun struck down; Christian drew herself together; sitting
with her hands clasped round her knees。
X
〃I didn't care by then what came of it。 I didn't even think what I
was going to say。 He led me down a passage to a room with bars
across the windows and long seats; and maps on the walls。 We sat and
waited。 He kept his eye on me all the time; and I saw no hope。
Presently the Inspector came。 'Bring him in here;' he said; I
remember feeling I could kill him for ordering me about! We went
into the next room。 It had a large clock; a writing…table; and a
window; without bars; looking on a courtyard。 Long policemen's coats
and caps were hanging from some pegs。 The Inspector told me to take
off my cap。 I took it off; wig and all。 He asked me who I was; but
I refused to answer。 Just then there was a loud sound of voices in
the room we had come from。 The Inspector told the policeman to look
after me; and went to see what it was。 I could hear him talking。 He
called out: 'Come here; Becker!' I stood very quiet; and Becker went
towards the door。 I heard the Inspector say: 'Go and find Schwartz;
I will see after this fellow。' The policeman went; and the Inspector
stood with his back to me in the half…open door; and began again to
talk to the man in the other room。 Once or twice he looked round at
me; but I stood quiet all the time。 They began to disagree; and
their voices got angry。 The Inspector moved a little into the other
room。 'Now!' I thought; and slipped off my cloak。 I hooked off a
policeman's coat and cap; and put them on。 My heart beat till I felt
sick。 I went on tiptoe to the window。 There was no one outside; but
at the entrance a man was holding some horses。 I opened the window a
little and held my breath。 I heard the Inspector say: 'I will report
you for impertinence!' and slipped through the window。 The coat came
down nearly to my heels; and the cap over my eyes。 I walked up to
the man with the horses; and said: 'Good…evening。' One of the horses
had begun to kick; and he only grunted at me。 I got into a passing
tram; it was five minutes to the West Bahnhof; I got out there。
There was a train starting; they were shouting 'Einsteigen!' I ran。
The collector tried to stop me。 I shouted: 'Businessimportant!'
He let me by。 I jumped into a carriage。 The train started。〃
He paused; and Christian heaved a sigh。
Harz went on; twisting a twig of ivy in his hands: 〃There was another
man in the carriage reading a paper。 Presently I said to him; 'Where
do we stop first?' 'St。 Polten。' Then I knew it was the Munich
expressSt。 Polten; Amstetten; Linz; and Salzburgfour stops before
the frontier。 The man put down his paper and looked at me; he had a
big fair moustache and rather shabby clothes。 His looking at me
disturbed me; for I thought every minute he would say: 'You're no
policeman!' And suddenly it came into my mind that if they looked
for me in this train; it would be as a policeman!they would know;
of course; at the station that a policeman had run past at the last
minute。 I wanted to get rid of the coat and cap; but the man was
there; and I didn't like to move out of the carriage for other people
to notice。 So I sat on。 We came to St。 Polten at last。 The man in
my carriage took his bag; got out; and left his paper on the seat。
We started again; I breathed at last; and as soon as I could took the
cap and coat and threw them out into the darkness。 I thought: 'I
shall get across the frontier now。' I took my own cap out and found
the moustache Luigi gave me; rubbed my clothes as clean as possible;
stuck on the moustache; and with some little ends of chalk in my
pocket made my eyebrows light; then drew some lines in my face to
make it older; and pulled my cap well down above my wig。 I did it
pretty wellI was quite like the man who had got out。 I sat in his
corner; took up his newspaper; and waited for Amstetten。 It seemed a
tremendous time before we got there。 From behind my paper I could
see five or six policemen on the platform; one quite close。 He
opened the door; looked at me; and walked through the carriage into
the corridor。 I took some tobacco and rolled up a cigarette; but it
shook; 〃Harz lifted the ivy twig; 〃like this。 In a minute the
conductor and two more policemen came。 'He was here;' said the
conductor; 'with this gentleman。' One of them looked at me; and
asked: 'Have you seen a policeman travelling on this train?' 'Yes;'
I said。 'Where?' 'He got out at St。 Polten。' The policeman asked
the conductor: 'Did you see him get out there?' The conductor shook
his head。 I said: 'He got out as the train was moving。' 'Ah!' said
the policeman; 'what was he like?' 'Rather short; and no moustache。
Why?' ' Did you notice anything unusual?' 'No;' I said; 'only that
he wore coloured trousers。 What's the matter?' One policeman said
to the other: 'That's our man! Send a telegram to St。 Polten; he has
more than an hour's start。' He asked me where I was going。 I told
him: 'Linz。' 'Ah!' he said; 'you'll have to give evidence; your name
and address please?' 'Josef Reinhardt; 17 Donau Strasse。' He wrote
it down。 The conductor said: 'We are late; can we start?' They shut
the door。 I heard them say to the conductor: 'Search again at Linz;
and report to the Inspector there。' They hurried on to the platform;
and we started。 At first I thought I would get out as soon as the
train had left the station。 Then; that I should be too far from the
frontier; better to go on to Linz and take my chance there。 I sat
still and tried not to think。
After a long time; we began to run more slowly。 I put my head out
and could see in the distance a ring of lights hanging in the
blackness。 I loosened the carriage door and waited for the train to
run slower still; I didn't mean to go into Linz like a rat into a
trap。 At last I could wait no longer; I opened the door; jumped and
fell into some bushes。 I was not much hurt; but bruised; and the
breath knocked out of me。 As soon as I could; I crawled out。 It was
very dark。 I f