“I’d like to get rid of my load, too.” And Raymond looked around to see if by any chance there was a spot that was passably clean. There was no comfort to be found in examining the floor, or the plank bed, and he turned his attention to the walls. The house was built of rough stone, and the walls were not finished in any way on the inside. But rough as the walls were, there was no projection on which anything might be laid or from which it might be suspended. The window, which was about two feet square and was some five feet above the floor, was set with iron bars, but contained no glass. Raymond examined that, and said to his brother:-- “We can hang our things to these bars, Sid, if they are strong enough to hold anything, but they are nearly rusted through. Sid!” he continued in a tone of excitement, “I believe we can easily break these bars out.” And he grasped one to test it. “Hold on, Ray,” cried his brother; “don’t touch them now. We couldn’t get out until after dark, and if they found we had broken a bar, they would put us somewhere else.” “That’s so,” assented Raymond, “but I’m sure we can break them out. They’re not so smart, after all, with their filthy old jail.” “I expect if we do get out,” said Sidney, “that we’ll have a tough time in finding our way out of this town in the dark. My vague recollection of the place is that the streets are a regular Chinese puzzle.” “Well,” said Raymond, “we’ll be outside of this wretched place, anyway, and I’ll take my chances then on making a getaway.” They proceeded to suspend their blanket rolls and knapsacks from the bars, and had no more than disposed of their packs in that way when the door was thrown open and an official with two attendants entered. CHAPTER VIII AN ESCAPE The official who entered the jail gave instructions to his two subordinates and they proceeded to search the boys, but Sidney stepped back and raised his hand in appeal. “Wait,” he said, “I have a passport that will explain who we are.” He took the paper out from his breast pocket and presented it to the official, who regarded it curiously, but immediately returned it with a short comment which the boys, of course, could not understand. “I’ll bet he can’t read Russian,” said Raymond. “That’s so,” said one of the men in broken English, “he not speak Russian, only Lesghian.” “Hello!” exclaimed Raymond in surprise, “where did you learn English?” “I live New York.” “Why didn’t you stay there?” “I come home.” “Well, I’ll be jiggered! you leave New York to come back to such a place as this?” “Yes, I leave New York; I come back home.” “Do you read Russian?” asked Sidney. “No, not read Russian.” “Who is this officer?” “He chief polis.” “Tell him,” said Sidney, “that I have a passport which says that we are American citizens returning to America, and that all Russian officials are commanded by the Government to help us.” The man had a short conference with his superior and then turned to Sidney.