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 felt heavy and sore,
and for some time went stumbling in and out amongst trees. Presently I
came to a clear space; on one side I could see the town's shape drawn in
lighted lamps, and on the other a dark mass, which I think was forest;
in the distance too was a thin chain of lights. I thought: 'They must
be the lights of a bridge.' Just then the moon came out, and I could see
the river shining below. It was cold and damp, and I walked quickly.
At last I came out on a road, past houses and barking dogs, down to the
river bank; there I sat against a shed and went to sleep. I woke very
stiff. It was darker than before; the moon was gone. I could just see
the river. I stumbled on, to get through the town before dawn. It was
all black shapes-houses and sheds, and the smell of the river, the smell
of rotting hay, apples, tar, mud, fish; and here and there on a wharf a
lantern. I stumbled over casks and ropes and boxes; I saw I should never
get clear—the dawn had begun already on the other side. Some men came
from a house behind me. I bent, and crept behind some barrels. They
passed along the wharf; they seemed to drop into the river. I heard one
of them say: 'Passau before night.' I stood up and saw they had walked
on board a steamer which was lying head up-stream, with some barges in
tow. There was a plank laid to the steamer, and a lantern at the other
end. I could hear the fellows moving below deck, getting up steam. I ran
across the plank and crept to the end of the steamer. I meant to go with
them to Passau! The rope which towed the barges was nearly taut; and I
knew if I could get on to the barges I should be safe. I climbed down
on this rope and crawled along. I was desperate, I knew they'd soon be
coming up, and it was getting light. I thought I should fall into the
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