noon
We entered . The Enormous Room received us in silence . The door was slammed and locked behind us by the _ planton _ , whom we could hear descending the gnarled and filthy stairs . In the course of a half-hour , which time , as I was informed , intervened between the just-ended morning promenade and the noon meal which was the next thing on the program , I gleaned considerable information concerning the daily schedule of La Ferté . A typical day was divided by planton-cries as follows : '' _ Café _ , '' '' _ Corvée d'eau _ , '' '' _ Nettoyage de Chambre _ , '' '' _ Monter les Hommes _ , '' '' _ A la soupe les hommes _ . '' The most terrible cry of all , and which was not included in the regular program of planton-cries , consisted of the words : '' _ Aux douches les hommes _ '' -- when all , sick , dead and dying not excepted , descended to the baths . Although _ les douches _ came only once in 15 days , such was the terror they inspired that it was necessary for the _ planton _ to hunt under mattresses for people who would have preferred death itself .