About four in the afternoon
It proved to be the best meal that Tristram had swallowed since his misfortunes began , there being a pint of soup to each man in addition to the usual brown bread . After devouring it , Tristram sat with his back to the wall , wondering if the three ruffians would renew their attack ; but they appeared to have forgotten their resentment , and even his presence . Some of his fellow-miserables fell to chatting ; others to plaiting ropes out of the straw on which they lay ; while some occupied themselves in keeping a look out for the rats that swarmed everywhere and stole out in the dim light to gnaw the pieces of bread which the prisoners saved and hid away for future use . About four in the afternoon the great door was flung open again and the chief jailer appeared , with four turnkeys and the soldiers of the prison guard , all armed to the teeth with pistols , swords and bayonets . Their object , it turned out , was to examine the four walls and the floor very minutely , to see if the prisoners were making any holes or planning any attempt to escape . They spent a full half an hour in routing out the prisoners and searching high and low with their lanterns , using great roughness and the most abominable talk . Tristram watched their movements for some time , but at length curled himself up in his corner , which had already been explored .