Page 76 - down-and-out-in-paris-and-london

without giving a true idea of it. The chargings to and fro in
the narrow passages, the collisions, the yells, the struggling
with crates and trays and blocks of ice, the heat, the dark-
ness, the furious festering quarrels which there was no time
to fight out—they pass description. Anyone coming into the
basement for the first time would have thought himself in
a den of maniacs. It was only later, when I understood the
working of a hotel, that I saw order in all this chaos.
At half past eight the work stopped very suddenly. We
were not free till nine, but we used to throw ourselves full
length on the floor, and lie there resting our legs, too lazy
even to go to the ice cupboard for a drink. Sometimes the
CHEF DU PERSONNEL would come in with bottles of
beer, for the hotel stood us an extra beer when we had had a
hard day. The food we were given was no more than eatable,
but the PATRON was not mean about drink; he allowed us
two litres of wine a day each, knowing that if a PLONGEUR
is not given two litres he will steal three. We had the heel-
taps of bottles as well, so that we often drank too much—a
good thing, for one seemed to work faster when partially
drunk.
Four days of the week passed like this; of the other two
working days, one was better and one worse. After a week
of this life I felt in need of a holiday. It was Saturday night,
so the people in our BISTRO were busy getting drunk, and
with a free day ahead of me I was ready to join them. We
all went to bed, drunk, at two in the morning, meaning to
sleep till noon. At half past five I was suddenly awakened.
A night-watchman, sent from the hotel, was standing at my