मेरा आजीवन कारावास / माझी जन्मठेप (स्वातंत्र्यवीर सावरकर - काले पानी का ऐतिहासिक संस्मरण)

his seat. They sent for the Havildar. He tried his best to bring the man round. But the
latter quietly said to him, "Look here, Havildar, I must have a full bite for each morsel
that I take in, or else I may not digest it. To gulp down one's food was a sure way to spoil
the stomach and I won't do it." Discomfitted, the Havildar took the complaint to Mr.
Barrie. All others used to be frightened out of their wits to hear that Mr. Barrie was
coming. Mr. Barrie came and this gentleman kept on eating as if nothing had happened
Mr. Barrie shouted at him and expostulated, "All the prisoners have gone back to their
work, and you are still at your meals. Do you take yourself to be a gentleman-at-large?
Who will finish your work? I will break your bones, remember it too well " Biting slowly
and deliberately the food in his mouth, he said to Mr. Barrie, with a calm and smiling
face, "Sir, I am not Idling away my time. Medical science Insists that a man must give, at
least, ten bites to every morsel that he chews. Our digestion, you know well, begins with
this process in the mouth, and one dare not hurry over it. " Full of fury, Mr. Barrie abused
him for that information, and declared with a loud voice that he would proceed against
him the following morning for such breach of discipline. Softly our prisoner answered,
"Look here, Sir, from ten to twelve is our time for rest, during which you have often
forced us back to work. If anyone is unlawful in this affair is it not you? I have broken no
law." Mr. Barrie was taken aback, for he did break the law, as the prisoner had brought it
home to him. Mr. Barrie told him to go on with his food as long as he liked, but when he
had finished it, he must return to work forthwith, and that if he did not finish in time his
allotted work, he would not spare him, for anything in the world, but flay him alive with
the strikes of his cane. He said this and walked away, sad at heart and stamping his feet
for the insult he had received before all the prisoners in that part of the building. How
much he would have liked to thrash and make an example of him before the whole world
! But he knew full well that, in spate of kicks and fisticuffs, the political prisoners had
gone beyond his power to control them and was, therefore, uneasy at heart that they were
on the verge of a general strike.

<div align="center">Another Principle</div> The gentleman had at length finished his dinner. And the petty officer, the jamadar and the Havildar felt relieved in mend. They brought him to his cell and locked him in for his usual round of work. They beseeched him to proceed with the work as he had finished his food as he had desired. For, if the prisoner fabled in his task, it was the Jamadar that Incurred severe censure from Mr. Barrie. Having tried thus to win him by flattery, they left the place for their usual rounds. When they returned after a time, with the full expectation that the prisoner was hard at work, to their utter dismay, they found him at full length in his bed, fast asleep and snoring and with a Konkat covering his body and face. The Jamadar was full of exasperation and shouted, "O, the devil that you are, what is wrong with you that you pester me so? It is already twelve now, you had your meal, why don't you began work, I wonder." Our prisoner opened his eyes, signed them not to make such an uproar. He then said, "Jamadar, if I were to turn the oil-mill immediately after my meal, I shall not digest my food. To take a little nap after meals was a good rule of health; my grand-father always used to tell me so. " The prisoners all round burst into a roar of laughter The Jamadar lost his temper, but had not courage to go