Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Prison Break

After the two officers, the sergeant major, and the North African cavalry had left, Olebe slipped along the stone railing to look around. After the footsteps died down the path, a Tuareg waved his companion to follow him. Gemma, her son, and Ahmet quickly caught up with him, taking a narrow path next to some uninhabited shabby houses, which led diagonally to the fortress. From this side, the oasis is deserted, and the noise of the densely populated area is not reflected at all.It was completely dark, and the heavy dark clouds covered the earth like a thick cover, lifeless.Even the last draft out to sea brought little of the muffled crash of the waves crashing on the beach.

It took only a quarter of an hour for Auber to arrive at the agreed new meeting point, a small, low hall, a cafe or tavern run by market vendors on the eastern Mediterranean coast.The merchant has been in business, and one may trust his fidelity by paying him a large sum of money as security, promising to double it when the business is done.In this case, it would be beneficial to involve him in the matter. Harik was among the Tuaregs gathered in this small café.He was one of Adyar's most loyal and courageous supporters.A few days earlier he had been caught fighting and abusing in the Rue de Gabes, and taken to the prison in the fortress.During the few days he spent in the public courtyard, he had no trouble getting in touch with his chief.What could be more natural than the mutual attraction of two people of the same race?It was not known that this Harik belonged to the gang of Adiyar gangsters.

When the battle broke out, he was able to escape with Gemma's cooperation.Then, returning to Gabes according to the plan agreed upon with Soar and Ahmet, he used his imprisonment to coordinate Adyar's escape. What was important to him, however, was his release before the arrival of the ship that was sure to be carrying the Tuareg chief, and which was now marking the way through the Cape of Good Hope, was about to drop anchor in the Gulf of Gabes.Therefore, Haric must be able to leave the fortress on time and consult with his companions.The escape must be done tonight, before dawn it will be too late.When the sun came out, Adiyar was transferred to the Shanz, and it was no longer possible to rescue him from the military authorities.

It was in this situation that the trader intervened: he knew the warden of the fortress prison.After a disturbance in the streets, a minor punishment was announced for Harik, which was over on the first day, but Harik, impatient, was not released.Therefore, it is inconceivable that he should be severely punished for violating the prison rules, and he should know how to deal with it, especially when Harrick has to get the way to open the gate of the fortress in person before dark. So the vendor decided to approach the prison guard, who was happy to sit at a table in his coffee shop in his free time.As soon as it was dark the merchants were on their way, making their way to the fortress.

The method of approaching the guard is not necessary. After the successful escape, this method seems suspicious.As the merchant approached the secret passage of the fortress, a person passed him by. It was Harrick, and he recognized the Levander, so these two were the only ones walking the path to the fort.They have no fear of being seen, heard, or even watched or followed.Harrick is no longer a rescued prisoner, but a prisoner who has been punished and escaped. "Where is Adiyar?..." the vendor asked as soon as he opened his mouth. "He already knows," Harrick replied.

"Just tonight?" "Just tonight. So what about Soar, Ahmet, and Olebe?" "They will meet you in time." At the end of ten minutes Harrick joined his accomplice in the low café, and, taking precautions, remained outside to watch the way. An hour later, only the old Tuareg woman and her son were led by Aurebe into the café, where Harik asked them what was going on. During the days that Harik was held in custody, he had been in touch with Adiyar.The fact that two Tuaregs are in the same prison and communicating with each other can only arouse suspicion.Moreover, the Tuareg chief had to be taken to Tunisia soon, while Harik was to be released soon.

When Gemma and her companions came to the peddler, the first question posed to Haric was posed by Soal in these words: "What about my brother?" "What happened to my son?" the old woman added. "Adiyar has been informed," Harik replied. "As I came out of the fort we heard the cannon of Shanz...Adiyar knew he was going to be loaded there tomorrow morning, and tonight he was going to escape..." "If it is delayed until 12 o'clock, he will have no time..." "He can't make it," Gemma babbled hoarsely. "With our help, he will succeed." Harrick declared decisively.

"Then how to help him?" Soal asked. Here's how Harrick explains it: Adiyar's overnight cell occupies a corner of the bunker, on the part of the parapet that rises towards the sea, the bottom of which is washed by the waters of the bay.A narrow patio adjoined this cell, the passage of which was still free to the prisoners, and could not be passed through the high walls. An opening in one corner of the patio led to a gutter outside the parapet, closed by a metal grating, and opened about ten yards above sea level. However, Adiyar found that the fence was broken, and the iron rods were corroded by the salty air and rusted.When night fell, it was not difficult to remove the iron fence, and it was possible to climb all the way to the opening outside.

So, how did Adiyar actually achieve the escape?Jumping into the sea can he get to the nearest beach and bypass the bunker? ...has he the age and strength to venture in the bay, in the currents that rush out to sea? The leader of the Tuareg people is not yet 40 years old, tall, fair skin bronzed by the fiery sun in Africa, thin but strong, familiar with all the physical training to keep the body strong for a long time, In view of the native abstinence custom, which is different from that of the natives, the people's food is generally corn, figs, dates, and dairy products, which guarantee the nourishment and make him strong and durable.

It is not for nothing that Adiyar did have an influence on Tuvat and the nomadic Tuaregs of the Sahara who are now pushing down the Tunisian salt lakes.He is wise and brave.Like these Tuaregs with their mother's blood in their veins, he got these qualities from his mother.Among the Tuaregs, a woman is worth a man, and she will have her revenge.It is because of this that the son of a slave father and a noble woman is of noble blood.Not the other way around.All Gemma's abilities can be found in her sons. Since Gemma became a widow 20 years ago, her children have always been by her side.Under her influence, Adiyar acquired the qualities of an apostle, handsome in appearance, with a black beard, bright eyes, and a resolute character.So if he wanted to lead the tribes against the foreigners or send them into holy war, all the tribes would follow him through the vastness of Jared if he called.

Therefore, this is a young man, but without outside help, he cannot successfully escape from prison.In fact, he didn't have to reach the gutter opening after he'd forced the grate open.Adiyar knew the bay, he knew that there were strong currents in the bay, although the current was weaker at ebb tide, he was in the great basin of the Mediterranean Sea, he knew that no swimmer could withstand these currents, the currents would Take him out to sea, and there's no way he'll gain a foothold on the sands upstream or downstream from the fort. Thus, he had to find the lifeboat at the top of the passage at the angle between the parapet and the fort. This is what Harrick told his accomplices. As soon as he had finished speaking, the merchant said happily: "I have a boat over there, you can use..." "Will you lead me?" Soal asked. "By the time……" "You do your job...we do ours," Harrick added, "we'll pay you twice as much as we agreed, and if we succeed..." "You will succeed," said the peddler firmly.This Levant man was speaking from his business status, and he saw nothing but business out of all this, and he hoped to make a fortune out of it. Soar stood up and said: "What time is Adiyar waiting for us?" "Between eleven and twelve," Harrick answered. "The boat has to get there early," Soal retorted. "As soon as my brother is on board, we'll take him to the Hermit's Tomb, where the horses are ready..." "There," remarked the peddler, "you can never be seen, you're on the beach, and there's no one there until morning..." "But what about the boat?" Auber asked. "Just drag it up to the sand, and there I'll find it," replied the vendor. There is only one problem to solve. "Which of us is going to meet Adiyar?" Ahmet asked. "Me," Soal replied. "I'll go with you," said the old Tuareg lady. "No, mother, no," Soal declared, "we can row the boat to the fort with just two of us... You will raise suspicions if you meet people... You should go to the hermit's tomb... Aureb and Ahmai I will go there with you...Harrick and I row the boat, and bring my brother..." Soal was right, Gemma understood, and said only: "When will we break up?..." "In a moment," Soal answered, "in half an hour you will be at the Hermit's Tomb... Half an hour ago we rowed to the foot of the bunker, and hid in the parapet, where we could not be found... If my brother I didn't show up at the appointed time, so I'll try... yes! I'll try to get to him..." "Yes, my son, yes! . . . because if he doesn't escape tonight, we shall never see him . . . ever!" Time is up.Olebe and Ahmet went ahead, on the path leading to the market.Gemma followed them, ducking into the shadows as a squad passed them by.Occasionally there might be a face to face with Sergeant Nicole, she was almost recognized by him. There is no danger after crossing the oasis. I walked along the foot of the sand dunes until I reached the tomb of the hermit, and I didn't meet a single person. After a while, Soal and Harik came out of the café.They knew where the peddler's boat was, and they preferred that the peddler not follow them: he might be spotted by passers-by some night. It's about nine o'clock.Soal and his companions headed upstream toward the fortress.They rowed along the south-facing part of the fence. There was silence inside and outside the fortress. In the tranquil atmosphere where even the faintest breath could not pass through, any noise could be heard, and the heavy dark clouds covered the entire sky. Once on the beach, Soal and Harik regained some of their vigor, as some fishermen passed by, some returning with their catch, and others rejoining their small boats for the depths of the harbour.Here and there fires pierced the night sky, and more and more fires spread in all directions.At half a kilometer, the cruiser Shands appeared, revealed by strong signal lights, which outlined the lights on the sea. Carefully avoiding the fishermen, the two Tuaregs made their way to the breakwater that was being built at the end of the port. At the foot of the breakwater tied the merchant's boat.As he expected, Harrick was sure that the warship was parked in this position an hour ago.Two oars touched the sand, and they could only take them to the boat. Soal grabbed Harrick's arm just as he was about to retract the anchor.Two customs officers patrolling the beach came this way.Possibly they knew the owner of the boat, and were surprised to see Soal and his companions intending to take it for themselves.It is best not to arouse suspicion at all, and not to ask the whole secret of this attempt.The two customs officers must have asked Soar what he was doing with the boat without fishing gear, the two Tuaregs could not be considered fishermen. So they went upstream to the beach again, and hid at the foot of the breakwater without being seen. They stayed there for a good half an hour, and it was assumed that they must be impatient because they saw the two clerks in the place.Will the two clerks be on guard until morning? ...No, the two employees finally walked away. So Soar walked towards the beach, and when the customs officer had disappeared into the darkness, he beckoned his companion to follow him. The boat was towed onto the beach.Harrick got into the boat.Then Soal cast the anchor forward, and boarded the ship also. At the same time, the two oars also cooperated, slowly shaking, dragging the boat, and the boat circled the protruding embankment of the breakwater, and rowed along the base of the parapet immersed in the water of the bay. It took a quarter of an hour for Harik and Soar to round the corner of the fortress and stop at the opening of the gutter, where Adiyar was about to escape... The Tuareg chief was in a solitary cell, where he was expected to spend his last night.An hour earlier, the guards had left him and closed the door to the patio of the aforementioned single cell with a heavy latch.Adiyar was waiting for his moment of action with the extraordinary endurance of a fatalistic Arab, and he controlled himself in every way.He had heard the cannon from the Shands.Little did he know that the cruiser was coming, he knew he would be embarking here tomorrow, that he would never see the Lagoon and the Salt Lakeland, this place of Jared!But the hope of trying to succeed was combined with his conviction to convert to Muslim.How he hoped to escape by passing through the narrow passage, he was sure of it, but could his companions get a boat and stay right at the foot of the wall? ... An hour passed.From time to time Adiyar came out of the cell and stood at the entrance of the gutter to listen.The sound of a boat coming over the parapet came to him clearly.But, hearing no sound, he returned to his original place and stood there motionless. Sometimes he went to the small patio gate to listen, and saw the guard walking about, who was worried that someone would try to get him on board at night.There was no sound at the walls of the fortress, only the footsteps of sentries on the bunker platform broke the silence from time to time. But midnight was approaching, and he made a pact with Harik that Adyar would tear down the fence and reach the top of the passage half an hour before.Had the boat been there now, he would have been on board there at once.If the boat didn't arrive, he would have to wait until the faint morning light appeared, who knows?Wasn't he going to swim away, then, and risk being swept away by the current that crossed Little Sandbank Bay?This was his only and last chance to escape execution. So Adyar came out, and having judged that no one was coming towards the courtyard, he rearranged his clothes again, wrapped them tightly around his body, and slipped into the passage. The narrow passage was about thirty yards long, and just wide enough for a man of medium stature to pass.Adiyar had to crawl against the inner wall so that his blanket was torn in several places, and it was with great difficulty that he reached the fence. As you know, the fence is in dilapidated condition.The iron rod is unbearable to be hit by a small stone in the hand.It took only five or six shakes and it came off.Then Adiyar twisted it against the inner wall and the passage was clear. The Tuareg chief had only to climb another two meters to reach the outer opening, which was the most difficult because the passage narrowed at the top.But Adiyar succeeded, and he didn't have to wait there. About this time he heard someone say: "Here we are, Adiyar..." In a last-ditch effort, Adiar has the front of his body poking out of the exit, 10 feet above the water. Harrick and Thor rose to his feet, and just as they were about to drag him out, they heard footsteps.They probably thought that the voice came from the small courtyard, a guard was sent to escort the prisoner, and asked him to leave immediately... The prisoner disappeared, and the fortress was put on alert... Fortunately, nothing happened.Sentinels patrolling close to the parapet of the main tower of the castle made this sound.The approach of the boat caught his attention.But from the position the sentinel took up he could not see the boat, and in the dark of night such a small boat was impossible to see. Still, caution must be exercised.After a while, Soar and Harik grabbed Adyar by the shoulders and pulled him out little by little until he was sitting beside them. The boat was thrown out to sea with a jerk, preferring not to follow the walls of the fortress nor the beach, but to go up the bay to the heights of the hermit's tomb.Also, one needs to avoid the many boats coming out of and back into the harbour, as the quiet nights are good for fishermen.As he passed the Shanz, Adiyar stood up again, folded his arms across his chest, and cast a look of hatred... Then, without saying a word, he sat down on the back seat of the ship again. After half an hour they disembarked from the boat onto the beach, dragged the boat ashore, and the Tuareg chief and his two companions made their way to the hermit's tomb, where they met no one. Gemma rushed to her son, held him in her arms, and said only one word: "Come!" Then she turned to the corner of the hermit's tomb and reunited with Ahmet and Olebe. Three horses were waiting, ready to charge their riders forward. Adiyar got into the saddle, followed by Harik and Olebe. "Come on," Gemma said when she saw her son again, and this time she was one word: "Go ahead," she said, pointing again to Jared's shadowy area. After a while, Adiyar, Olebe, and Harik disappeared into the night. The old Tuareg woman and Soar stayed in the hermit's tomb until morning.She was looking forward to Ahmet's return to Gabes.Has her son's escape been discovered? ...Is the news breaking in the Oasis?Did the authorities send a detachment to hunt down the fugitive?In what direction did they go through Jared to find him?Will the movement against the Tuareg leader and his followers capture him again? This was what Gemma wanted to know before setting off for the salt lake region.But when Ahmet wandered around Gabes, he couldn't know anything.He even made a beeline for the fortress.He passed the merchant's house again, and the merchant knew that the escape had been successful, and finally Adiyar was free to cross the desolate desert. Besides, Vendor hadn't heard that word of the escape had spread, and of course he must have been one of the first to know if word had spread. However, the light of morning dawned early on the horizon east of the bay.Ahmet was unwilling to delay for too long.It is important that the old woman leaves the hermit's tomb before dawn, because she is famous, and if her son is not caught, she will definitely be arrested. In this way, when the night was still thick, Ahmet caught up with her, and under his leadership, she walked up the road to the sand dunes. The next day, a small boat from the cruiser arrived in port to transport the prisoners to the riverboat. When guards opened the cell where Adial was being held, he could only signal that the Tuareg chief was missing.Under what circumstances the escape took place, it was too easy to search through the gutters, the gratings of the gutters had been removed.Adiyar was trying to escape by swimming. In this case, is it possible that he was swept out to sea by the current in the bay? ...or had he been transported in a small boat by his accomplices somewhere along the coast? ... This cannot be determined. In addition, searches around the oasis were fruitless.The escapees left no trace.There was neither living nor dead, either on the plains of Jared or in the waters of the little sandbar.