Chapter 10It is sundown. A red glow lies over the desert to the west, and long shadows are lying over the square inside the fort of Dini Salam.
Captain D’Arlan is standing in front of a mirror in his room, and he is knotting his military tie neatly. He brushes his gray hair and puts his officer’s cap on. After that, he throws his cloak, with the red lining, over his shoulders, and takes up his military staff. He touches his revolver’s bag, and he feels the bulging of the big Luger.
Captain D’Arlan is ready now, to hand this famous French fort over to the Arabs.
In the dormitory, the soldiers also make sure that they look their best.
“This is surely the last time, that we will clothe ourselves in this room,” somebody says nearly melancholic, and the men look at one another meaningfully.
