tunnel or what they were doing.’ Margulies’s visits became more regular and soon they had formed an attachment. Klara continued: ‘I can’t remember how we survived, my sister and I, before Mundek came along. We had no money, Manya had no work and was getting sick – and then he was there, wheeling and dealing.’
With each day Weiss and his group became more familiar with the chamber. Soon they were making journeys by themselves and taking the time to explore the new environment. Berestycki and Margulies wandered up one of the tunnels and discovered a pipe carrying fresh water. It cut across a tunnel at right-angles and was exposed for about two feet. With typical ingenuity, Berestycki plumbed a tap into the pipe for a constant supply of drinking water.
The most exhausting job was clearing the silt and mud from the floor of the tunnel, and the work was organized in shifts. Chiger, Berestycki and Weiss were on their way back to the shaft one afternoon, when they ran into the unexpected. Up ahead of them there was a glow from some lanterns. Strangers were approaching from the opposite direction. They turned and ran back towards the tunnel. They climbed inside and waited. Still the lanterns approached. They backed into the rear, pressing themselves against the wall. They could hear voices. Then someone called out, shouting to another a long way off.
‘That’s Wroblewski,’ said Weiss.
Chiger moved to the entrance and peered round the edge. Wroblewski and Kowalow were striding towards them. Wroblewski called out again and waved his lantern above his head. They were virtually at the entrance to the tunnel, yet he was still calling at the top of his voice. Chiger heard a reply from the other direction and understood what was happening. Away in the distance another group of lights was approaching. Chiger returned to the others and explained what he’d seen. Theylistened to Wroblewski and Kowalow getting closer, step across the mouth of the tunnel, and continue, still calling to the others up ahead. Eventually the men in the tunnel heard the two parties meet and start a conversation. Chiger decided to take another look to see what they were doing and moved back to the opening.
He seemed to be watching for ages.
‘What are they doing?’ asked Berestycki. Chiger moved back from the entrance.
‘Coming back this way.’
Gradually the voices grew louder again. Three, four, perhaps five men altogether. Chiger and the others moved deep into the back of the tunnel, trying to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible. The lanterns flashed past them, as Wroblewski, Kowalow and the strangers waded across the opening – and continued away again. The three men at the end of the tunnel remained in their lair until they could hear nothing but the sound of the river. Then they made their way back to the cellar.
The following day Socha paid them a visit.
‘You were all very lucky yesterday.’
‘Wroblewski didn’t see us. We hid in the tunnel.’
‘Of course they saw you. That’s why Wroblewski and Kowalow were there,’ explained Socha.
‘It doesn’t make sense. They walked straight passed us.’
‘Wroblewski knew that there would be another party of workers in that area, so they went down to watch out for them. They saw you on your way back to the cellar, realized that you had gone back into the tunnel and so just walked on past you to meet up with the other group.’
‘What were the other group of workers doing there?’
Socha shook his head and took a deep breath. ‘They had been ordered to escort some Germans to a spot not far from where you were working, to retrieve the body of an SS man that had been found hanging there. Some of your people had opened a manhole in the street, tied a piece of rope to the top rung of the ladder, put the other end round the German’s neck and pushed him down the manhole.’
Action by the resistance was always a double-edged sword.While keeping alive the prospect of
With each day Weiss and his group became more familiar with the chamber. Soon they were making journeys by themselves and taking the time to explore the new environment. Berestycki and Margulies wandered up one of the tunnels and discovered a pipe carrying fresh water. It cut across a tunnel at right-angles and was exposed for about two feet. With typical ingenuity, Berestycki plumbed a tap into the pipe for a constant supply of drinking water.
The most exhausting job was clearing the silt and mud from the floor of the tunnel, and the work was organized in shifts. Chiger, Berestycki and Weiss were on their way back to the shaft one afternoon, when they ran into the unexpected. Up ahead of them there was a glow from some lanterns. Strangers were approaching from the opposite direction. They turned and ran back towards the tunnel. They climbed inside and waited. Still the lanterns approached. They backed into the rear, pressing themselves against the wall. They could hear voices. Then someone called out, shouting to another a long way off.
‘That’s Wroblewski,’ said Weiss.
Chiger moved to the entrance and peered round the edge. Wroblewski and Kowalow were striding towards them. Wroblewski called out again and waved his lantern above his head. They were virtually at the entrance to the tunnel, yet he was still calling at the top of his voice. Chiger heard a reply from the other direction and understood what was happening. Away in the distance another group of lights was approaching. Chiger returned to the others and explained what he’d seen. Theylistened to Wroblewski and Kowalow getting closer, step across the mouth of the tunnel, and continue, still calling to the others up ahead. Eventually the men in the tunnel heard the two parties meet and start a conversation. Chiger decided to take another look to see what they were doing and moved back to the opening.
He seemed to be watching for ages.
‘What are they doing?’ asked Berestycki. Chiger moved back from the entrance.
‘Coming back this way.’
Gradually the voices grew louder again. Three, four, perhaps five men altogether. Chiger and the others moved deep into the back of the tunnel, trying to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible. The lanterns flashed past them, as Wroblewski, Kowalow and the strangers waded across the opening – and continued away again. The three men at the end of the tunnel remained in their lair until they could hear nothing but the sound of the river. Then they made their way back to the cellar.
The following day Socha paid them a visit.
‘You were all very lucky yesterday.’
‘Wroblewski didn’t see us. We hid in the tunnel.’
‘Of course they saw you. That’s why Wroblewski and Kowalow were there,’ explained Socha.
‘It doesn’t make sense. They walked straight passed us.’
‘Wroblewski knew that there would be another party of workers in that area, so they went down to watch out for them. They saw you on your way back to the cellar, realized that you had gone back into the tunnel and so just walked on past you to meet up with the other group.’
‘What were the other group of workers doing there?’
Socha shook his head and took a deep breath. ‘They had been ordered to escort some Germans to a spot not far from where you were working, to retrieve the body of an SS man that had been found hanging there. Some of your people had opened a manhole in the street, tied a piece of rope to the top rung of the ladder, put the other end round the German’s neck and pushed him down the manhole.’
Action by the resistance was always a double-edged sword.While keeping alive the prospect of
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