He was awakened suddenly by being seized by a party of Arabs, who, roughly shaking him, questioned him as to where he came from, and what he was doing there.

He saw at a glance that they were not with the party from which he had escaped, and he pointed to his lips to make signs that he was dumb.

The Arabs evidently suspected that something was wrong.

They examined the camel, and then the person of their captive.

The whiteness of his skin at once showed them that he was a Frank in disguise, and without more ado or questioning, they tied him hand and foot, flung him across the camel, and, mounting their own animals, rode rapidly away.
From the position of the sun, Cuthbert saw that they were making their course nearly due east, and therefore that it could not be their intention to take him to Jerusalem, which was to the north of the line they were following.