Calder had been looking steadily at him, and he saw that his eyes followed the spoken words.
"You understand English ?" said Calder.
The Arab could not answer with his lips, but a look of comprehension came into his face.
"Where do you come from ?" asked Calder.
The lips tried to move, but not so much as a whisper escaped from them.
Yet his eyes spoke, but spoke vainly.

For the most which they could tell was a great eagerness to answer.

Calder dropped upon his knee close by the man's head and, holding the lantern close, enunciated the towns.
"From Dongola ?" No gleam in the Arab's eyes responded to that name.
"From Metemneh?
From Berber?
From Omdurman?
Ah!" The Arab answered to that word.

He closed his eyelids.

Calder went on still more eagerly.
"You were wounded there?
No.