The Arabs approached the man cautiously. He is lying still, like someone who had died, and he is no longer trying to wave the flag.
One of the Arabs jumps out of the saddle and lifts him from the ground while the others watch the fort as the officer orders. The officer also dismounts his horse. The Arab has to hold firmly onto the man. Otherwise, he sags to the ground again, as his legs are like rubber. His eyes are closed, he is drooling, and his head hangs loosely onto his chest. The officer grabs him by the fringe, pulls his head backward, and slaps him a couple of times hard through his face.
“What is going on here, and who are you?”
As soon as the officer releases the man’s hair, his head sags forward again, and the officer repeats the process, but this time he slaps him even harde
