midday
For two days they marched through the gloomy forest with all speed . On the third day one of the men of Durnovo 's division captured a native who had been prowling on their heels in the line of march . Victor Durnovo sent captor and prisoner to the front of the column , with a message to Oscard that he would come presently and see what information was to be abstracted from the captive . At the midday halt Durnovo accordingly joined Oscard , and the man was brought before them . He was hardly worthy of the name , so disease-stricken , so miserable and half-starved was he . At first Durnovo and he did not seem to be able to get to an understanding at all ; but presently they hit upon a dialect in which they possessed a small common knowledge . His news was not reassuring .