He replied "yes" or "no" without seeming to understand. Some of his comrades said that the captain was a republican; as to him, he had no idea--it was all the same to him.
Il disait oui, il disait non, sans avoir l'air de comprendre; des camarades racontaient que le capitaine était républicain; quant a lui, il n'avait pas d'idée, ça lui était égal.