The doctor's patient needed his help badly, for the exertion of the
journey and triumphant entry had taxed his strength too much, and once
more he was fully under the Hakim's charge, and was carried by his
orders to the quarters assigned to the party and their following, on one
side of the low, rambling place, and quite distinct.
It was while the doctor was busily tending the sufferer in the shady
room looking out on the greenery of the court, that the Emir himself,
freshly dismounted after seeing to the bestowal of the trophies of the
incursion, came in, to stand gravely aside, _waiting_ patiently till the
Hakim, satisfied that he could do no more, left the coarse divan upon
which the patient lay, and signed to the father that he might approach.
The doctor and his assistants drew back with the Sheikh, who stayed in
the rough chamber to act as interpreter, the professor's Arabic being
only an unsatisfactory mode of conversation, and all save the Hakim
looked away.
But there was no need for the latter's watchfulness, the Emir seeming to
have a perfect knowledge of what was necessary, and full confidence in
the great man's power. Hence it was that he contented himself with
going down on one knee by his son's side and laying a hand upon the
insensible man's brow for a few minutes before rising, and turning to
the Sheikh--
"Ask the Hakim if he will live," he said stoically.
The answer was given directly. "Yes, but the recovery has been thrown
back."
The Emir uttered a low, deep sigh, and bowed his head. Then turning to
the Hakim he took a great, clumsy-looking ring from one finger, and,
bending low, he offered it to his prisoner.
To his surprise it was declined, but in a grave and smiling way,
accompanied too with gestures which seemed to say, "I need no payment; I
am beyond such trifles as these."
The effect was striking, for the Emir stood for a few moments gazing at
his captive with something like awe. Then, catching at the Hakim's
hand, he pressed it for a moment against his forehead, and strode out of
the room.
"Humph!" ejaculated the professor, as soon as they were alone. "I
almost wish you had taken that ring, old fellow. It was curiously
antique."
"I thought it better not, Fred," said the doctor quietly. "Let's keep
up my character of one who seeks only to do good and heal."
"Yes, you're right, old fellow; but an ancient gem like that is
tempting. It may be a thousand years old."
"And now about obtaining news of Hal," said Frank, looking from one to
the other. "They surely are not going to keep us shut up here?"
"A little patience, Frank, lad," said the professor; "here we are,
within the walls of Omdurman, and received as friends; it cannot be long
before we find out whether there are other prisoners here."
"Whether there are other prisoners here!" cried Frank excitedly. "Why,
we know."
"That poor Hal was either here or at Khartoum months ago. We must not
be too sanguine. He may be many miles away."
"You may be right," said Frank wearily, "and I will not be sanguine; but
if you begin dealing with probabilities and improbabilities, I may reply
that it is quite possible that Hal is here in Omdurman--that he may even
be in this very house. We know that he was a prisoner, do we not?"
"Of course," said the professor.
"Then he would be the slave of some important man?"
"Certainly, my dear boy."
"Well, this Emir seems to be one of the most important men here; why may
not fate have brought us to the very place?"
"Ah, why not, Frank, lad? But it is too improbable."
"Yes," said the doctor, in his quiet, grave way; "far too improbable.
Still, it is wonderful that we should have reached the very centre of
the enemy's stronghold, and, what is more, that we should stand so well
with this Emir. Be patient, Frank, and let us see what a few days bring
forth. The Sheikh will begin at once, and he is a hundred times more
likely to gain information than we are."
"And the first thing to learn is how we stand."
They began to find that out directly, for the coming and going of their
guard, and a few questions from the Sheikh, supplied the information
that this man had them in charge and was answerable to his chief for
their safety, the Emir having quite made up his mind that the Hakim
should form a part of his household so that he would have medical and
surgical help when it was needed, and also that he might enjoy the
credit of possessing so wonderful a physician, and share that of his
cures.
The arrangements made were perfectly simple; in fact, they were such as
they would have met with in a tent; the only difference was that there
were solid walls and a roof overhead.
The Hakim learned, too, as the days glided by, that he was expected to
see as many sick and wounded people as he conveniently could each
morning, from the time of the first meal till noonday. After that the
guard turned everyone away, and as time passed on the friends found that
the rule was never transgressed.
"The people have been taught so, O Hakim," said the Sheikh.
"Then we are to be at liberty for the rest of the day?" said the doctor.
"Yes, O Hakim, and you are to have everything you desire. You only have
to speak. It is the Emir's orders. But if at any time you are wanted
for the Emir's people or his friends, you are to see them in the after
part of the day. What is there that the Hakim would desire now? The
camels are well supplied, thy servants have good sleeping and
resting-places, and supplies are sent in every morning while you are
busy with the sick and wounded. What shall I tell the guard you
require?"
"Our liberty," said the Hakim sternly. "My people have been stopped
three times when they tried to leave the gate."
"Yes, O Hakim; it was the order given by the Emir to his servant, the
guard."
"Then tell the guard what I say. The confinement here is too great."
"There is the garden beneath the trees, Excellency," said the Sheikh.
"Yes, but we wish to see the town--to go where we will."
"I will go to the guard and tell him, Excellency," said the Sheikh
humbly, and he went away.
Within an hour--a long and weary one to Frank--he was back.
"I have seen the chief guard, Excellency, and he has taken your message
to the Emir, who sent for me at once."
"Well?" said the doctor; and Frank and the professor came close to hear
the reply.
"The Emir Prince sends greeting to your Excellency," said the old
Sheikh, who seemed greatly impressed at being made the medium of
communication between two such great men, "and he thanks you humbly for
the great change you have made in his dear son, who seems to be hourly
gaining strength."
"Yes, yes," said the doctor, rather impatiently; "go on."
"The Emir Prince says that he is aggrieved because you make so few
demands for yourself and your people, for he desires that you should
treat his home as yours, and have all that you desire."
"Then he gives us our liberty to go where we please?" said the doctor
eagerly, and Frank and the professor gave vent to sighs of satisfaction
which made the Sheikh's brow wrinkle.
"The Emir desires me to say that your servants are at liberty to go
where they please in the city or out into the country round; and that as
he has noticed that the great Hakim has beautiful camels but no horses,
he has only to speak and horses will be brought for his servants' use."
"I shall keep to my camel, Ibrahim," said the doctor. "I think it will
seem best, more in character. What do you think?"
The old man was silent.
"What does this mean?" said Frank, for he was first to notice the
Sheikh's troubled look.
"The Emir Prince bade me say to his Excellency that he could not allow
the great Hakim to go about among the people, for his life would be made
a burden to him--he could not go a step without having a crowd of
sufferers following him and throwing themselves beneath his camel's
feet."
The doctor frowned.
"He said that the great Hakim's health and comfort were dear to him, and
he felt that it would be better that so great a man should live as
retired a life as the Khalifa himself."
"Then I am to be kept regularly as a prisoner?" said the doctor, in
dismay.
"But if sometimes the noble Hakim desires greatly to ride through the
city and out into the country, if he will send word by the guard, the
Emir will summon the horsemen and attend upon his friend and preserver
as a guard of honour, and protect him from the crowds that would stop
his way."
"Oh, who wants to be paraded in a show?" said the doctor petulantly. "I
would rather stop in prison than be led out like that, eh, Fred?"
"Certainly," said the professor.
"Well, never mind," said the doctor cheerfully, the next minute. "I
will not complain. I have my part to play, and I mean to go on playing
it contentedly while you and Frank play yours, and find out where poor
old Hal is kept a prisoner. That done, we must begin to make our plans
to escape either back to Cairo or to the nearest post of the
Anglo-Egyptian army."
"Or the river," said Frank. "But I don't like this, for us to be free
and you a prisoner."
"It is the penalty for being so great a man," said the doctor merrily.
"And really there is a large amount of common-sense in what our friend
says. I should be regularly hunted through the streets, and I could not
go in Eastern fashion and turn a deaf ear to the poor wretches who cast
themselves at my feet."
"But it seems so hard for you," said Frank.
"And it takes all the satisfaction out of our perfect freedom," said the
professor.
"But your Excellencies are not to have perfect freedom," said Ibrahim
slowly.
"What do you mean?" cried Frank.
"When you go out I and three or four of my young men are to attend you
with the camels."
"So much the better, Ibrahim. You will be invaluable to us."
"Your Excellency is very good to say so," replied the old man sadly;
"but that is not all."
"Not all?" cried the professor.
"No, Excellency. The Emir Prince says that he feels answerable to the
great Hakim for your safety; that you are well known to be the Hakim's
followers, and that there are wise men, Hakims of the people here in
Omdurman and Khartoum, who are dogs, he said--fools and pretenders who
can do nothing but work ill. These people, he says, hate the great
Hakim with a jealous hate, and would gladly injure his servants.
Therefore he gives the head of his bodyguard, the Baggara who has charge
of us here, orders to attend you everywhere you go."
"Alone?" said Frank, after a few moments' display of blank surprise and
annoyance.
"No, Excellency; always with eight or ten men; and he is to answer for
your safety abroad and here with his head."
The Sheikh's words seemed to have robbed the little party of the power
of speech. But at last Frank exclaimed--
"Then we have journeyed all this way for naught?"
"To be as badly off as if we had stayed in Cairo and waited for the
British and Egyptian advance."
"No," said the doctor quietly; "disappointment is making you both go to
extremes. We are here on the spot, and we must work by other hands."
"Whose?" said Frank bitterly.
The doctor pointed gravely to Ibrahim, who drew himself up with a look
at the speaker full of gratitude and pride.
"Yes, O Hakim," he said quietly; "it seems that I and my young men are
at liberty to come and go with the camels, and we can mix with the
people as we please. If, then, their Excellencies will trust their
servant and give him time he will do all he can to search out tidings of
their friend and brother. Shall it be so?"
"Yes," said the doctor firmly.
The old Sheikh bowed, and then turned to Frank.
"Ben Eddin is black," he said, with a smile, "and the day or night may
come when I shall say to him, `I have glad tidings for you. Come as one
of my camel-drivers, and maybe I can get you past the guard.'"
"Ibrahim!" cried the young man wildly, "don't promise me too much."
"I promise nothing, Ben Eddin," said the old man smiling; "but an Arab
Sheikh and the black slave with him can go far unnoticed. Wait and see.
Till then go on and be a patient servant to the sick man here, the
Emir's son. He likes you in his way. Maybe he will be better soon, and
want you to bear him company here and there."
"Yes, it is possible," cried Frank excitedly.
"And it would give you time to search the place or learn by chance where
the prisoner may be. It is not wise to let the heart sink in sorrow as
the sun goes down amongst the mists of night. Does it not rise again
and bring the light? Surely it is better that you are here."
"Yes," said Frank eagerly. "I spoke in haste."