"The infidel Frank lies unto you, Emir. Thy friend is wounded unto
death. See, even now he dies."
"The great Hakim never lies," said the Sheikh proudly. "The Emir will
wait and see that the Hakim's words are true."
"Yes," said the Emir sternly. "We will wait."
Frank was standing back with his head humbly now in the shadow, holding
some of the Hakim's paraphernalia, but with watchful eyes fixed upon the
three Mullahs, and as the Emir spoke he noticed a quick, meaning glance
pass from one to the other which struck him as full of malice and
cunning. A thought instantly shot through him which chilled him for a
moment. That look meant evil, he was sure. Something malevolent
against the Frankish doctor who dared to intrude upon the ignorance and
superstition of a trio of Mahometan priests. What would they do?
Frank's thoughts came like flashes of mental light, and in an instant he
felt that they dared not interfere with the Hakim who was so strongly in
favour with the great Emir, but in an underhanded way they might bring
all he had done to naught and contrive that the wounded, helpless man's
last chance of life should fail.
The idea was horrible, but he knew for certain that in their vile
bigotry the followers of Mahomet would stop at nothing in their efforts
to destroy the so-called infidel, and with his pulses beginning to beat
fast in his excitement he planned how he could counteract any of the
machinations these people might set going.
For the more he thought the more convinced he felt that he was not
misjudging these people. His memory brought up things that the old
Sheikh had said about the jealousy the great Hakim had excited, and
naturally enough; but what was to be done?
The first thing, he felt, must be to warn the doctor. But how? He
could not speak till they were alone. Even if he attempted to whisper
to the professor, who was close at hand, it would be observed, for he
would betray himself as an impostor, and in betraying himself he would
raise suspicion against his companions.
Those were painful moments, and he shivered and longed for the scene to
come to an end, for his utter helplessness seemed to overwhelm him, and
he felt ready to ask why he had placed himself in so terrible a
position.
Then he uttered a faint sigh of relief, for the professor reverently
approached his friend and whispered a question, to which the Hakim, who
stood over his patient, watch in one hand, the fingers of the other
holding the insensible man's wrist, carefully counting the pulsations,
replied by a grave bend of the head.
The professor drew back and whispered to his fellow-assistant to prepare
to go, while for his own part he took the bottle, water, and glasses to
the Hakim, and once more stood waiting, while Frank carefully folded up
lint and bandage, and replaced the instruments in their cases.
But the Hakim did not stir, and in the midst of the impressive silence
he stood there bare-headed with the light of the lamps above falling
upon the deep lines in his broad, white forehead and knit brows,
carefully marking the pulsations, the three Mullahs still standing with
folded arms, as motionless as statues, and their eyes nearly closed; but
there was a keen flash now and then through the lids as they kept an
eager watch upon everything that was going on.
At last the Hakim softly lowered the wounded chiefs hand and replaced
his watch, turning slightly to the professor, who took a step towards
him and held out bottle and glass, when a few drops from the former were
carefully measured out, a little water from the filter added, and then
the clear limpid medicament was slowly and carefully trickled between
the sufferer's lips till all had passed.
At that moment there was a faint rustling behind a great curtain which
draped an opening in the darkest part of the sombre room, and directly
after a small, dark hand appeared and was waved to and fro.
Frank, in his watchfulness, saw everything. It was evidently the hand
of one of the women who had glided out when his party entered--in all
probability that of the favourite wife.
The young Emir saw it too, for he turned a questioning face to his
father, who bowed his head, and the young man stepped silently across to
the curtain, drew it a little aside, and stood whispering answers to the
eager questions which were asked.
"The women!" thought Frank, who was ready to snatch at any straw. If he
could only speak to Morris he would order that they should stay and keep
watch by the sufferer's side all night, and so baffle any nefarious
attempt that might be made.
Then with a hopeful feeling arising in his breast Frank went slowly on
with his task, which he could have finished at any moment, and waited
for his opportunity, while, as if satisfied with the report, the
inquirer drew back, a weary sigh sounding plainly out of the darkness,
the curtain fell back into its former folds, and the young Emir returned
to his father's side.
By this time the administering of the sedative was ended, the professor
had withdrawn with the bottle and glass, and the Hakim once more took
hold of the sufferer's swarthy wrist, to remain counting the pulsations
for many minutes, before laying the hand gently down and rising to
stand, with folded arms, gazing at the stern, dark, immovable face.
"Waiting. How long will he wait?" thought Frank, and his mental
question was being asked by the three Mullahs who still stood like so
many statues.
Quite a quarter of an hour passed, and then the Hakim slowly turned his
head and looked at the Sheikh, who bent his head to attention, and a
thrill ran through Frank as he heard that all his anxieties were
certainly for the moment at an end, for the doctor said quietly, "Tell
his Highness the Emir that his friend is in too dangerous a state to be
left."
The Sheikh interpreted the words, and received in reply the Emir's words
that the women of his household and the wounded man's own wife would
watch by his side all night.
"That is good, Ibrahim," replied the Hakim, "but their time is not yet.
Tell the Emir that I and my people will keep watch till it is safe to
leave him."
The Emir drew a deep breath indicative of his satisfaction as he heard
the Hakim's words, and then crossing to him he reverently took his hand,
bent over it, and drew back, said a word or two to his son, who went to
the three Mullahs and repeated his father's message, with the result
that they whispered together for a few moments and then raised their
heads haughtily and stalked slowly out of the tent-like room.
The Emir then nodded shortly to his son, who, as he followed the
Mullah's example, turned out of his way to go close to Frank and pat his
shoulder warmly, as if to commend him for all that had been done.
The next minute the Emir whispered again to Ibrahim, speaking earnestly,
and bending reverently once more to the Hakim, he crossed to the curtain
and passed behind it, the low sobbing of a woman being heard directly
after. Then all was silent as the grave.
"Yes, Ibrahim, what is it?" said the doctor, for the Sheikh was waiting
to speak.
"The Emir bids me say, O Hakim, that you will please consider his house
your own, and order his servants to bring everything you desire. That
he will have refreshing foods and drinks placed in the room through
which we came, and divans and rugs are there for those who would rest.
That three women of the household will be waiting all night with his
friend's wife in the room beyond the curtains there. That if you find
the danger increases and his friend the Emir is about to die, you will
send me to the women with the sad tidings, that he and they may come to
the wounded man's side. That he thanks, and prays for your success in
bringing his friend back to life. That is all."
"Then he does not expect me to perform miracles--to do impossibilities,
Ibrahim?" said the doctor quietly.
"No, Excellency," replied the Sheikh. "The Emir is a half-savage chief,
but if he had been born in Cairo and lived amongst the English and the
French he would have been great. He is wise. He says little, but he
laughs in his heart at the fables of the Mullahs."
"Then he is too sensible to take me for a prophet."
"Oh, yes, Excellency; he thinks as I do, that you are a great physician,
learned in all the wisdom of the Franks. He is a wise man, but his son
is what you English call a fool. But will the Emir's friend live? His
Excellency can trust me."
"It is very doubtful, Ibrahim," said the doctor gravely. "There is a
bullet lodged in a very dangerous part, and I fear that everything
depends upon its being extracted before bad symptoms arise."
"But the learned Hakim can do all those wonders I have seen, and cuts
and sews, and the people grow well and strong."
"Yes, Ibrahim, sometimes," said the doctor, with a sad smile; "but not
when the bullet, sword, or spear has done too much. The Emir's friend
is very bad, and if we had left to-night and these native doctors had
stayed, he would never have seen the light of another day; for his life
hangs upon a thread that I am going to watch and strengthen lest it
should break."
"Your Excellency is wiser in my eyes everyday I live," said the old man
softly. "Yes, he is right; if you had left here to-night the chief
would have died."
"What do you mean, Ibrahim?" whispered the professor.
"Your Excellency knows," replied the old man quietly. "For one thing,
they would not have the wisdom to do what is right. For another thing,
Excellency, they are jealous with the jealousy of ignorant,
superstitious believers in false doctrines."
The professor looked at the Sheikh searchingly.
"I thought I knew you thoroughly, Ibrahim," he said at last; "but I find
you are a wiser man than I thought."
"No, Excellency," said the old man sadly; "I have only tried to be wise;
and in a long life mixing a great deal with the people from the West I
have learned far more than my people could ever know; but what is it?"
he said, holding out his hollowed hand as if it contained something.
"So little; and there is so much to know."
"Yes," said the doctor slowly, "so much to know, Ibrahim, and life seems
so short. I would give even some of that for the greater power of
healing that would enable me to say, This man will live."