The day broke at last, after a long and watchful night of silence,
during which the Hakim had never left his patient's side, but he had
insisted upon his companions taking watch and watch.
The patient had not stirred, but lain as motionless as if already dead,
apparently free from all suffering, and displaying symptoms which made
the lines grow deeper in the doctor's brow.
Twice over during the night a slight rustling of a curtain had startled
the watchers, and thoughts of treachery had arisen; but in each case the
rustling was succeeded by a weary sigh, and there was silence once more.
The daylight which turned the lamp-rays pale was stealing in at the
narrow window, when there was a louder rustle of the curtain, and the
Emir entered, to find the Hakim bending over his friend, with Frank
kneeling a short distance away.
The chief glanced round for the interpreter, and then went to the door
leading into the next room, to draw back directly, for the Sheikh and
Landon were lying upon divans, asleep.
The Emir nodded, and went straight to the Hakim, pointing down at the
patient, questioning him with his eyes.
"Yes," said the doctor, bowing his head; "he lives still, but I am
afraid."
The Emir seemed to grasp his meaning, and to enforce it Morris took the
chiefs hand and separating his fingers, placed two upon the wounded
man's pulse.
There was a faint beating going on, and without another sign the Emir
crossed to the curtain and passed out.
The sun rose soon after, and filled the gloomy room with cheery light;
but the hard, drawn countenance of the wounded man suggested that
dissolution could not be far distant; and when a few minutes later the
professor and the Sheikh came in, refreshed by a couple of hours' rest,
the doctor, spoke in a low voice--
"Help me," he said; "I must make another examination at all risks;" and
busy minutes followed, during which the probe was used, and used in
vain.
"He will sink in a few hours in spite of all I can do," said the doctor.
"If I could trace that bullet there might be a chance, and I will try;
but everything is against him here."
"What do you mean to do?" asked the professor.
The Hakim was silent, standing leaning over his patient, deep in
thought, while his friends waited patiently for him to speak.
It was no longer the calm, easy-going companion now, but the earnest
student of the human frame, straining every mental fibre to the
encounter in this emergency.
A minute later he had turned to Frank, and spoke to him earnestly, with
the result that the young man shook his head.
"Yes, I know," said the doctor; "you are unprepared; the difficulties
seem out here insuperable; but a man's life is at stake, so is our
reputation amongst these people, for one failure will balance a hundred
cures, just as at home one evil deed stands out strongly against so many
good which pass unnoticed. It is barely possible, but we must try."
Frank stood for a few moments thinking, and then turned his eyes upon
those of his friend.
"Think, my dear boy," said the latter; "it may be a step nearer to
finding Hal."
Frank still remained silent. He needed no such stimulus as that,
though; he was only shrinking for fear that he would fail in his part of
the experiment that was to be tried.
At last his face lit-up, and signing to the professor and the Sheikh to
follow him he hurried back to their part of the palace, where a leathern
case that had travelled so far on the big camel, and remained unopened,
was rapidly unstrapped, and one by one the carefully packed portions of
some new scientific apparatus were undone and arranged upon one of the
rugs placed for the purpose.
Frank worked hard, and the professor aided him with all the energy he
could throw into the task, first one and then the other uttering a word
or two of satisfaction to find that everything was intact.
"Is this the apparatus with which you experimented at your place?" said
the professor.