e last village that had
been sacked, and the great amount of corn that it was impossible to
bring away, and consequently had to be destroyed, but of the wondrous
holy man--this prophet--this inspired Hakim, whose touch to the fiery,
throbbing wound was softer than that of a woman, and who caused a gentle
sleep to fall upon him in whose flesh that ragged bullet lay deep, or in
whom the broken spear-top was rankling and stabbing at every movement,
while it refused to give way to the cutting and poulticing of their own
wise men.

It was wonderful, the Baggara said, and they declared that they did not
care whether he was a follower of the Prophet or of any other belief;
all they knew was that he was inspired; otherwise how could he make men
breathe against their will and then fall into that deep sleep, suffering
pain before, and then waking up how long after who could tell, with the
bullet taken away, the rankling spear-point no longer imbedded in the
muscle, the fever gone, and instead a cool, soft bandage and a feeling
of rest.

Oh, the Hakim was a great, an inspired prophet, they said; and had one
told them that this inspiration was that of science and patient search
to win a knowledge of the wonders of our great creation, they would have
laughed him to scorn.

On the other hand, in the Hakim's little camp of a couple of tents,
there was the knowledge of some five-and-twenty men lying down to rest
as they had not lain for many weary days, and that the chief was like
another man, for he had been to the Hakim's tent himself, to bend low to
the man of wisdom, and tell him, through the lips of Ibrahim, that the
calm that had come over his spirit was marvellous, and that the wound
only throbbed now and ached, but in a way that he was man enough to
bear.

At this the Hakim had looked grave, and bidden him recline upon the rug
outside the tent door, taking the arm in hand once more and gently
unfastening the bandages before bathing and applying a soothing
antiseptic application upon fresh lint to the wound, and bandaging less
tightly once again.

After this the savage warrior arose, to bend with more reverence than
ever over the Hakim's hand, bidding Ibrahim tell him that now he was at
peace, and ask him if there was anything he needed for himself and
followers.

It was after the chief had returned to his own rough tent that the
discourse took a strange turn.

Naturally enough further gifts for the present had been de