rother in distress."

"I will," said the doctor firmly. "Now, Frank."

"I won't," cried the youth.

"I ask you as a brother," said the doctor.

"Yes, as a little brother--as a boy whom you look upon as wanting in
manliness to help at a time like this. Both of you cry _impossible_.
I'm much younger than either of you, but surely I've got some brains.
Always up to now, and it was the same when poor old Hal was with us, you
three treated me as if I was your equal, and it made me feel older. But
now, when there is quite a crisis in my life, and I want to prove to you
that young as I am I can be manly and help to save our poor Hal from the
clutches of these savage Arab fiends with their cruelty and slavery, you
combine to fight against me, and it is impossible--impossible."

"Humph!" grunted the professor, shaking his head at the doctor, who
shook his in turn.

"You talk too much, Frank, lad," said the latter, in an injured tone.
"Do be cool, and think a little. I'm sure you would see then that you
are wrong. What we want in this is calm matter-of-fact planning."

"No, we don't," said Frank impatiently; "we want a good plan, of course,
but we want plenty of pluck and good manly dash. Impossible, you both
say, because each of you has his own pet plan, one of you for Government
interference, the other for going alone in disguise, and consequently
you combine against me for one of you to carry out his."

"Well, and if you cannot propose a better ought you not to give way to
us?"

"No," said Frank, "because it would be horrible to settle down here at
home, thinking of that poor fellow's sufferings. How do you think I
could ever get on with any study? I should go out of my mind."

"But look here, Frank," said the doctor.

"I can't look there," said Frank. "I can't reason with you two. I want
to act; I want to be up and doing, so as to feel that every day I am a
little nearer getting poor Harry free."

"That's quite reasonable, Bob," said the professor, slowly and
thoughtfully. "But I say, Franky, my boy, I don't want to be obstinate;
I don't want to hinder you if you can suggest a better plan. We only
say that so far your ideas are impossible. Come, now have you any other
plan?"

"Yes," said the lad excitedly. "Brother Hal is sitting out there in
chains, looking longingly year after year for the help that does not
come, and eating his poor heart out with despair because those to whom
he should look f