o this thing. These men rose against the great Mahdi as well as
against me and my friend whom you have saved. News of the revolt was
sent to Khartoum in the night; the Mahdi's chief officer rode over here
this day and gave the orders himself that these prisoners should die.
He was there to order each punishment himself. The great Hakim asks me
to let him save these men. If I send him there the Mahdi's officer will
take back the news, and my head will fall. Does the great Hakim wish
this, and can he give me back my life?"

The stern-looking chief smiled sadly as he spoke, and his eyes seemed to
speak as the words were interpreted to the end.

"You hear, Ben Eddin?" said the Hakim gravely, and turning to the Emir
he gravely bent his head in acceptance of his words, and the next minute
those two had grasped hands.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

A RIDE FOR LIFE.

"No, my lad," said the Hakim, as the position was discussed, for the
twentieth time perhaps; "it is horrible, but we have the choice of being
friends with these people or their foes. As friends they treat us
admirably; as foes it means cruel slavery."

"And perhaps death," said the professor. "You must bear it, Frank,
though I know it is hard."

"It is terrible," said Frank bitterly, "for I have hard work to conceal
my dislike to this man."

"But it has brought about what we so earnestly prayed for," said the
doctor. "You have won for yourself the permission to go almost wherever
you wish."

"Yes," said Frank bitterly; "but I get no farther, and I am once more
beginning to feel that we have come to the wrong place. We must go to
Khartoum."

"Ibrahim has, I know, worked hard for us; but he gets no tidings," said
the doctor.

"None," said the professor; "but still we must not give up hope. We
shall have to petition the Emir after all. How long will it be before
your patient can be left, Robert, my son? Let's see, it is nearly a
month since you performed the operation."

"Four weeks to-morrow," replied the doctor; "and he is rapidly getting
strong."

"But does not seem very grateful."

"No," said the doctor, smiling. "He is ten times as civil to Frank here
as he is to me."

"You ought to have tried Frank's black dye," said the professor,
laughing.

"Well," said the doctor, quite seriously, "if I had known as much as I
know now I certainly should have followed his example. You see, the
best of us at home look down upon a black skin as be