search and question where
I can. Will your Excellencies get permission for me to go to Khartoum
to search?"

"No," said the Hakim quietly. "We may want you at any hour to help us
with the camels."

The Sheikh shook his head, with a look which suggested that any attempt
to escape would be hopeless, and Frank was quick to read his thoughts.

"You think we should be stopped?" he said.

"Yes, Ben Eddin, perhaps before we had gone a quarter of a day's
journey. We should certainly be pursued and brought back, or perhaps,"
he added solemnly, "not brought back--only the Hakim."

There was a few minutes' silence, and then the old man turned to Frank.

"I hurried back, Ben Eddin," he said, "because I feared that you would
go out."

"Yes, I am going," said Frank quietly.

"No," said the old man; "you must stay. The followers of the Emirs who
have come in have left their fighting men to roam about the city as they
please. They are fresh from far away in the south, and hungry for
spoil. Everyone who cannot lift sword or spear is to them one who may
be plundered, and four men were in one house torturing a poor wretch to
make him show where his money was hidden, after they had stripped his
place of everything that took their fancy. I hurried away, for one cast
hungry eyes upon my garments, and there was no help near. The young
Excellency must not go out."

"No one heeds me now," said Frank bitterly. "Besides, I had made up my
mind to go to-day. You know what the Emir said."

"Yes, Excellency, that you might go about the city if you liked to take
the risk. But that was before the fresh fighting men had come--
fierce-looking dervishes these from the southern desert, I think, far
down towards the Abyssinian lands."

"I shall take the risk," said Frank. "My face will shelter me again."

"Why run unnecessary risks?" said the Hakim gravely.

"Because I am always haunted by the thought that at any time while I am
sitting idling here I may be missing an opportunity for seeing Hal. For
aught we know he may be prisoner to one of these newly come Emirs.
There, don't try to stop me. The more I am out about the city the less
likely am I to come to grief."

"Will your Excellency let me ride with you? I will get the camels
ready."

"No," said Frank; "I want to be off out. Ah! there is some fresh horror
on the way," whispered the young man excitedly, for the Emir's son
passed the window and glanced up, entering dir