en him has checked the fever, and
he will sleep from exhaustion for many hours to come. But we must watch
by him through the night, in case there should be any relapse. I do not
think there will be, but we will be upon our guard."

"Of course," said the professor. "I was going to propose that I should
sit up with him."

"Thanks, my dear Fred," said the doctor gravely; "but I have already
made my plans. We will take three hours each. Which watch will you
have?"

"The first," said the professor.

"Best so. Watch by him till midnight; then wake up Samuel, and he shall
call me at three."

The Hakim was master of the position, and everything was carried out as
he proposed, the doctor coming on duty to receive the same report as the
professor had given to Sam, to wit, that the patient had not stirred.

It was about six, and the doctor was congratulating himself upon the
long, restful night his patient had enjoyed, when the face of the old
Sheikh appeared at the open window, to which the doctor stepped softly
and satisfied the old man as to the sick one's state.

Ibrahim nodded his satisfaction, and set to work at once upon Sam's
duties, preparing the morning meal quite as a matter of course, but
receiving orders to hurry nothing, so that no one should be disturbed.

"The young Excellency will be better soon?" whispered the old man.

"If we could give him good tidings to-day, Ibrahim, he would be nearly
well," replied the doctor. "Have you anything to tell?"

"Nothing, Excellency, only that the city is full of dervishes, and the
wretched people are lamenting that they have not fled to the north.
They pray that the Egyptian army may soon be here. One said last night,
`If the Khedive's people do not soon come they will find none of us
left. These our masters will either slay or carry us away for slaves.'"

An hour of patient watching ensued, and then there was the sound of many
voices at the gate, and Ibrahim's grave face looked full of anxiety as
he hurried out, while the doctor aroused his friend and Sam.

He had just time to return to the side of Frank's couch, to find him
sleeping still, when Ibrahim came back to the door with the officer of
the guard, and their manner set his heart at rest, for they had
evidently no danger to announce.

The old Sheikh set his face hard, as he spoke in a whisper.

"One of the chiefs--a friend of our master the great Emir, and friend of
the new Mahdi," he said, "sends