now."

"Well, I will," said the sufferer hoarsely.

"That's right. Now I will set your mind at rest. The great Hakim has
more power here than you think for."

Harry Frere suppressed a groan, and his eyes wandered from one to the
other, noting how the others present seemed waiting eagerly to obey
their chiefs slightest gesture or word; while now at a sign he saw the
Sheikh close up and stand waiting with bended head.

"Go to the officer who brought our friend, and tell him to come here."

The Sheikh turned to go, but the professor interposed.

"One moment," he said earnestly; "Frank is in there--you know how.
Suppose he begins to speak as he did last night."

"It is not probable," said the doctor quietly. "Go, Ibrahim."

The Sheikh passed out of the room and through the door, to where the two
officers stood waiting patiently, with their men a short distance away;
and as a curtain was drawn aside a burst of barbaric music and loud
cries of "Allah! Allah!" were borne into the room.

As the curtain dropped back into its place the doctor took a cushion,
and carefully raising the splinted and bandaged arm placed the soft
pillow beneath.

"Now," he said, "lie still and close your eyes. Don't stir while these
men are here. I need not tell you to try and look bad, for Nature is
helping you there, my dear old fellow. Hal, lad, your arm will soon
knit together, but make your mind easy: you are too bad to move."

"No, no, Rob, you are wrong. I feel a little drowsy, but so free from
pain. I could get up and walk."

"The Hakim thinks differently. Silence! They are coming. Samuel,
stand there! Fred, my son, bend over him with those bandages and that
scalpel.--Hist! Close your eyes."

His orders were obeyed, and as Harry Frere closed his sunken eyes, old
cares and sufferings, combined with the mental and bodily agony he was
passing through, gave his face, in the shadowy, dim, curtained room, a
look that was absolutely ghastly.

Directly after the curtain was drawn aside by the Sheikh for the two
officers to pass in, both looking awed as they gave a sharp look round
at the strange scene.

The next moment the Baggara who had brought the injured man started
forward a step to look down at his charge, and then recoiled, to say a
few hurried words to the Sheikh, who turned gravely to the doctor and
interpreted.

"The Emir's servant says, Excellency, that the white slave is dead, and
that he dare not go back