with the tidings, lest his head should fall."

The Hakim turned slowly to the officer and smiled, as he laid a hand
upon his patient's forehead.

"Tell him," he said, "to bear the tidings to his master that the white
slave will live, and his broken arm will soon be well."

"Ah!" exclaimed the Baggara. "The Hakim is great. Then we may carry
him back at once?"

The words were interpreted to the doctor, who made his reply.

"No; if the slave is taken away he may die. Bid him tell his master
that the Hakim will keep the injured slave here and make him whole, as
he has the Emirs, his master's friends."

The Baggara officer looked troubled and perplexed.

"Tell the great Hakim that his servant was bidden to bring the slave
here and take him back. There is nothing for him but to obey."

"Yes," said the doctor, drawing himself up proudly and fixing the man
with his eyes, pausing at times to give Ibrahim ample time to interpret
his words, "it is his duty to obey till a greater man than his master
bids him do this or that."

The doctor's words sounded loud and imperious, and he had got so far
when an impatient voice was heard from the room where Frank was lying,
calling first one and then another, and a cold chill ran through all
present, for the voice sounded as it were the knell of all their hopes.
Even the doctor was silenced for the moment, but recalling directly that
only the Sheikh could understand his words, he called angrily in a voice
of thunder, looking hard at the Sheikh the while.

"Lie still, Frank, till I come!" Then: "Tell thy master that the Hakim
will keep the white slave here. Take him this from me as my pledge that
I will cure his slave. Enough! Now go."

As he spoke he raised his hand to his white turban, detached the large
Egyptian jewel he wore, and then gave it to the Sheikh, who took it
reverently, and as he interpreted humbly the Hakim's words ended by
placing the rare token in the officer's hands.

The Baggara bowed his head over the pledge, as he wrapped it carefully
in his fine linen scarf, and saying humbly, "The Hakim is great," he
gave a final glance at the patient and backed slowly out of the room,
followed by the officer of the Emir's guard, while the curtain was
quivering still where it had fallen back when Frank appeared in the
opening leading to his room.

"What does all this mean?" he said. Then, catching sight of the ghastly
figure lying upon the couch, he uttered a cr