lean
man in major's uniform with the blue tabs of the medical staff
strode in. He had the dried-out look of the Sudan, added to the
self-reliance that comes of deciding life and death issues at a
moment's notice.

"The hospital is crowded with patients, and here you immobilize
me for half a morning. I can't pretend to set a compound
fracture in ten minutes, you know! Why couldn't you break your
neck and have me sign a death certificate?"

"Didn't occur to me," said Grim. "But never mind, doc. You need
a rest. Here's tobacco, lots to read, and an armchair. Lock
yourself in and be happy."

"Who's this?" asked Templeton, looking down at me.

"Deaf and dumb poor devil, earning a few piastres by working for
the Intelligence."

"Spy, eh? He looks fit for honest work if he had all his
faculties. Is he dumb as well as deaf, or because he's deaf?"

"Dunno," said Grim. "He never speaks."

"Perhaps I can do something for him. Suppose you leave him here
with me. I can give him a thorough examination instead of
wasting my time here."

"He's got a job of work to do right now," said Grim.

"Does he know the sign language? Have you any way of telling him
to come and see me at the hospital?"

"I give him written instructions in Arabic."

"That so? I'll look at his ears--tell you in a minute whether
it's worth while to come to me."

He took my head between strong, authoritative hands and tilted
it sidewise.

"Hello! What's this?"

The Arab head-dress I was wearing shifted and showed
non-Arab symptoms.

"Open that bag of mine, will you, Grim, and pass me that big pair
of forceps you'll find wrapped in oiled paper on top of
everything. There's something I can attend to here at once."

It was an uncomfortable moment. Grim never cracked a smile. He
dug out the instrument of torture and gave it to Templeton. But
there were two points that occurred to me, in addition to the
knowledge that nothing whatever was the matter with my ear.
Doctors in good standing, who are usually gentlemen, don't
operate without permission; and the forceps were much too big
for any such purpose. So I sat still.

"Um-m-m! What he really needs is a red-hot needle run down close
to the ear-drum. It wouldn't take five minutes, or hurt him--
much. After that I think he'd be able to hear perfectly.
Suppose we try."

"I can wait ten minutes yet," Grim answered.

"Very well. I've a platinum needle in the bag. I'll get