roduces the inflammation. Yes, pus is
the cause of this." And he repeats the Arabic proverb in broken
Arabic, "A drop of pus will disable a camel." Further, "Yes, the
child's life can be saved by trepanning. It should have been done
already, but the time's not passed. Let the surgeon come and make a
little opening--no; a child can stand chloroform better than an adult.
And when the pus is out he will be well."

In a private consultation the disciples beg to observe that there was
no evidence of pus behind the ear. "It is beneath the skullbone," the
Master asserts. And so we decide upon the operation. The Eye and Ear
specialist is called, and after weighing the probabilities of the case
and considering that the great Celebrity had said there was pus,
although there be no evidence of it, he convinces Khalid that if the
child is not benefited by the operation he cannot suffer from it more
than he is suffering now.

The surgeon comes with his assistants. Little Najib is laid on the
table; the chloroform towel is applied; the scalpels, the cotton, the
basins of hot water, and other accessories, are handed over by one
doctor to another. The Cutter begins. Shakib is there watching with
the rest; Najma is in an adjacent room weeping; and Khalid is pacing
up and down the hall, his brows moistened with the cold sweat of
anguish and suspense.

No pus between the scalp and the bone: the little hammer and chisel
are handed to the Cutter. One, two, three,--the child utters a faint
cry; the chloroform towel is applied again;--four, five, six, and the
seventh stroke of the little hammer opens the skull. The Cutter then
penetrates with his catheter, searches thoroughly through the
brain--here--there--above--below--and finally holds the instrument up
to his assistants to show them that there is--no pus! "If there be
any," says he, "it is beyond the reach of surgery." The wound,
therefore, is quickly washed, sewn up, and dressed, while everybody is
wondering how the great Celebrity can be wrong....

Little Najib remains under the influence of anaesthetics for two
days--for two days he is in a trance. And on the third, the fever
mounts to the danger line and descends again--only after he had
stretched his little arm and breathed his last!

And Khalid and Najma and Shakib take him out to the desert and bury
him in the sand, near the tent round which he used to play. There,
where he stepped his first step, lisped his first syllable, sm