be up.

"The day I was intending to leave, the Emir sent for me. He was alone.

"'The more I think over this matter,' he said, 'the more strange it is
that you should be able to do all these wonderful things, after having
seen it done once by the white hakim. The more I think of it, the more
certain I feel that you are not what you seem. I have sent for Saleh
and Abdullah. They have told me what you did for them, and that you
gave up your horse to them, and dressed their wounds, and brought them
in here. They are full of praise of your goodness, and but few of my
people would have thus acted, for strangers. They would have given them
a drink of water, and ridden on.

"Now, tell me frankly and without fear. I have thought it over, and I
feel sure that you, yourself, are a white hakim, who escaped from the
battle in which Hicks's army was destroyed.'

"'I am not a hakim. All that I said was true--that although I have seen
operations performed, I have never performed them myself. As to the
rest, I answer you frankly, I am an Englishman. I did escape when the
black Soudanese battalion surrendered, three days after the battle. I
was not a fighting officer. I was with them as interpreter. I may say
that, though I am not a hakim, I did for some time study with the
intention of becoming one, and so saw many operations performed.'

"'I am glad that you told me,' the Emir said gravely. 'Your people are
brave and very wise, though they cannot stand against the power of the
Mahdi. But were you Sheitan himself, it would be nothing to me. You
have saved my son's life. You are the honoured guest of my house. Your
religion is different from mine, but as you showed that you were
willing to aid followers of the Prophet and the Mahdi, although they
were your enemies, surely I, for whom you have done so much, may well
forget that difference.'

"'I thank you, Emir. From what I had seen of you, I felt sure that my
secret would be safe with you. We Christians feel no enmity against
followers of Mahomet--the hatred is all on your side. And yet, 'tis
strange, the Allah that you worship, and the God of the Christians, is
one and the same. Mahomet himself had no enmity against the Christians,
and regarded our Christ as a great prophet, like himself.

"Our Queen reigns, in India, over many more Mohamedans than are ruled
by the Sultan of Turkey. They are loyal to her, and know that under her
sway no difference is made between them and her C