In the Mahdi's Grasp Part 2

"Sure to," said the doctor, "and in the meantime why don't you go and try Nineveh or Babylon?"

"No; I can't take up an entirely fresh rut. I must give years upon years yet to the sand-buried cities and tombs of Egypt. Ah! what an endless mine of wonders it is."

"Yes, I suppose so."

"With everything so preserved by the drifting sand."

"But the ruins of the Tigris and Euphrates must be equally interesting."

"They can't be."

"But look here: you can't go to Egypt now, and you could to Nineveh.

Have a trip there, and I'll go with you."

"You will, Bob?" cried Landon excitedly.

"I will, Fred, on my word."

"Then we will, Bob," said the professor enthusiastically. "We'll start and--No, we won't. Egypt is my motto, and much as I should like to have you for a companion, no, sir, no. As the old woman said, 'Wild horses sha'n't drag me from my original plans and unfinished work.' I must get back to the sand. I'd give anything to be there digging."

"Humph!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the doctor. "After all, it is a nasty, ghoulish business: moleing in the old tombs and unrolling mummies."

"It may seem so to you, but to me it is intensely interesting. Besides, much as you condemn it, this is the only way to find out the history-- the manners and customs of the people two and three thousand years ago."

"The bell!" exclaimed the doctor. "I hope no poor creature wants me to-night."

"So do I," said Landon, "for my own sake as well as for his or hers. I wanted a long chat with you as soon as this tiresome dinner is at an end."

"Hark," said the doctor. "Some one has come in. Yes, I'm wanted, and-- Hullo, Frank, my dear boy, how are you?" he cried, as a youthful-looking young man, who appeared flushed and excited, threw open the door without waiting to be announced, and strode in, to nod to first one and then the other.

"Why, there is something the matter!" said the doctor quickly. "You want to see me?"

"To see you? Yes, of course," said the young man shaking hands hurriedly. "No, no, not professionally. I hurried on to Old Bones, but the servant said he had come to dine with you, so I jumped into a cab and made the fellow canter here."

"Then you have come for a snack with us. Wish I'd known, and we'd have waited. Sit down, my lad. Why didn't you come sooner?"

"Dinner?" cried the young man, ignoring the chair, and beginning to stride up and down the room, swinging his arms excitedly; "don't talk to me about dinner!"

"Very well, little man," said the professor, smiling; "but don't jump quite out of your skin."

The newcomer turned upon the speaker sharply, and stopping short stood pointing at him.

"Hark at that fellow, doctor," he cried. "That's Old Bones all over.

He's as cool as one of his dry mummies. Why, my news is enough to make any fellow with a heart jump out of his skin!"

"Sit still, Bob," said the professor quietly; "the boy has made a discovery."

"Yes, a discovery," cried the newcomer--"a discovery!" and he brought his hand down so heavily upon the dining table that the gla.s.ses jumped.

"That's it," said the professor; "metaphorically speaking, he has been pouring sulphuric acid upon the carbonate of lime of his composition, and all this effervescence is the consequence. He'll be better soon.

Now, Frank, boy, what is the discovery--something that will set the Thames on fire?"

"Have you got a good appointment as chemist, Frank?" said the doctor.

"Discovery--appointment!" cried the young man, with his voice breaking from the emotion he felt. "Something a thousand times better than either of those. It's the news of news, I tell you--Hal!"

His two hearers sprang to their feet and rushed at him excitedly, each seizing a hand.

"What about him?" cried the doctor.

"Not dead?" shouted the professor.

"No--no--no!" cried the young man wildly, and then his voice thoroughly broke, becoming almost inaudible as he tried to declare his news.

"I can't bear it," he panted; "I can't bear it. Morris--Landon--don't take any notice of me--I've kept all this in for days, and now--now--Oh, tell me--is it true, or am I going mad?"

The young man sank heavily into the chair to which his friends helped him, and then he lay back quivering, with his hands covering his face, while the doctor made a sign to his companion and went hurriedly into his consulting-room, where he turned up the gas and then opened a cabinet, from which he took down a stoppered bottle and a graduated gla.s.s, into which he carefully measured a small portion, half filled the gla.s.s from a table filter, and then hurried back into the dining-room.

"Drink this, Frank, my boy," he said.

"No, no; let me be. I shall soon come round."

"Drink this, my lad," said the doctor sternly; "it is for your good."

The young man caught the gla.s.s from his friend's hand, tossed down the contents, shuddered, and then drew a deep breath, pulling himself together directly.

"I'm better now," he said. "It has all been such a shock, and I've been travelling night and day."

"Where from?" said the doctor, so as to give the young fellow time for the medicine to produce its effect.

"Berlin," was the reply.

"Berlin? That accounts for it. I was wondering why you had not been here. I thought you were in Paris about some mineral business."

"I was there, but I heard some news about--about poor Hal."

"Indeed?" said the professor, growing excited now.

"Yes, it was from a gentleman who had escaped out of Khartoum."

"Go on, my lad; go on," said Morris.

"Yes, yes, I can go on now," said the young man calmly. "Don't think any more about what I said."

"No, no, of course not, Frank, my lad," said the doctor; "but pray speak out. Landon and I are suffering pain."

"Of course, and I've travelled night and day as I told you, so as to bring you the news myself. This German gentleman has been a prisoner ever since Khartoum was taken by the Mahdi, and only managed to get out of the place in disguise six months ago."