In the Mahdi's Grasp Part 28

The Sheikh bowed, and feeling a little nervous the party set off at once, leaving Sam watching them from the door.

It was rather an ordeal, for they had not gone many paces towards the first tent they were to visit before they were seen, and word seemed to be pa.s.sed quickly through the encampment, so that as they reached this first tent several of the Sheikh's people appeared, while when they came out of it again nearly everyone of those occupying the place had hurried forth to stand watching.

But there was no look of wonder, no vestige of a smile, only respectful looks and bending down as the little party pa.s.sed on.

That first visit was a solemn one, for it was to the tent where they were met by the mother of the little child, who led them to where her little sufferer lay in its last sleep. She reverently pressed the Hakim's extended hand to her forehead, her tear-filled eyes and trembling lips seeming to say that she accepted patiently the blow which had fallen during the night, and that the Great Physician was very wise.

Frank Frere felt more at his ease by the time the next tent was reached, and perfectly satisfied when all was done. For he had played his part of slave and a.s.sistant easily and well, holding water vessels, pa.s.sing bandage and lint, and standing by the sufferers while the Hakim tended his patients with the greatest care.

For there was no wondering gaze. It seemed quite natural and right to the sufferers, who were all doing well. The change in the dress of the Hakim and his friends was only what might have been expected now that their journey there was over, while Frank, the black slave, had the satisfaction of feeling that he was not even recognised by those he tended. He was the Hakim's dumb, black slave. The white a.s.sistant who had helped the doctor the previous day was not present--that was all.

A couple of hours were taken up over the invalids, and they were left out of pain and comforted by the Hakim's gentle hand, while when their own tent was reached the Hakim was able to say that nothing could be better than the state of his patients. With a couple more days'

attention they might be left to nature, and would soon be well.

That afternoon Sam set aside his English clothes and blossomed forth into a showy-looking Arab, evidently feeling rather proud of his dress, the most conspicuous part of which was a scarlet scarf broadly spread around his waist, one which in an ordinary way would have been pretty well hidden by the loose outer cotton robe, but which the man took ample care should not have its brilliant tint eclipsed more than he could help.

Naturally enough he sought the first opportunity he could find of getting Frank alone in the tent, and began at once in rather a conscious way.

"Beg pardon, sir," he said. "I mean, Ben Eddin. May I say Ben for short?"

There was a short nod, and the man continued--

"I say, sir--Ben. It's very awkward, but the professor says I'm to treat you as if you're my fellow servant. You won't like that?"

There was a quick, eager nod.

"Well, I sha'n't, Mr Ben. I can't help it, but it makes me feel ashamed like, and as if I'd lost all respect for my master's young friend."

Frank held out his hand with a smile, and kept it extended till, in a slow, hesitating way and with a peculiar grimace, Sam took it, and felt it held in a firm, manly, friendly grip.

"Oh, well, Mr Ben, if it's to be like that I can't help it; but please recollect that however disrespectful I seem through this business my 'eart's in its right place, and I think just the same of you as ever I did."

There was a quick, eager nod and a smile, which made the man look more cheerful for a moment; but as he drew back his hand, he raised his white garment involuntarily and began to wipe the fingers, pa.s.sing the white cotton over them two or three times before he realised what he was doing.

"Oh," he exclaimed hastily, "what a hidiot I am! I beg your pardon, Mr Ben, I do indeed. It seemed to me as if your hand must have come off black. Eh?--Never mind; that's what you look as if you was saying.-- Thankye, sir. That's very good of you. Now you look as if you meant that I should soon get used to it.--Ah, you nod again.--Well, I'm blessed, sir, if I don't think it will begin to get easy after a bit of practice.--There's another of your nods. Thankye, sir. Yes, it will come right after all. I never thought anyone could get through so much business with a few nods and shakes of the head.--Beg pardon, sir.-- Hullo, that's a shake! I'm doing wrong. It takes a bit of time.--You nod. So it does, sir--I mean Mr Ben.--What's that wrong? Why, what have I said?--I know: it's the 'mister.' Thought so.--Ben, then, or Ben Eddin. I shall get it soon. Well, I don't want to be a nuisance, but it's very lonely for me, Ben, and if you wouldn't mind, as we are to be a bit together, I should like to come to you when I feel in a bit of a fix."

Frank nodded and Sam's face lit-up with pleasure.

"That's very nice of you, Ben Eddin," he said eagerly. "You see, I wanted to have a word or two with you about these things. I want to do it right and look proper."

Frank nodded.

"'Tain't vanity, mind, sir. I ain't a bit conceited, but I should like to feel that I look decent."

There was a decisive nod.

"Thankye, Ben Eddin. You see, they're so fresh to me. The bit o'

scarlet looks right, don't it? Thankye Ben. You don't think it a bit too sojery, do you? No; you don't. Well, I'm glad o' that, for I felt as it took off a bit of the washer-womany, night-gowny idea. Then you think I shall do, Ben--Eddin?"

Frank nodded approval.

"Hah! Makes a man feel a deal better. For between ourselves, Ben Eddin, I got an idea in my head that everyone was a bit on the grin as soon as I came out, and if you could lay your 'and on your 'eart now and say to me with one of your straightforward looks without blinking your eyes that it was all my fancy I could go on as comfortable as could be, for they are out and out nice and cool."

Frank gave his companion the asked-for steady look, and smilingly laid his hand upon his breast.

"Thankye, Ben Eddin. You always were a pleasant gentleman that it was a treat to have staying at Wimpole Street. Wimpole Street!--Ha, ha, ha!"

said Sam, laughing softly. "My word! how comic it does seem. What would they say in Wimpole Street if they could--"

Sam stopped short, and a look of pain crossed his face.

"Beg pardon, sir," he whispered. "Well, Ben Eddin," he said aloud.

"Mr Landon said I was never to whisper, and I won't do it again. But I wanted to say I was sorry. It isn't comic, or queer, or anything. I know--I know it's all terrible real, and I'm going to try and help like a man through it all. I was a fool and a hidiot to speak as I did--and you'll forgive me, Ben Eddin? Thankye."

For Frank's hand rested lightly on the man's shoulder, and for a few minutes there was silence in the tent. Then Sam's face brightened, and he said eagerly--

"I've had two goes on the camel, Ben, in these things, and somehow it seemed to me as if the grumbling beast took to me more in them. He went easier. I shall do it: I know I shall. I didn't feel half so much like pitching on to my nose as I did before. It's rum work, though, all the same."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

FRANK'S FIRST MILESTONE.

It was just before daybreak on the fifth morning that everyone in the cl.u.s.ter of tents was astir. Much had been done over night to advance the preparations, so that nothing remained but the loading up of the camels.

This last was being rapidly carried out in an orderly way. This one with the water-skins, that with the meal; another bore personal effects; while again another carried two English-made portmanteaus slung pannier-fas.h.i.+on across its back, the carefully packed contents being the Hakim's selected store of medicines, instruments, and surgical appliances, reduced to the smallest compa.s.s possible for efficacy. The other leathern receptacle contained instruments and bottles that were heavy and c.u.mbrous, Frank's own selection; and at the last minute, as he saw the extent of the preparations and what a caravan their party made for the long journey, he proposed to the Hakim and the professor when they were alone that the scientific apparatus should be left behind with their clothes, and other articles deemed unnecessary, in charge of the little tribe.

"After all, they are only to play scientific conjuring tricks with,"

said Frank. "The idea occurred to me at first, but on more thinking the matter over I don't fancy that they will pay for taking."

"I don't agree with you, Frank, lad," said the Hakim. "What you call scientific conjuring tricks are really displays of the wonders of nature, and are likely to impress the ignorant quite as much as any cure I can effect."

"Quite so," said the professor; "they appeal at once to the eye. For my part, I would not on any account leave the apparatus behind."

"As you like," said Frank. "I only thought our load was getting too great."

A few words followed with the Sheikh respecting the extent of their _impedimenta_ and the number of camels required, for others had to bear the gear of two tents, including several handsome rugs, and one way and another, with those devoted to riding, there were fifteen of the beasts of burden, while the party was increased to twelve by st.u.r.dy young men of the Sheikh's tribe.

"His Excellency the Hakim thinks the caravan too big?" said the Sheikh, smiling. "Oh, no. It ought to be larger. So great and wise a man must have a good following, or the people will think he is of no importance.

The train is very small, but the tents are good and the camels the best we have in the tribe."

"And suppose we are attacked by some wandering tribe or a party of the new Mahdi's ruffianly followers. They may strip us and carry off the camels; what then?"

The Sheikh smiled and shook his head.

"No," he said; "they may come, but they will not rob us. There were plagues in Egypt once, and there are plagues in Egypt still. The wilder the people we meet, the less likely they will be to interfere with a learned Hakim. They will come to him for help. They know that he can take away disease, and they will think he can give disease amongst them like a curse. I know what the people fancy, and what they will do. No, the caravan is not too large, Excellencies. I should have liked it to be larger, for there are many things that would have been useful when we are far away where food and water are scarce; but there are the camels to feed, and the more we are the slower we travel. Like this we can go fast."

"Fast?" said the professor, with a dry look; and the Sheikh smiled.