In the Mahdi's Grasp Part 64

"Breakfast is quite ready, sir," was the reply; "but I haven't seen anything of Mr Abrahams this morning."

"Look here," said the professor angrily, "if you call the Sheikh Abraham again I shall throw something at you. Ibrahim, once more," he continued, spelling the name letter by letter.

"But that's only his ignorant way of spelling it, sir," protested Sam.

"He told me himself it's the same name as we read of. It's Abra--ham, as I told him myself; but he only smiled at me as if he knew better."

"Well, what about him?"

"He hasn't been near, sir, and his young men--and one of them's ten years older than me--say that he hasn't been back since he went out last night."

"Tut--tut--tut--tut!" said the doctor. "I hope he has not fallen into any trouble now."

But before the breakfast was over--a meal that was interrupted twice by the doctor's visits to the patient--Ibrahim came to the door, and was told to enter.

He looked sharply at the two gentlemen, and then at the door leading into Frank's room, and back inquiringly at the doctor.

"Yes," said the latter gravely; "he is ill, Ibrahim."

"The heat of the sun and the dreadful trouble yesterday, Excellency,"

said the old man excitedly. "I feared it. The heat made even me feel ill. But he will soon be better?"

"I hope so," said the doctor; and the professor broke in--

"But what of yourself, Ibrahim? You have news?"

"Yes, Excellency. If you listen you can hear them coming."

"Not the Egyptian Army?"

"No, no, Excellency, not yet. But spies keep coming in, all bringing the same news, that British forces are slowly and surely coming up the river to Khartoum, and the Khalifa is sending out his people to gather in more and more of the wild troops. They are crowding into the city and camping about outside. There will be war before long."

"There must not be till we have escaped, Ibrahim," said the professor.

"We being respectable singing birds must not be caught in the net along with the black dervish daws."

"If the British and Egyptians win the battle, Excellency," said the Sheikh gravely. "We must not shut our eyes to the fact that these wild tribes are very brave, while the Egyptians--well, Excellency, we know that they have not made a very brave stand in the past."

"But our British force will be up here in strength?"

"Yes, Excellency, and if it depended entirely upon them I should not fear."

"Then you do fear?" said the doctor gravely.

"Hardly fear, Excellency, but I have my doubts, and I am troubled about our position in any case."

"Why?" said the professor.

"I have been out all night gathering news from such of the people as I have made my friends. The city is being filled with wild and lawless tribes who have come to fight for the new Mahdi, and whose pay is the plunder that they can gather from anywhere. They are their own friends only, and think of nothing else but what your English officers call loot. Even so soon as this past night there has been murder and outrage with plundering in the lower parts of the city, and the better people here would take flight at once, for their lives are not safe, and their wives and daughters seem marked out at once for the slaves of these savage men. I tremble for our own fate, and would gladly call my men together and risk an escape this very night, before the country round is swarming with the new Mahdi's people and we could not stir."

"But you will not do this, Ibrahim? You will not forsake us when we are so near success?"

"Alas! Excellency, we have not won success as yet, though we have found the young Excellency's brother."

"Does that mean that you mean to escape and leave us?"

"His Excellency the great Hakim knows that I have sworn to be faithful even unto death," said the old man proudly. "No, I will not leave you.

I only speak out and tell you of our peril. If the prisoner we are trying to save were here I would say, Go this night. But he is not here, and our position is very bad."

"What, with the doctor's reputation spread as it is, and such friends about us as the Emirs?"

"The Emirs are but men, Excellency," said the Sheikh, looking the professor full in the eyes. "They can do much with their own followers, but nothing with the wild beasts of murdering dervishes who would slay anyone for the handsome robe he wears, or to carry off his wife and children for slaves. The great Emir and his people are our friends, but alas! our Emir here, his son, and his son's friend left Omdurman with all their forces last night for the north, to stay the British advance.

We are here with only the twenty men of the Emir's guard, while we shall soon be surrounded by thousands who have never heard of the Hakim's name."

"This is bad news indeed, O Sheikh," said the professor, frowning.

"Bad tidings of the worst, Excellency, but it is true. These are the gleanings of the past night that I come with sorrowful heart to tell you. We have had much good of late, and my heart was glad last night as I saw that the young Excellency, Ben Eddin, would soon scheme that his brother should join us, and that then we would flee across the desert to the British camp; but now--"

"Well, Ibrahim; but now?" said the doctor sternly.

"Now, O Hakim, another sorrow meets me here: the young Excellency, Ben Eddin, is stricken down, and we have not rescued the prisoner slave as yet."

"But you have some plans," said the professor excitedly. "What do you propose to do?"

"Nothing as yet, Excellency. We must wait till the young Ben Eddin is well and we can bring his brother here. Till then we must be patient, and trust in G.o.d."

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

FOR FREEDOM.

The English party had ample proof of Ibrahim's words, for the narrow ways of the city were thronged that day with the wild troops that had ridden in from the desert, many too from Khartoum, and the wild blasts and throbbings of barbaric trumpet and drum resounded through the place; but the Emir's house remained undisturbed, though more than once the professor noticed that there was an uneasy look in the eyes of the head guard when he came near them, and appeared to be especially devoted to the care of all in the place.

That day there were no calls upon the Hakim for help, and he was able to devote himself entirely to Frank, upon whom his ministrations had the best effect.

In fact, he woke that night as if out of a long sleep looked wonderingly at Sam, and seemed puzzled by the bandages laid across his head. Then as if realising that he had been ill, he lay perfectly still, thinking, till the doctor came to his side a short time later, when he took and pressed the hand which felt his pulse and head, nodded gently, and proved at once that the fit of delirium had quite pa.s.sed away, for he said in a whisper--

"Don't say anything. I know I have been ill. But tell me: any news of Harry?"

"Not yet, my dear boy. We must have patience."

"Yes, Frank, lad," said the professor cheerily, "patience."

Frank bowed his head softly and let his eyelids drop, lying perfectly still for some little time.

"Drowsy, Frank?" said the doctor at last. But there was no reply. All was silent but the distant sound of shouting and uproar, as if the newcomers to the city were quarrelling with their friends.

The silence startled the professor, who looked from their new patient to the doctor, and back again searchingly; but the latter paid no heed.