That was all; and those words lay all through the visit ready to Frank’s hand, while with patient endurance his brother toiled away, coming and going with horse and camel, till the young Emir began to grow impatient and Frank dared not express a desire to see more, nor yet turn to look after the slave leading away the last horse.
But Frank felt that the visit was not in vain. He had gained something, and he said to himself if he could get to the Emir’s place some day alone and under some pretence about the horses, he might manage to have a word or two with the prisoner.
But what was the excuse to be?—Could he contrive to get there alone some day when the young Emir was away with his followers?
That seemed very doubtful, for twice of late when he had taken his men out upon the sandy plain away from the river he had invited and taken Frank with him, and the rides had been startling, for the young chief’s manner suggested that since their encounter with the dervishes he had some thought of making him one of his followers, a member of a wild troop of desert warriors.
Still Frank thought that there must be some way of compassing a meeting with his brother, one that would excite no suspicion, and one evening when he had been talking the matter over with his friends, and a score of ideas had been proposed, each of which possessed some failing spot and caused it to be thrown aside, the right thought came.
They were sitting together feeling rather despondent, and the Hakim as a last resource began to talk of the possibility of an appeal to the Emir to gain the liberty of the young English slave, but only to make Frank shake his head sadly.
“He would not do it,” said the young man, “and he will never part with us. See how the sufferers have been coming in these last three days.”
“Yes,” said the Hakim, with a droll look of perplexity in his countenance; “no sooner is one cured than another appears.”
“Yes, two,” said the professor; “we did not think you were coming out into the Soudan to find a tremendous practice waiting, and no pay.”
“But board and lodging, my dear Fred,” replied the doctor, smiling.