Chapter Thirty Nine.
Tightened Chains.
Those were minutes of agony to all concerned, for there was the trouble of Frank’s calls while the doctor was speaking. It was nothing that the strange officer had heard them, but the fact that they must have been heard by the guard, familiar with them all was startling, and the position was excitedly discussed. The Sheikh said that the officer had made no allusion to it since, and the doctor recalled to them the fact that the man could not have recognised the voice, for he had never heard Frank speak. Besides he did not know that Frank was lying there ill.
“Let him think that there was a mystery about it all, Excellencies,” said the Sheikh; “and when he sees Ben Eddin again going about his business as of old, making his desires known by signs, he will never think that it was he who spoke.”
“But who will he think it was then?” said the professor.
“Who can say, Excellency? They are superstitious children, these strong fighting men of the desert, and believe in demons, genii, and afreets. He will say to himself that it was the voice of the Hakim’s familiar, that he heard the invisible spirit by whose help he works his cures, and be glad of heart that the djin, or whatever it might be, did not strike him dead for being there.”
A couple of hours or so later they were startled by the appearance of the very man of whom the Sheikh had been speaking, and all fancied afterwards that he looked very hard at Frank, who was sufficiently recovered by the success of his plan to be able to keep about, and hence was present in the room.
The chief of the guard had come to announce the return of the Emir’s officer with a message to the Hakim, and when the Baggara was ushered in it was to announce that his master thankfully accepted the Hakim’s pledge, but felt that it was not right for so great a sage, mullah, and prophet, to be asked to waste his time over a dog of a white slave. In conclusion he prayed that the great Hakim, whose very touch bore healing to the sons of men, would deign to accept the gift he sent him by his servant—the offering being a costly emerald ring, roughly and clumsily set in gold.
One difficulty was at an end, for all felt that the doctor might insist upon the prisoner staying till such time as they could ripen their plans for escape, while in addition that night, the Sheikh learned from their guard that Harry Frere’s master had marched with all his force to join the Emir and his son, who were camping out waiting the arrival of other bands before joining forces with the Khalifa.
“Many have left the city, Excellency,” he said, “but more have come in, and the streets are filled with strangers who know us not.”