“How is it that you can speak the Hakim’s tongue?”
“Because I was once among the Franks. It is a tongue that is known far and wide. He is a great man, and my arm will soon be well. Is it not time that my master fetched me back?”
“Thy master has gone to fight the enemies of Allah,” said the officer scornfully, “and has no time to think of thee.”
There was no more information to be obtained of the man, whose whole manner seemed to have changed, and the sound of the tapping of a war-drum drew him away directly after, leaving the party undecided what to do.
One thing was evident, that with the strict guard kept over the place any attempt at evasion would have been useless, and it was decided that if they were to escape it must be during their journey to Khartoum.
“But we must not give up all hope of seeing Ibrahim return,” said the doctor. “Go to the men, Landon, and find out what they think about their chief.”
The professor left the room at once, leaving his friends listening to every sound that came through the open windows of the soft night; and there were many, all going to prove that something extraordinary was afloat, the little party having no difficulty in making out that a large body of men were on the move, while when this had ceased and a peculiar stillness began to reign, the distant tap, tap, tap of another drum was heard, followed in due time by the dull tramp of men.
“I had no idea,” said the doctor, “that these Baggara were in such a state of discipline. Why, they seem to march like European troops.”
“You have not seen so much of them as I have,” said Harry sadly. “During my imprisonment I have had plenty of time to study them, and have seen pretty well why this is. Of course their leader’s position depends upon his army more than upon his reputation of being the prophet upon whom the last Mahdi’s garment has fallen.”
“I suppose so,” said Frank. “Mahomet’s great power came from the sword.”