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In the Mahdi's Grasp, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 17. The Surgeon's Fee |
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_ CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. THE SURGEON'S FEE The Hakim's patient was evidently a man of stern determination--of iron will; but he was only human after all, and he turned slowly to his brother chief, to lay his uninjured hand upon his shoulder to support himself, evidently making a brave effort to master the almost inevitable consequences of the long operation. But Morris was watching him keenly, and quite prepared. A few words to Frank resulted in a small glass of water being placed in his hand in company with a bottle and graduated measure; a small quantity of a colourless fluid was transferred to the glass, and the Hakim rose and walked with dignified pace to where the two chiefs stood, the younger scowling fiercely now as he saw that his companion was beginning to totter upon his legs and swaying slightly as if to fall. But the Hakim paid no heed to his fierce glances, and held the glass to his patient. "_Bibe_," he said, in a tone of command, using medical Latin in preference to English. At the sound of his voice the Baggara, whose countenance had turned of a peculiar, muddy hue, revived and turned to him sharply, saw, and stretched out his hand eagerly for the glass, but shrank back directly with a look of suspicion. The Hakim smiled, raised the glass to his lips, and looking frankly in his patient's eyes drank about a third of the liquid slowly, and would have gone on, but the Baggara signed to him to desist, took the glass, and swallowed the remainder, to stand for a few minutes with his eyes half-closed and his hand clutching his brother chief's arm desperately. "Why doesn't he make him lie down?" said the professor in a low tone to Frank, who was standing by his companion's side as if waiting for the Hakim's next command, but watching everything keenly the while. "Afraid it would have a bad effect upon the people," said Frank in the same low tone. "He has given him a dose of ammonia." "If he goes down, my lad, I'm afraid that it will be bad for us." "Afraid?" replied Frank. "We have made our plunge, and nothing must make us afraid." "That's right," said the professor; "but I wish that stuff would begin to act." "It is beginning to act," said Frank. "Look!" He was right, for the chief drew a deep breath, his muscles seemed to be growing more firm, and he stepped back from his companion, then signed for his shield to be handed to him, placed the loops over the bandaged arm, took his two spears, beckoned to the follower who held his horse, and stood for a minute or two making believe to pat its beautiful, arching neck and arrange its mane before placing a foot in the stirrup and springing into the saddle, when another shout arose from his followers, and Frank breathed more freely. "That's about as savage, bloodthirsty a brute as his younger companion," said the professor softly; "but he's a brave man." "Yes," said Frank laconically, as he kept his eyes fixed nervously upon the chief. "Think he'll be able to keep his seat?" "I hope so." "So do I, for if he comes off with a thud I won't give much for our lives. Hah! he has mastered it." "Yes, he has mastered it all," said Frank. "He must have been horribly sick and faint." "And that ammonia is not a very exhilarating draught to take. I know the abomination pretty well. Soap and water is delicious in comparison, especially if it is scented." All this time the Hakim stood motionless, watching his patient gravely, and waiting for the result which soon came. For the peril had passed, the Baggara chief drawing himself up in his saddle, making his beautiful Arab charger rear up, and then letting him gallop for a hundred yards or so in full sight of his men, who began to shout frantically. Then pulling the horse down upon its haunches, he turned, galloped back, and checked the graceful creature again in front of the Hakim, to bend over and say a few words before rejoining his brother chief. "What said he, Ibrahim?" asked the doctor in a whisper, without moving his head or seeming to speak. "That the Hakim is a great prophet, and that it is peace. Excellency, they will not hurt us now." This was soon made evident, for the younger chief began to give orders, and the men dismounted and formed themselves into a camp about a hundred yards away from the Hakim's tent. Then in fairly regular order the horses and camels were led up to the water, allowed to drink, and then led away, all being done so as not to interfere with Ibrahim's train of camels, which were now pastured on the other side of the tent, to which the Hakim had returned, and where Frank, the professor, and Sam were busy replacing the various articles that had been brought out. Here a little conference was held around the doctor, who had resumed his calm and thoughtful attitude, but who, beneath his solemn aspect, was as excited as the rest. "Well, Frank, lad," he said, "did it go satisfactorily?" "Of course," replied the young man; "how could it be otherwise. It was real." "Splendid," said the professor. "Robert, old fellow, I was proud of you." "I don't think you would have been, Fred, if you could have seen inside." "What do you mean--not nervous?" "I was never worse in my life. I wonder I got through it as I did. You both noticed how my hands shook." "That I did not," said Frank warmly. "You seemed to me as firm as a rock." "Appearances are very deceitful," said the doctor with a quaint look. "Well, I did my best for him. He was in a terrible state." At that moment the Sheikh, who had been giving orders to his young men not to let the camels stray, rejoined them, and he gave the doctor a look full of reverence. "It was a great, a noble cure, O Hakim," he said. "That wound was dangerous, was it not?" "He would have been delirious by this time to-morrow, Ibrahim," said the doctor. "Delirious?" said the Sheikh, hesitating. "Oh, yes, I know--mad." "And blood-poisoning would have set in. Without attention he would have been a dead man before a week had passed." "But now, O Hakim--now?" "With care and attention to his wound he will soon recover." "Hah! It is good. His people would have slain us if he had fallen." "But what about now, Ibrahim?" said the professor. "He said it was peace, but will he keep his word and let us go?" "Hah!" said the Sheikh quietly; "I think not yet. If their Excellencies look around without seeming to notice they will see that men have been placed in five places at a distance like sentries of the Khedival guard." "To keep a look out for the approach of enemies," said Frank quickly. "Well, it is soldierly." "It might be to keep us from stealing away," said the Sheikh drily. "Yes, of course," said the professor. "But look here, Ibrahim, who are these likely to be?" "One of the wandering bands of the desert, Excellency, who rob and murder all they come across." "Pleasant neighbours!" said the doctor quietly. "But are they likely to be connected with the Khalifa--the Mahdi, or any of that party?" said the professor. "I think so, Excellency," replied the Sheikh. "These people travel far and wide. Perhaps this is one of the Khalifa's chiefs." "Well, then--listen, all of you," said the professor. "If these sentries are to keep us in bounds we are prisoners, Ibrahim?" "Yes, Excellency." "And we shall have to go where they go, for they will never stay here." "It is right, Excellencies." "And you think it possible that this may be one of the new Mahdi's wandering bands?" "Yes, Excellency; sent forth to see if the English and Egyptian forces are advancing, as well as to gather plunder." "Then by and by they will rejoin their leader far away yonder at Omdurman or Khartoum?" "It is most likely, Excellency." "Then so long as they treat us decently it seems to me that nothing could have happened better," continued the professor; "they will lead us exactly where we want to go, and see that no other party takes a fancy to our heads." "That is exactly what I thought, Excellency," said the Sheikh; "but I was afraid to speak." "Why?" said the doctor sharply. The old man shrugged his shoulders. "Their Excellencies took me to be their guide, and placed themselves in my hands. They said, 'We have faith in you and your young men, who will protect us.'" "Yes," said the doctor. "Go on." "Well, Excellency, I have failed." "How failed?" said the professor sharply. "I have brought you into danger--into the hands of the enemy at once." "Then you feel that we are prisoners?" said the doctor sternly. "I must be truthful with those who have trusted me, Excellency. I fear that these sons of evil will not let us go." "I'm afraid you are right, Ibrahim. No, I promised you, Frank, that I would not be afraid of anything now. I feel, then, that you are right. But look here, so long as they treat us well nothing could have happened better for us." "Nothing, Excellency, for at some time or another we shall be brought to the heads of the invading tribes." "And sooner or later if we tried we might escape." "Yes, Excellency." "Then where is the cause for fear?" "I feared that their Excellencies would not look upon it like this," said the Sheikh humbly. "I knew that they must find out before many hours that we were prisoners, and then I felt that they would turn and reproach me for what I had done." "When you know us better, Ibrahim," said the doctor quietly, "you will find that we are not unreasonable. Then as I see it now, _if_--I say _if_ these ruffians treat us well we are on the high road to the place we seek to reach." "Yes, O Hakim." "But on the other hand, as we have found out this morning, everything depends upon my treatment of my patients." "Yes, O Hakim, it is so," replied the Sheikh sadly. "Pleasant for a weak man," said the doctor drily. "If I cure I am a prophet; if I fail--" "You'll be a Hakim without a head, old fellow," said the professor. "Ergo, as Shakespeare says, you must not fail. It was rather a close shave, too, this morning--there, I wasn't alluding to you, Sam," he continued, turning to the man, who was looking ghastly, as he stood close by hearing every word. "There, pluck up, my lad; your master did cure this time. Well, Frank, you are silent. How do matters strike you?" "It seems to me that we have thoroughly fallen upon our feet, and have nothing to mind." "So long as these people use us well," said the doctor. "Well, if they do not we have still our old plan to fall back upon. We must take to the camels and flee for our lives, even if we leave everything else behind." "And with our task undone, Landon," said Frank bitterly. "Who said anything about leaving our task undone? Nothing of the kind. It will only mean starting afresh, and from right up the country instead of from Cairo." "Well," said the doctor, "as everything depends upon their treating us well, and I occupy so critical a position, I must do my best." "Which we know you will," said the professor, "of course. But they are not likely to keep us long, are they, Ibrahim--only while their chiefs wound is bad?" "It is impossible to say, Excellency. It is a dangerous position." "Then if we get a chance of leaving it we must seize it. They don't seem very grateful or friendly even now." "Your Excellency is not quite right," said the Sheikh gravely. "Behold!" He pointed to four of the Baggara coming towards the tent, and all well laden. One bore a fine young kid, another half a dozen chickens in an open basket in one hand, while slung over his shoulder were a large bunch of bananas and a bunch of dates. The others bore each a large bag of meal. These they set down at once at the Hakim's feet, bowing solemnly and low the while, and went off without a word. "Come, doctor," said the professor merrily, as soon as the men were out of hearing, "you never had such a fee as that before!" "And look at its value as a token of friendliness on our captors' behalf!" cried Frank eagerly. "It's splendid!" said the professor. "All that payment in kind, far better than guineas out here, for medicine and attendance to one man." "If his Excellency looks yonder," said the old Sheikh drily, "he will find that it is not for curing one wounded man. The great Hakim's fame is spreading fast." "One, two, three, four--why, there must be over twenty patients coming, Bob!" cried the professor, looking quite aghast. "You've got to do your best now, old fellow, and no mistake. But they can't be all chiefs." The professor was well within bounds in saying twenty, for coming slowly on, for the most part walking, but several on horse or camel, and in more than one case supported by companions, came the whole of the sick and injured of the tribe, the Hakim's treatment of their chief having brought those who had suffered during their wandering raid in the desert; and the calmness for a few moments deserted the Hakim's countenance. But he was soon himself again, and ready for what he saw at a glance must be a long and heavy task--one that would call forth all his energies. "It is fortunate that I am a surgeon, and not a doctor pure and simple," he said quietly, "for these seem to be all injuries received in fight. Come, Frank, Landon, our work is waiting." "Yes," said the professor. "You, Sam, look after the commissariat department." "The which, sir?" said the man, staring. "Well, the provisions, and clear away--for action, eh, Frank?" "Yes, and it's fortunate that the Hakim has had his breakfast." _ |
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