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In the Mahdi's Grasp, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 24. Freedom Of Action? |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. FREEDOM OF ACTION? The doctor's patient needed his help badly, for the exertion of the journey and triumphant entry had taxed his strength too much, and once more he was fully under the Hakim's charge, and was carried by his orders to the quarters assigned to the party and their following, on one side of the low, rambling place, and quite distinct. It was while the doctor was busily tending the sufferer in the shady room looking out on the greenery of the court, that the Emir himself, freshly dismounted after seeing to the bestowal of the trophies of the incursion, came in, to stand gravely aside, _waiting_ patiently till the Hakim, satisfied that he could do no more, left the coarse divan upon which the patient lay, and signed to the father that he might approach. The doctor and his assistants drew back with the Sheikh, who stayed in the rough chamber to act as interpreter, the professor's Arabic being only an unsatisfactory mode of conversation, and all save the Hakim looked away. But there was no need for the latter's watchfulness, the Emir seeming to have a perfect knowledge of what was necessary, and full confidence in the great man's power. Hence it was that he contented himself with going down on one knee by his son's side and laying a hand upon the insensible man's brow for a few minutes before rising, and turning to the Sheikh-- "Ask the Hakim if he will live," he said stoically. The answer was given directly. "Yes, but the recovery has been thrown back." The Emir uttered a low, deep sigh, and bowed his head. Then turning to the Hakim he took a great, clumsy-looking ring from one finger, and, bending low, he offered it to his prisoner. To his surprise it was declined, but in a grave and smiling way, accompanied too with gestures which seemed to say, "I need no payment; I am beyond such trifles as these." The effect was striking, for the Emir stood for a few moments gazing at his captive with something like awe. Then, catching at the Hakim's hand, he pressed it for a moment against his forehead, and strode out of the room. "Humph!" ejaculated the professor, as soon as they were alone. "I almost wish you had taken that ring, old fellow. It was curiously antique." "I thought it better not, Fred," said the doctor quietly. "Let's keep up my character of one who seeks only to do good and heal." "Yes, you're right, old fellow; but an ancient gem like that is tempting. It may be a thousand years old." "And now about obtaining news of Hal," said Frank, looking from one to the other. "They surely are not going to keep us shut up here?" "A little patience, Frank, lad," said the professor; "here we are, within the walls of Omdurman, and received as friends; it cannot be long before we find out whether there are other prisoners here." "Whether there are other prisoners here!" cried Frank excitedly. "Why, we know." "That poor Hal was either here or at Khartoum months ago. We must not be too sanguine. He may be many miles away." "You may be right," said Frank wearily, "and I will not be sanguine; but if you begin dealing with probabilities and improbabilities, I may reply that it is quite possible that Hal is here in Omdurman--that he may even be in this very house. We know that he was a prisoner, do we not?" "Of course," said the professor. "Then he would be the slave of some important man?" "Certainly, my dear boy." "Well, this Emir seems to be one of the most important men here; why may not fate have brought us to the very place?" "Ah, why not, Frank, lad? But it is too improbable." "Yes," said the doctor, in his quiet, grave way; "far too improbable. Still, it is wonderful that we should have reached the very centre of the enemy's stronghold, and, what is more, that we should stand so well with this Emir. Be patient, Frank, and let us see what a few days bring forth. The Sheikh will begin at once, and he is a hundred times more likely to gain information than we are." "And the first thing to learn is how we stand." They began to find that out directly, for the coming and going of their guard, and a few questions from the Sheikh, supplied the information that this man had them in charge and was answerable to his chief for their safety, the Emir having quite made up his mind that the Hakim should form a part of his household so that he would have medical and surgical help when it was needed, and also that he might enjoy the credit of possessing so wonderful a physician, and share that of his cures. The arrangements made were perfectly simple; in fact, they were such as they would have met with in a tent; the only difference was that there were solid walls and a roof overhead. The Hakim learned, too, as the days glided by, that he was expected to see as many sick and wounded people as he conveniently could each morning, from the time of the first meal till noonday. After that the guard turned everyone away, and as time passed on the friends found that the rule was never transgressed. "The people have been taught so, O Hakim," said the Sheikh. "Then we are to be at liberty for the rest of the day?" said the doctor. "Yes, O Hakim, and you are to have everything you desire. You only have to speak. It is the Emir's orders. But if at any time you are wanted for the Emir's people or his friends, you are to see them in the after part of the day. What is there that the Hakim would desire now? The camels are well supplied, thy servants have good sleeping and resting-places, and supplies are sent in every morning while you are busy with the sick and wounded. What shall I tell the guard you require?" "Our liberty," said the Hakim sternly. "My people have been stopped three times when they tried to leave the gate." "Yes, O Hakim; it was the order given by the Emir to his servant, the guard." "Then tell the guard what I say. The confinement here is too great." "There is the garden beneath the trees, Excellency," said the Sheikh. "Yes, but we wish to see the town--to go where we will." "I will go to the guard and tell him, Excellency," said the Sheikh humbly, and he went away. Within an hour--a long and weary one to Frank--he was back. "I have seen the chief guard, Excellency, and he has taken your message to the Emir, who sent for me at once." "Well?" said the doctor; and Frank and the professor came close to hear the reply. "The Emir Prince sends greeting to your Excellency," said the old Sheikh, who seemed greatly impressed at being made the medium of communication between two such great men, "and he thanks you humbly for the great change you have made in his dear son, who seems to be hourly gaining strength." "Yes, yes," said the doctor, rather impatiently; "go on." "The Emir Prince says that he is aggrieved because you make so few demands for yourself and your people, for he desires that you should treat his home as yours, and have all that you desire." "Then he gives us our liberty to go where we please?" said the doctor eagerly, and Frank and the professor gave vent to sighs of satisfaction which made the Sheikh's brow wrinkle. "The Emir desires me to say that your servants are at liberty to go where they please in the city or out into the country round; and that as he has noticed that the great Hakim has beautiful camels but no horses, he has only to speak and horses will be brought for his servants' use." "I shall keep to my camel, Ibrahim," said the doctor. "I think it will seem best, more in character. What do you think?" The old man was silent. "What does this mean?" said Frank, for he was first to notice the Sheikh's troubled look. "The Emir Prince bade me say to his Excellency that he could not allow the great Hakim to go about among the people, for his life would be made a burden to him--he could not go a step without having a crowd of sufferers following him and throwing themselves beneath his camel's feet." The doctor frowned. "He said that the great Hakim's health and comfort were dear to him, and he felt that it would be better that so great a man should live as retired a life as the Khalifa himself." "Then I am to be kept regularly as a prisoner?" said the doctor, in dismay. "But if sometimes the noble Hakim desires greatly to ride through the city and out into the country, if he will send word by the guard, the Emir will summon the horsemen and attend upon his friend and preserver as a guard of honour, and protect him from the crowds that would stop his way." "Oh, who wants to be paraded in a show?" said the doctor petulantly. "I would rather stop in prison than be led out like that, eh, Fred?" "Certainly," said the professor. "Well, never mind," said the doctor cheerfully, the next minute. "I will not complain. I have my part to play, and I mean to go on playing it contentedly while you and Frank play yours, and find out where poor old Hal is kept a prisoner. That done, we must begin to make our plans to escape either back to Cairo or to the nearest post of the Anglo-Egyptian army." "Or the river," said Frank. "But I don't like this, for us to be free and you a prisoner." "It is the penalty for being so great a man," said the doctor merrily. "And really there is a large amount of common-sense in what our friend says. I should be regularly hunted through the streets, and I could not go in Eastern fashion and turn a deaf ear to the poor wretches who cast themselves at my feet." "But it seems so hard for you," said Frank. "And it takes all the satisfaction out of our perfect freedom," said the professor. "But your Excellencies are not to have perfect freedom," said Ibrahim slowly. "What do you mean?" cried Frank. "When you go out I and three or four of my young men are to attend you with the camels." "So much the better, Ibrahim. You will be invaluable to us." "Your Excellency is very good to say so," replied the old man sadly; "but that is not all." "Not all?" cried the professor. "No, Excellency. The Emir Prince says that he feels answerable to the great Hakim for your safety; that you are well known to be the Hakim's followers, and that there are wise men, Hakims of the people here in Omdurman and Khartoum, who are dogs, he said--fools and pretenders who can do nothing but work ill. These people, he says, hate the great Hakim with a jealous hate, and would gladly injure his servants. Therefore he gives the head of his bodyguard, the Baggara who has charge of us here, orders to attend you everywhere you go." "Alone?" said Frank, after a few moments' display of blank surprise and annoyance. "No, Excellency; always with eight or ten men; and he is to answer for your safety abroad and here with his head." The Sheikh's words seemed to have robbed the little party of the power of speech. But at last Frank exclaimed-- "Then we have journeyed all this way for naught?" "To be as badly off as if we had stayed in Cairo and waited for the British and Egyptian advance." "No," said the doctor quietly; "disappointment is making you both go to extremes. We are here on the spot, and we must work by other hands." "Whose?" said Frank bitterly. The doctor pointed gravely to Ibrahim, who drew himself up with a look at the speaker full of gratitude and pride. "Yes, O Hakim," he said quietly; "it seems that I and my young men are at liberty to come and go with the camels, and we can mix with the people as we please. If, then, their Excellencies will trust their servant and give him time he will do all he can to search out tidings of their friend and brother. Shall it be so?" "Yes," said the doctor firmly. The old Sheikh bowed, and then turned to Frank. "Ben Eddin is black," he said, with a smile, "and the day or night may come when I shall say to him, 'I have glad tidings for you. Come as one of my camel-drivers, and maybe I can get you past the guard.'" "Ibrahim!" cried the young man wildly, "don't promise me too much." "I promise nothing, Ben Eddin," said the old man smiling; "but an Arab Sheikh and the black slave with him can go far unnoticed. Wait and see. Till then go on and be a patient servant to the sick man here, the Emir's son. He likes you in his way. Maybe he will be better soon, and want you to bear him company here and there." "Yes, it is possible," cried Frank excitedly. "And it would give you time to search the place or learn by chance where the prisoner may be. It is not wise to let the heart sink in sorrow as the sun goes down amongst the mists of night. Does it not rise again and bring the light? Surely it is better that you are here." "Yes," said Frank eagerly. "I spoke in haste." _ |
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