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In the Mahdi's Grasp, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 28. A Scientific Marvel |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. A SCIENTIFIC MARVEL The day broke at last, after a long and watchful night of silence, during which the Hakim had never left his patient's side, but he had insisted upon his companions taking watch and watch. The patient had not stirred, but lain as motionless as if already dead, apparently free from all suffering, and displaying symptoms which made the lines grow deeper in the doctor's brow. Twice over during the night a slight rustling of a curtain had startled the watchers, and thoughts of treachery had arisen; but in each case the rustling was succeeded by a weary sigh, and there was silence once more. The daylight which turned the lamp-rays pale was stealing in at the narrow window, when there was a louder rustle of the curtain, and the Emir entered, to find the Hakim bending over his friend, with Frank kneeling a short distance away. The chief glanced round for the interpreter, and then went to the door leading into the next room, to draw back directly, for the Sheikh and Landon were lying upon divans, asleep. The Emir nodded, and went straight to the Hakim, pointing down at the patient, questioning him with his eyes. "Yes," said the doctor, bowing his head; "he lives still, but I am afraid." The Emir seemed to grasp his meaning, and to enforce it Morris took the chiefs hand and separating his fingers, placed two upon the wounded man's pulse. There was a faint beating going on, and without another sign the Emir crossed to the curtain and passed out. The sun rose soon after, and filled the gloomy room with cheery light; but the hard, drawn countenance of the wounded man suggested that dissolution could not be far distant; and when a few minutes later the professor and the Sheikh came in, refreshed by a couple of hours' rest, the doctor, spoke in a low voice-- "Help me," he said; "I must make another examination at all risks;" and busy minutes followed, during which the probe was used, and used in vain. "He will sink in a few hours in spite of all I can do," said the doctor. "If I could trace that bullet there might be a chance, and I will try; but everything is against him here." "What do you mean to do?" asked the professor. The Hakim was silent, standing leaning over his patient, deep in thought, while his friends waited patiently for him to speak. It was no longer the calm, easy-going companion now, but the earnest student of the human frame, straining every mental fibre to the encounter in this emergency. A minute later he had turned to Frank, and spoke to him earnestly, with the result that the young man shook his head. "Yes, I know," said the doctor; "you are unprepared; the difficulties seem out here insuperable; but a man's life is at stake, so is our reputation amongst these people, for one failure will balance a hundred cures, just as at home one evil deed stands out strongly against so many good which pass unnoticed. It is barely possible, but we must try." Frank stood for a few moments thinking, and then turned his eyes upon those of his friend. "Think, my dear boy," said the latter; "it may be a step nearer to finding Hal." Frank still remained silent. He needed no such stimulus as that, though; he was only shrinking for fear that he would fail in his part of the experiment that was to be tried. At last his face lit-up, and signing to the professor and the Sheikh to follow him he hurried back to their part of the palace, where a leathern case that had travelled so far on the big camel, and remained unopened, was rapidly unstrapped, and one by one the carefully packed portions of some new scientific apparatus were undone and arranged upon one of the rugs placed for the purpose. Frank worked hard, and the professor aided him with all the energy he could throw into the task, first one and then the other uttering a word or two of satisfaction to find that everything was intact. "Is this the apparatus with which you experimented at your place?" said the professor. They were alone, and Frank answered in a low tone full of excitement-- "Yes," he said; "again and again with perfect success." "But you are nervous about it now?" "Yes, there seems to be so much at stake. Suppose we fail?" "The best thing Lytton ever wrote, Frank, lad," said the professor: "'In the bright Lexicon of youth, there is no such word as fail.'" "Then you would try?" whispered Frank. "Try? Yes, and succeed, my lad. Why should you not?" "I don't know," sighed the young man, "unless I dread that anything should go wrong, for Morris's sake." "And he would be sorry for yours. There, work. Everything seems right: battery, wires, vacuum tubes--all looking new and perfect." "Yes," said Frank, whose voice trembled a little; "but if we could put the experiment off for a while, so as to test it first." "It might be wiser, but while we are trying the apparatus that man's life may ebb away." "Then you would not wait?" "No. Test it upon the patient. It may save him." Taking heart as he fully grasped the need for immediate action, Frank toiled away till he was able to say that he was ready, the Sheikh looking on in silent wonder and admiration the while. Before the manipulator of the wondrous adaptation was ready he said a word or two to the Sheikh, who hurried out and returned with a couple of his young men, and then in solemn silence and with great care the apparatus was carried as if in procession to the great tent-like sick-chamber, where at the first glance Frank's eyes rested upon the three Mullahs, who had returned during his absence, and once more stood together silent and scornful, gazing down at the Emir's friend, the pulsations of whose arteries the Hakim was still feeling, while the Emir and his son stood hard by watching and waiting for the end. No word was spoken. The Hakim turned and ran his eyes over the apparatus that was brought in and rapidly placed in position, wires connected to the battery, and after rapid preparation everything was at last announced by the professor as being ready, while Frank's black face glistened with perspiration as he looked firmly now at his brother's old friend, who questioned him with a look, and received a quick nod in reply. All this while the three Mullahs looked on as such men would--old practitioners in fraud and deceit, dealing with the ignorant superstitions of their tribes--their swarthy faces darkening in contempt, treating it all as a piece of jugglery on the part of a Frankish pretender to infinite power. But on the other hand the faces of the Emir and his son were full of wonder as well as faith, knowing so well as they did the great wisdom and skill of the man who had saved their lives. "Now," said the Hakim slowly and gravely, "help me, Frederick, my son. I have probed again for the bullet, and know where it must lie. You and Ibrahim must carefully turn him half upon his face." This was quickly done, and a thrill ran quivering through the Emir as he saw the Hakim take out a keen knife from the case that hung from his girdle, and with a quick movement divide the white garment the patient wore from neck to waist, laying bare the muscular back and side, and as quickly laying the soft white cotton fabric apart. "Now," said the Hakim, "tell the Emir that the thick curtains must be lowered over that window and all the light shut out. That done, whatever takes place no one must move or speak." The words were firmly and solemnly uttered, and the place lending itself well to the purpose, the heavy rug-like curtains were allowed to fall over the window, the Emir and his son both helping, and then stopping in amaze by the drapery as for a few moments the chamber was in total darkness. Then a strange, hissing noise arose, and heavy, startled breathing was heard, while the faces of all present were illumined by the dazzling flashes of light which began to play in a cylinder of glass. Nothing could have been more startling to one strange to the wonders of science, for the scene was horrible and weird, suggestive to the Baggara--chiefs and Mullahs--of magic in its most awful guise. For as they stood spellbound there by the strange light which played about as if some hissing, fiery dragon were flickering its lambent tongue in and out of its glistening jaws, not only were the faces and busy hands of the Hakim and his assistants seen moving rapidly, but directly after there, in a faint glare, was the bare torso of the dying Emir. Then, heard above the hissing of the electricity the Hakim's voice was heard, and all eyes were turned to him as the flashes of light brightened his stern, firm face. "Ibrahim," he said, "bid the Emir come here to my side." The order was interpreted, and firmly and without a moment's hesitation, the swarthy chief walked close up to the divan, noting as he did so that the flashes of light in the cylinder glanced from the keen knife which the Hakim held. "Now," said the latter calmly, "tell him that as a last effort I am about to try and find where the bullet which is slaying his friend is lying." The Sheikh's voice trembled a little as he spoke, but he interpreted the words clearly, and the Emir said softly-- "The Hakim is wise and great." "_Now_!" said the doctor sharply, and wonder of wonders! the upper portion of the wounded man's flank was seen to become transparent, the muscular portions to dissolve in a soft, dull light, leaving the bones weirdly plain as if he had long passed away, and the awe-stricken beholders were gazing upon the skeleton remains; while most horrible of all, amidst the low murmur of dread which arose from the Mullahs and Ibrahim, a skeleton hand suddenly darted out, holding a knife and pointed to a small, round, black spot close to the dark backbone. "Enough!" said the Hakim loudly. "Quick, the light!" No legendary Eastern magic ever expressed one-half the marvels of that scene. One moment the electricity was hissing and the bright flashes playing about, giving ghastly effects to the faces of all, as, wild with horror, they gazed at the dull, black skeleton and the horrible pointing hand; the next the hissing had ceased, the vision had died out, and then there was a rustling noise as the curtain was torn away and the Hakim was seen in the bright sunlight, bending over the prostrate man. A quick movement or two followed, the knife was thrown down and instruments used, and the Hakim said shortly-- "Water--sponge." The professor had only to take a step, and then with a rapidity that was almost marvellous the marks of blood had been removed, a little lint and a bandage applied, and the Hakim was pointing to a large bullet, that which had nearly passed through the wounded man without touching a vital place. "It is great," said the Emir simply, as he took up the globe of lead, and then turned to the Sheikh. "Ask the great Hakim if now my friend will live. No, ask not," he said. "I know." Then a peculiar smile of contempt played about his stern face as he stood watching the three Mullahs, who, with bended heads, were slowly passing to the door and leaving the room without a word. The Hakim did not even turn his head to look after them, but glanced at Frank and the professor, who were rapidly disconnecting wires and placing the apparatus ready for sending back to their quarters. Then feeling what the Emir must have said, he looked him full in the eyes and said in plain English-- "I think your friend will recover now, Emir. Go and tell those who love him what I say." Then turning to the Sheikh the old man gravely interpreted the words, and the Emir caught at and kissed the Hakim's hand, before hurrying out, followed by his son. "Bravo, Ben Eddin!" said the professor excitedly. "Here, Ibrahim, fetch in your men to carry these things back to our rooms." "Yes, Excellency," said the old man quietly; "but truly the Hakim is great. Tell me, is this magic--I have long thought all that we have been taught was childish tales, but after what I have seen--" "Believe as you did before, Ibrahim," said the doctor gravely, as he laid his hand upon the old man's shoulder; "there is no magic, but the wonders of Nature are greater far. This is only another of the discoveries of science. You have heard at Cairo the voices come along the wire?" "Yes, Excellency, and the machine that speaks." "Yes, and this is another of the marvels we have learned." "But they will believe it is magic," said the old man. "Well, let them," said the Hakim calmly. "Now, quick, and get all this away. My patient must have perfect quiet if he is to live." "Thank you, Frank, boy," said the doctor, as soon as the Sheikh had left the room. "You managed everything to perfection. I little thought I should have to operate out here with the Rontgen rays." _ |
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