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Frank felt as if he had taken a draught of renewed life, as he raised his hand to his brow and shaded his eyes from the sun. "I see nothing," he said. "Look again, Excellency. Your eyes are not used to the desert. There, straight past the Hakim's camel." "Ah, yes! I can see something like a heap of sand."
"Hope not, sir," said the man, "though that hot sun and the dust can't be good." "But what are you doing?" "What'll set you right, sir, and ready for your meal." "But you forget that I am the Hakim's slave." "Not I, sir. Keep still, the black won't come off." "But I can't let you be waiting upon me. Suppose one of the Emir's men came in."
"The Hakim's skill as a learned man and curer of the people's ills will cover all. If this man is clever, too, as a barber every Moslem will look upon him as a friend. Barber, surgeon, and the Hakim's slave. Yes, that will do."
On the other hand, in the Hakim's little camp of a couple of tents, there was the knowledge of some five-and-twenty men lying down to rest as they had not lain for many weary days, and that the chief was like another man, for he had been to the Hakim's tent himself, to bend low to the man of wisdom, and tell him, through the lips of Ibrahim, that the calm that had come over his spirit was marvellous, and that the wound only throbbed now and ached, but in a way that he was man enough to bear.
From that day Frank found that he was an object of interest to the young chief, who noted every movement with a sort of pitying contempt, while at the same time, in spite of the result of the Hakim's ministrations, he displayed an unconcealed dislike for him that was manifested in morose looks and more than one angry scowl. This was talked over when the friends were alone, and the doctor smiled.
"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."
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."
While examining the patient, nearly a dozen Syrian girls a grave Turk's wifely crowd, a result and illustration of Mohammedan female education pressed around the divan with eyes and ears intent to see and hear a Western Hakim's medical examination.
"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."
Out by the gate in the dazzling sunshine sat Ibrahim upon his tall camel, the headgear for the present carefully arranged so as to make a brave show, and the seven mounted guards waiting for the Hakim's learned slave, who bore the reputation now of being deeply versed in magic to such an extent that he could call down lightning from the skies and make it do his will.
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