o 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 lon