und."

"They have all gone, Excellency, excepting the wounded in the next tent
and twelve mounted men who are stationed round to act, I suppose, as a
guard."

"But they will come back?"

"I cannot say, Excellency," replied the old man; "I only know that they
have gone."

"`And fold their tents like the Arabs,'" said Frank softly to himself,
"`and as silently steal away.'"

CHAPTER TWENTY.

PRISONERS INDEED.

Before the sun rose Frank's rescue party fully realised their position--
that they were prisoners, guarded by about twenty of the Baggara chief's
followers, and in charge of a temporary hospital, with the leader's son
as the principal patient.

"We must look our trouble, if trouble it is, straight in the face,
Frank, my lad," said the professor, "and hope all will turn out for the
best."

"Yes," replied Frank, with a sigh; "but of course we cannot stir from
here, and the time is going so fast."

"But we reckoned upon meeting with obstacles, and this one may prove to
be a help in the end."

"I hope so," said the young man despondently, his manner seeming to
belie his words. "But what about the future--I mean when these men need
no more attention?"

"My idea of the future is that the chief has gone with his men upon some
raid already arranged, and that we shall have them back before long."

"Yes," said Frank, "he is sure to return on account of his son. Then we
must wait."

"Yes, and as patiently as we can, my lad."

"And have as good an account to give the father as we can on his
return," said the doctor, who had been listening in silence. "It is
very trying, Frank, to be checked like this, and so soon; but one thing
is certain, the Baggara chief means to keep us to attend to his wounded,
and this being a warlike excursion it will sooner or later come to an
end, and we shall be taken pretty swiftly in the direction we want to
go."

"I'll try to think as you do," said Frank sadly, "and murmur as little
as I can."

"Fortunately we shall have very little time for brooding over our
troubles," said the doctor, "for I can see nothing but hard work for
days to come."

"Yes," said the professor grimly; "you are getting far more professional
duty, though, than we bargained for."

As the day wore on there was little change visible in the young chief,
who seemed to be alive, and that was all; but the Hakim was satisfied,
and the other patients had certainly improved.

The Sheikh reported hav