should
never manage this part of the business. My joints have grown too
stiff."

"Oh, nonsense," said the professor sharply; "it only wants a little
practice. Look here."

He plumped himself down upon the other end of the hearthrug quite in the
native manner, and seemed perfectly at his ease, while Frank sat
watching them both with his eyes twinkling in his delight.

"You can't do it in those tight trousers. You want good loose, baggy
breeches, knickerbockery sort of things. Oh, you'd soon do it.--That's
better."

"Yes," said the doctor dubiously; "that's a little better; but these
trousers are, as you say, too tight. I tell you what I'd do, Frank," he
continued, perfectly seriously, "I'd have my head shaved clean, and keep
it so."

"Bravo!" cried the professor excitedly. "Splendid! Your bald head over
that grand beard and a very large white turban of the finest Eastern
muslin, twisted up as I could twist it for you, would give just the
finishing touches. Just spread the skirts of that dressing-gown a
little."

Frank sprang to the task, and in arranging the folds uncovered one of
the yellow Morocco slippers the doctor happened to be wearing.

"That's good," cried the professor excitedly. "Fetch those sofa
cushions, Frank, and put them so that he can rest his arm upon them.
Good! Now a pipe. Here, fish out my stick from under the table.
That's right," he continued, as Frank placed the stick upside down in
the doctor's hand, with the ferrule near his lips and the hook resting
on the floor, turned up like a bowl.

"Well, I am!" cried the professor, drawing his legs more under him, and
nodding at his old school-fellow seated opposite at the other end of the
hearthrug. "Franky, boy, he looks the very perfection of a Turkish
doctor now, while with the real things on and his head shaved, and the
turban--Oh, I haven't a doubt of it, he'd humbug the Mahdi himself if he
were alive. I haven't a bit of fear about him. Sit still, old man.--As
for myself, I should be all right; when I get out there I feel more of a
native than an Englishman. It's you who are the trouble, Franky, for I
confess I am coming round."

"I shall get myself up perfectly. You may depend upon that," said the
lad confidently, "and all through the voyage out Morris will coach me up
about bandaging and helping him in ambulance work, so that I may get to
be a bit clever as his assistant."

"Yes, yes, yes, that's all right," said the p