refused, saying
that I saw I could no longer be of assistance to them. I could see they
were inwardly pleased. They gave me some more money, and I left them,
saying that I did not, for a moment, suppose that I could tell them
anything further; but that if, at any time, they should send for me, I
would try and recall what I had seen the white hakims do, in such a
case as they were dealing with.

"In the meantime, Saleh was progressing very favourably; and, indeed,
would have been up and about, had I not peremptorily ordered him to
remain quiet.

"'You are doing well,' I said. 'Why should you risk bringing on
inflammation, merely for the sake of getting about a few days earlier?'

"Abdullah was also better, but still extremely weak, and I had to order
that meat should be boiled for some hours, and that he should drink
small quantities of the broth, three or four times a day. Many times a
day women came to me, to ask me to see to their husbands' wounds; and
sometimes the wounded men came to me, themselves. All the serious cases
I referred to the hakims, and confined myself simply to dressing and
bandaging wounds, which had grown angry for want of attention. I always
refused to accept fees, insisting that I was not a hakim, and simply
afforded my help as a friend.

"I had the satisfaction, however, of doing a great deal of good, for in
the medicine chest I found a large supply of plaster and bandages.
Frequently mothers brought children to me. These I could have treated
with some of the simple drugs in the chest, but I refused to do so; for
I could not have explained, in any satisfactory way, how I knew one
drug from another, or was acquainted with their qualities. Still,
although I refused fees, I had many little presents of fowls, fruit,
pumpkins, and other things. These prevented my feeling that I was a
burden upon Saleh, for of course I put them into the general stock.

"So far, I cannot but look back with deep gratitude for the strange
manner in which I have been enabled to avert all suspicion, and even to
make myself quite a popular character among the people of El Obeid.

"One bottle I found in the medicine chest was a great prize to me. It
contained iodine and, with a weak solution of this, I was able to
maintain my colour. I did not care so much for my face and hands, for I
was so darkened by the sun that my complexion was little fairer than
that of many of the Arabs. But I feared that an accidental display,