"Well, of course I could," said the doctor thoughtfully. "I should say that with antiseptic treatment one's cures would seem almost marvellous to the poor wretches." "Of course they would. I doctored scores myself when I was out there," said the professor. "Now, look here; I mean to go out there, of course, and I shall take you with me, Bob." "What!" "No whatting. You've got to go; that's settled. You're the great Frankish Hakim, and I'm your interpreter. You can't speak a word of Arabic. There's no imposture in that, is there?" "Oh, no; I can't speak a word of Arabic, but as to the doctoring--" "Look here, Bob; you'd be doing these people good, wouldn't you?" "Of course." "Well, then, there's no imposture there. We'll go right up to Khartoum, together with our servants, and get the poor boy away. That's settled, so you had better lay in your stock of ointment-pots, bottles, plaisters, and pills." "Well, I'm beginning to think I'm dreaming," said the doctor. "But you are not," said the professor, and he turned to Frank, who was excitedly listening to all that was said. "Now then, my boy," he said, "we've settled that; but I can't see that by any possibility you could come with us." "I can," said the lad eagerly. "You talked about having servants with you." "Yes, blacks," said the professor. "It would not do to take white ones." "Very well, then, I'll go as a black." The doctor and the professor turned upon the speaker sharply, and fixed him with their eyes, as if doubtful about the state of his mind, gazing at him in silence, till he laughed merrily. "I have not lost a slate or tile," he said. "I am quite what Morris calls _compos mentis_." "No," said the doctor sharply; "I'll be hanged if you can be, Frank, my lad." "And so say I," chimed in the professor. "How in the world can you go as a black?" "Bah!" cried Frank. "What does _Baa_! mean?" said the professor. "Black sheep?" "Nonsense! Ask Morris if it would not be as easy as easy to tinge one's skin to any depth, from a soft brown to black." "Won't do," said the professor. "You'd dye your face, neck, and arms, and some time or other you'd be caught bathing." "Not much chance for bathing out there when we were away from the Nile, eh?" "Well, having a sand-bath; and then they'd see that the rest of your skin was white." "Oh, no, they wouldn't," cried Frank. "I should do as that amateur did who wanted to play Othello properly--black myself all over." The professor took off his fez, laid it upon his knees, and with both hands gave his shaggy hair a vicious rub, which, however, did not disorder it in the least, seeing that it was as rough as could be before. "Yes," said the doctor; "he has an answer for all objections, Fred, old fellow."