"I think," said Harry Frere, "that the first was invented by some Emir, jealous of the Khalifa; the second by the Khalifa himself. All false as the people themselves. We shall have more such tales." "Then you think you would still defer our start, Hal?" said the Hakim, who had sat listening in silence. "Certainly, for we should only be riding to our death. We must accept our position of prisoners until the Khalifa's men have suffered some real reverse. Then strike off at once for the desert and make a long _detour_ upon the camels before trying to reach one of the British positions on the river." "Not make for our army at once?" said the Hakim quietly. "No, for we should come upon them in the first flush of victory, and the chances are that we should encounter Egyptian regiments, who would take us for--what do we look like, Frank?" "So much like the enemy that we have deceived them so far. Look at us, Morris, Hal and I are as if we were native born; Landon is little better; then there are Ibrahim and his men; while there is not enough of the Englishman about you now to save our lives." "You are right," said the doctor. "Ibrahim, we must wait." "I think you are right, Excellency; but you bade me be quite prepared, and I am ready to start at a moment's notice." "We will wait," said the doctor; "and meantime go on bringing us news." The old Sheikh bowed and left the place, to return in an hour with another completely different account of the state of affairs, and by nightfall he had brought in eight more circumstantial reports, every one of which was a tissue of fables, invented to support or weaken the new Mahdi's power. And so the days wore on in a continuous state of excitement, the prisoners--for such they were now more than ever, with the exception of Ibrahim--being fully prepared to start upon their return journey at any moment when the opportunity should offer, the madness of any attempt as matters were being only too evident; and finding that the Emir's officer and the guards were rigorously faithful to the trust placed in their hands by their master. For as soon as Frank had recovered from his attack, he determined to have a ride round the city and its suburbs to judge for himself how matters stood, and gave orders through the Sheikh for his horse to be brought round; but upon their guardian being summoned they were met by a point-blank, though respectful, refusal. "I am answerable with my head for the safety of the Hakim and his people," said the guard; "and for the Hakim's friend, Ben Eddin, to ride out now means an attack by some one or other of the wandering bands. I and my men will defend him to the last, but what are we against so many? I have been left with the twenty men to defend the Emir's house and those he has left behind, and if the Hakim's friend rides out I and half my men must go with him; then what are ten to protect all that is here from danger?"