In this instance the Baggara chief and his followers had been for many weeks away from the main body of the invading tribes, fighting, plundering, destroying, and leaving devastation plainly marked in their locust-like track. But all this had not been accomplished without suffering and loss to the tribe. Many had perished from disease; others had been cut down in some onslaught. More had been sick or wounded and had recovered, but there was a numerous remnant of sufferers, active men who had once been strong, but now, weakened by suffering, retained just enough force to enable them to keep in their places, held up to a great extent by the cruel knowledge that if they failed ever so little more they would be left behind in a region where people, the wild beast, and Nature herself, were all combined against them. For the wounded man if found by the suffering villagers was remorselessly slaughtered; the beasts and birds soon spied out the weakling and followed him night and day till the morning when he was too much chilled by the cold night dews to rise again to tramp on in search of water or solid food; and then first one and then another rushed in from the sands, or stooped from above, to rend and tear, and soon enough all was over, and the carrion seekers had had their fill. It was a knot of these--sick and wounded--that were led or tramped up to the front of the Hakim's tent, and there paused or were set down, a dreadful row, horrible of aspect, bandaged, unkempt, vilely dirty, feeble, and hopeless. They made no complaint, sent up no appeal, but sat or lay there gazing at the handsome, polished gentleman seated blandly before them, the mark of all those pleading, imploring eyes, silently asking him to give them back their lost health and strength. "Look at them," said the doctor sadly; "one is bound to pity and to help, when hard, matter-of-fact self says, Why should they be helped-- why should they be made strong again, to go on indulging in destruction and dealing death?" "It's our way of doing things," said the professor. "Yes, Heaven be praised!" replied the doctor. "No one would change it if he could." "But," said Frank, "there is not a wounded or suffering man here who has not brought all his trouble upon himself. If he had given up the sword and spear and stayed in his own country to cultivate his own lands he would have been healthy and well." "Of course," said the professor; "and therefore you would let the miserable wretches die out of the way?" "Nothing of the kind," cried Frank indignantly. "They are human beings, suffering terribly, and I would do all I could to help them." "Don't get excited," said the doctor smiling, "or you will have some of them noticing that you are not the Hakim's dumb slave. Come, our work is waiting."