In the Mahdi's Grasp Part 22

"Look again in half an hour," said the Sheikh smiling, "and that which you see will have changed to something more than a heap of sand."

"Can you make out the tents, Landon?" said Frank.

"Oh, no; my eyes are not like Ibrahim's," was the reply; "but I take it for granted, and I shall be very glad to get there. I want my breakfast badly. I say, Ibrahim, there will be some coffee?"

"I sent one of my sons yesterday with two camel-loads of necessaries, Excellency," replied the old Arab. "They can see us coming, for they will have been watching, and there will be all their Excellencies need."

"Come, Frank, that does you good, doesn't it?" said the professor.

"Oh, yes; and I shall, I hope, make a better show of endurance after a day or two."

"The young Excellency has done well," said the Sheikh, smiling pleasantly. "The way is long; he is not accustomed to travelling like this, and his mind is not at rest. He and the Hakim have borne the ride well."

"Does the Hakim know that we are in sight?" said Frank, who was watching the bent, weary figure in front.

"No, Excellency."

"I'll go and cheer him up with the news," said the professor, urging on his camel, while Frank checked his to let Sam's long-legged steed come abreast, and boldly now met the poor fellow's appealing eyes.

"It's you at last, Mr Frank," said the man faintly. "I've been asking that native chap how long a man could go on like this before he's knocked over by the sun."

"And what does he say?" replied Frank cheerily.

"Only grunted like this beast does. I might just as well have asked it."

"Feel very tired, then?"

"Tired, sir? I feel as if--as if--as if--"

"As if you wanted rest and a good breakfast."

"Rest?--breakfast?" said Sam faintly. "Oh, don't talk about such things, sir! if it's only to keep me lingering on for another hour, sir.

Mr Frank, I used to grumble sometimes in Wimpole Street about my pantry being dark and made mizzable by the iron bars and the old, yellowish, wobbly gla.s.s; but it seems a sort of place now as I'd give anything to get back to--parrydicey, and that sort of thing. Rest-- breakfast! There can't be either of them out here, only sand. Oh, sir, you're a-laughing. I know what you're going to say. You're going to make jokes about the breakfast, and say we're to have the sand which is there."

"Wrong, Sam," replied Frank laughing; "but I'm glad to see that you can think about jokes. There, sit up, man, and look yonder straight ahead.

The tents are in sight."

"Tents? Where?" cried the man, changing his tone. "I can't see 'em."

"They are not very plain yet, but there they are."

"White uns, sir, with flags flying, and that sort of thing? What are they--marquees, or bell-tents like the soldiers have?"

"I don't suppose they are either, but native tents," said Frank, shading his eyes again. "They look very low and small, right away on the horizon, and they seem to be brown."

"On the horizon, sir? Why, that means out at sea, and we sha'n't be there before night."

"Well, right away on the horizon of this sea of sand," said Frank cheerfully; "but I don't think we are above a mile or two away."

"Oh!" groaned Sam. "Say two miles, then, and chuck in another because places are always farther away than you think. Three miles, and we're going a mile an hour. Mr Frank, sir, have you got a pencil and a bit o' paper?"

"Yes, in my pocket-book. Will you have them now?"

"Me, sir," said the man faintly. "I couldn't write, sir; I want you to do it for me."

"A letter? Well, when we get to the tents."

"No, sir, now. I sha'n't live to see no tents. There ain't much, sir; only a silver watch and chain, a bit in the Post Office Savings Bank, and my clothes, as my brother 'll be very glad to have."

"Oh, I see! you want to make your will, Sam," said Frank seriously.

"That's it, sir; and you'd better write it as plain as you can, sir, so as there sha'n't be no mistakes after, and I dessay I can manage to make my cross."

"A will made on a camel in the desert, Sam!" said Frank seriously.

"Rather a novelty in wills, eh? Better wait till after breakfast."

"Breakfast, sir?"

"The Sheikh says there'll be coffee."

"Coffee out here, sir?"

"Yes, and these people know what good coffee is."

"Yes, sir; it was very good at the hotel. 'Most as good as ours at home."

"And he said that he sent two camel-loads of necessaries on before us yesterday."

"He did, sir?" said Sam, whose voice sounded stronger.

"Yes, and look now: the tents are getting quite plain. They look peculiar, and there are camels about them, and there are green trees-- palms, I think. There must be a water-hole there, I suppose."

"Yes, I can see the trees, sir--toy-shop sort o' trees."

"Here's a man coming to meet us on a camel too--a man all in white."

There was a pause for a few minutes, during which period the camels stepped out more freely, as they blinked and looked from under their eyelids in a supercilious way, drooping their lips and sniffing as if they smelt water.

"Think there's likely to be a pen and ink yonder, sir?"

"There is with the doctor's medicine chest, I know."

"These camels do move about in a dreadful, wobbly way, sir, don't they?"

"Yes; but I'm growing more accustomed to the motion already."

"That's because you're young, sir, and not set like I am. But I was thinking that it would be rather hard to write plain, going as we are."