I
came from Cairo to see the Second Cataract, but was not allowed to go
farther than Wadi Halfa."
Calder interrupted him at once. "Then I will trespass upon your holiday
and claim your professional assistance."
"For yourself? With pleasure, though I should never have guessed you
were ill," said the student, smiling good-naturedly behind his
eyeglasses.
"Nor am I. It is an Arab for whom I ask your help."
"The man on the bedstead?"
"Yes, if you will be so good. I will warn you--he was hurt three weeks
ago, and I know these people. No one will have touched him since he was
hurt. The sight will not be pretty. This is not a nice country for
untended wounds."
The German student shrugged his shoulders. "All experience is good,"
said he, and the two men rose from the table and went out on to the
upper deck.
The wind had freshened during the dinner, and, blowing up stream, had
raised waves so that the steamer and its barge tossed and the water
broke on board.
"He was below there," said the student, as he leaned over the rail and
peered downwards to the lower deck of the barge alongside. It was night,
and the night was dark. Above that lower deck only one lamp, swung from
the centre of the upper deck, glimmered and threw uncertain lights and
uncertain shadows over a small circle.
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