I wish my friend who is a doctor to see the
wound."
The two men hesitated, and then one of them with an air of insolence
objected. "There are doctors in Assouan, whither we are taking him."
Calder raised the lantern and himself drew the veil away from off the
wounded man. "Now if you please," he said to his companion. The German
student made his examination of the wounded thigh, while Calder held the
lantern above his head. As Calder had predicted, it was not a pleasant
business; for the wound crawled. The German student was glad to cover it
up again.
"I can do nothing," he said. "Perhaps, in a hospital, with baths and
dressings--! Relief will be given at all events; but more? I do not
know. Here I could not even begin to do anything at all. Do these two
men understand English?"
"No," answered Calder.
"Then I can tell you something. He did not get the hurt by falling out
of any palm tree. That is a lie. The injury was done by the blade of a
spear or some weapon of the kind."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Calder bent down suddenly towards the Arab on the angareb. Although he
never moved, the man was conscious. Calder had been looking steadily at
him, and he saw that his eyes followed the spoken words.
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