Also Barung has made no promises about him." "Tell him, then," said Orme.

"My head aches infernally, and I want to go to bed, above ground or under it." So I told him, although, to speak the truth, I felt like a man with a knife in his heart, for it was bitter to come so near to the desire of years, to the love of life, and then to lose all hope just because of duty to the head woman of a pack of effete curs to whom one had chanced to make a promise in order to gain this very end.

If we could have surrendered with honour, at least I should have seen my son, whom now I might never see again.
One thing, however, I added on the spur of the moment--namely, a request that the Sultan would tell the Professor every word that had passed, in order that whatever happened to him he might know the exact situation.
"My Harmac," said Barung when he had heard, "how disappointed should I have been with you if you had answered otherwise when a woman showed you the way.

I have heard of you English before--Arabs and traders brought me tales of you.

For instance, there was one who died defending a city against a worshipper of the Prophet who called himself a prophet, down yonder at Khartoum on the Nile--a great death, they told me, a great death, which your people avenged afterwards.
"Well I did not quite believe the story, and I wished to judge of it by you.