flushed, was saying--

"Of course, I did not see that. I told you I was stuck in the creek on
account of father's--Captain Lingard's--susceptible temper. I am sure I
did it all for the best in trying to facilitate the fellow's escape; but
Captain Lingard was that kind of man--you know--one couldn't argue with.
Just before sunset the water was high enough, and we got out of the
creek. We got to Lakamba's clearing about dark. All very quiet; I
thought they were gone, of course, and felt very glad. We walked up the
courtyard--saw a big heap of something lying in the middle. Out of
that she rose and rushed at us. By God. . . . You know those stories of
faithful dogs watching their masters' corpses . . . don't let anybody
approach . . . got to beat them off--and all that. . . . Well, 'pon my
word we had to beat her off. Had to! She was like a fury. Wouldn't let
us touch him. Dead--of course. Should think so. Shot through the lung,
on the left side, rather high up, and at pretty close quarters too, for
the two holes were small. Bullet came out through the shoulder-blade.
After we had overpowered her--you can't imagine how strong that woman
was; it took three of us--we got the body into the boat and shoved off.
We thought she had fainted then, but she got up and rushed into the
water after us. Well, I let her clamber in. What could I do? The river's
full of alligators. I will never forget that pull up-stream in the night
as long as I live. She sat in the bottom of the boat, holding his head
in her lap, and now and again wiping his face with her hair. There was
a lot of blood dried about his mouth and chin. And for all the six hours
of that journey she kept on whispering tenderly to that corpse! . . .
I had the mate of the schooner with me. The man said afterwards that
he wouldn't go through it again--not for a handful of diamonds. And I
believed him--I did. It makes me shiver. Do you think he heard? No! I
mean somebody--something--heard? . . ."

"I am a materialist," declared the man of science, tilting the bottle
shakily over the emptied glass.

Almayer shook his head and went on--

"Nobody saw how it really happened but that man Mahmat. He always said
that he was no further off from them than two lengths of his lance. It
appears the two women rowed each other while that Willems stood between
them. Then Mahmat says that when Joanna struck her and ran off, the
other two seemed to become suddenly mad together. They rushed h