tepped out on the
road, a slight girlish figure walking under the shade of a large tray
balanced on its head. The consciousness of something moving stirred
Reshid's half-sleeping senses into a comparative wakefulness. He
recognised Taminah, Bulangi's slave-girl, with her tray of cakes for
sale--an apparition of daily recurrence and of no importance whatever.
She was going towards Almayer's house. She could be made useful. He
roused himself up and ran towards the gate calling out, "Taminah O!" The
girl stopped, hesitated, and came back slowly.

Reshid waited, signing to her impatiently to come nearer.

When near Reshid Taminah stood with downcast eyes. Reshid looked at her
a while before he asked--

"Are you going to Almayer's house? They say in the settlement that Dain
the trader, he that was found drowned this morning, is lying in the white
man's campong."

"I have heard this talk," whispered Taminah; "and this morning by the
riverside I saw the body. Where it is now I do not know."

"So you have seen it?" asked Reshid, eagerly. "Is it Dain? You have
seen him many times. You would know him."

The girl's lips quivered and she remained silent for a while, breathing
quickly.

"I have seen him, not a long time ago," she said at last. "The talk is
true; he is dead. What do you want from me, Tuan? I must go."

Just then the report of the gun fired on board the steam launch was
heard, interrupting Reshid's reply. Leaving the girl he ran to the
house, and met in the courtyard Abdulla coming towards the gate.

"The Orang Blanda are come," said Reshid, "and now we shall have our
reward."

Abdulla shook his head doubtfully. "The white men's rewards are long in
coming," he said. "White men are quick in anger and slow in gratitude.
We shall see."

He stood at the gate stroking his grey beard and listening to the distant
cries of greeting at the other end of the settlement. As Taminah was
turning to go he called her back.

"Listen, girl," he said: "there will be many white men in Almayer's
house. You shall be there selling your cakes to the men of the sea. What
you see and what you hear you may tell me. Come here before the sun sets
and I will give you a blue handkerchief with red spots. Now go, and
forget not to return."

He gave her a push with the end of his long staff as she was going away
and made her stumble.

"This slave is very slow," he remarked to his nephew, looking after the
girl