he chest with the handle of his kriss, keeping the point towards
himself.

"Hai, look! It was easy for me to turn the point the other way," he said
in his even voice. "Go, Tuan Putih," he added with dignity. "I give you
your life, my life, and her life. I am the slave of this woman's desire,
and she wills it so."

There was not a glimmer of light in the sky now, and the tops of the
trees were as invisible as their trunks, being lost in the mass of clouds
that hung low over the woods, the clearing, and the river.

Every outline had disappeared in the intense blackness that seemed to
have destroyed everything but space. Only the fire glimmered like a star
forgotten in this annihilation of all visible things, and nothing was
heard after Dain ceased speaking but the sobs of Nina, whom he held in
his arms, kneeling beside the fire. Almayer stood looking down at them
in gloomy thoughtfulness. As he was opening his lips to speak they were
startled by a cry of warning by the riverside, followed by the splash of
many paddles and the sound of voices.

"Babalatchi!" shouted Dain, lifting up Nina as he got upon his feet
quickly.

"Ada! Ada!" came the answer from the panting statesman who ran up the
path and stood amongst them. "Run to my canoe," he said to Dain
excitedly, without taking any notice of Almayer. "Run! we must go. That
woman has told them all!"

"What woman?" asked Dain, looking at Nina. Just then there was only one
woman in the whole world for him.

"The she-dog with white teeth; the seven times accursed slave of Bulangi.
She yelled at Abdulla's gate till she woke up all Sambir. Now the white
officers are coming, guided by her and Reshid. If you want to live, do
not look at me, but go!"

"How do you know this?" asked Almayer.

"Oh, Tuan! what matters how I know! I have only one eye, but I saw
lights in Abdulla's house and in his campong as we were paddling past. I
have ears, and while we lay under the bank I have heard the messengers
sent out to the white men's house."

"Will you depart without that woman who is my daughter?" said Almayer,
addressing Dain, while Babalatchi stamped with impatience, muttering,
"Run! Run at once!"

"No," answered Dain, steadily, "I will not go; to no man will I abandon
this woman."

"Then kill me and escape yourself," sobbed out Nina.

He clasped her close, looking at her tenderly, and whispered, "We will
never part, O Nina!"

"I shall not stay here an