Perhaps they would tell. And then there was Nina. She must
hurry on and see.
In her impatience she left the path and ran towards Almayer's dwelling
through the undergrowth between the palm trees. She came out at the back
of the house, where a narrow ditch, full of stagnant water that
overflowed from the river, separated Almayer's campong from the rest of
the settlement. The thick bushes growing on the bank were hiding from
her sight the large courtyard with its cooking shed. Above them rose
several thin columns of smoke, and from behind the sound of strange
voices informed Taminah that the Men of the Sea belonging to the warship
had already landed and were camped between the ditch and the house. To
the left one of Almayer's slave-girls came down to the ditch and bent
over the shiny water, washing a kettle. To the right the tops of the
banana plantation, visible above the bushes, swayed and shook under the
touch of invisible hands gathering the fruit. On the calm water several
canoes moored to a heavy stake were crowded together, nearly bridging the
ditch just at the place where Taminah stood. The voices in the courtyard
rose at times into an outburst of calls, replies, and laughter, and then
died away into a silence that soon was broken again by a fresh clamour.
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