The
air felt heavy and cold in the breeze, expiring in slight puffs that came
over the water.
Almayer shivered as he made an effort to speak, and again with an
uncertain gesture he seemed to free his throat from the grip of an
invisible hand. His bloodshot eyes wandered aimlessly from face to face.
"There!" he said at last. "Are you all there? He is a dangerous man."
He dragged at the cover with hasty violence, and the body rolled stiffly
off the planks and fell at his feet in rigid helplessness.
"Cold, perfectly cold," said Almayer, looking round with a mirthless
smile. "Sorry can do no better. And you can't hang him, either. As you
observe, gentlemen," he added gravely, "there is no head, and hardly any
neck."
The last ray of light was snatched away from the tree-tops, the river
grew suddenly dark, and in the great stillness the murmur of the flowing
water seemed to fill the vast expanse of grey shadow that descended upon
the land.
"This is Dain," went on Almayer to the silent group that surrounded him.
"And I have kept my word. First one hope, then another, and this is my
last. Nothing is left now. You think there is one dead man here?
Mistake, I 'sure you. I am much more dead. Why don't you hang me?" he
suggested suddenly, in a friendly tone, addressing the lieutenant.
Pages:
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199