The next moment Mahmat had made it out and raised a great shout.
"Ah ya! There!" yelled Mahmat.

"There's a man amongst the logs." He put the palms of his hand to his lips and shouted, enunciating distinctly, his face turned towards the settlement: "There's a body of a man in the river! Come and see! A dead--stranger!" The women of the nearest house were already outside kindling the fires and husking the morning rice.

They took up the cry shrilly, and it travelled so from house to house, dying away in the distance.

The men rushed out excited but silent, and ran towards the muddy point where the unconscious logs tossed and ground and bumped and rolled over the dead stranger with the stupid persistency of inanimate things.

The women followed, neglecting their domestic duties and disregarding the possibilities of domestic discontent, while groups of children brought up the rear, warbling joyously, in the delight of unexpected excitement.
Almayer called aloud for his wife and daughter, but receiving no response, stood listening intently.