midday
Some remarked that it was worse than in Sherif Ali 's war . Then many people did not care ; now everybody had something to lose . The movements of canoes passing to and fro between the two parts of the town were watched with interest . A couple of Bugis war-boats lay anchored in the middle of the stream to protect the river , and a thread of smoke stood at the bow of each ; the men in them were cooking their midday rice when Jim , after his interviews with Brown and Doramin , crossed the river and entered by the water-gate of his fort . The people inside crowded round him , so that he could hardly make his way to the house . They had not seen him before , because on his arrival during the night he had only exchanged a few words with the girl , who had come down to the landing-stage for the purpose , and had then gone on at once to join the chiefs and the fighting men on the other bank . People shouted greetings after him .