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Jim as a Man of Power in Patusan
Summary
Here, Marlow has narrated what happened to Jim when he first arrived at Patusan. He learned that Jim had been kept as a prisoner for three days, at the stockade of Rajah Allang, after his arrival. At the intuition of being killed there, one night, he leaped over the barrier of the fencing and Rajah's men started chasing him. He ran, at his fastest speed, till he reached the residence of Doramin. He started shouting the name of Doramin and then, found himself falling in the arms of a few men who sat there. He instantly, took out the ring given by Stein and, Doramin, who was one of them, treated him most kindly. His wife loved him as her own son. Jim was so exhausted that, for sometime, he laid there and then narrated the whole story to Doramin.
Doramin was the chief of the party, next to the most powerful party, in Patusan. The name of the chiefs of the other two parties were Sherif Ali and Rajah Allang. All the three chiefs were hostile to one another because of trading interest. Their antagonistic attitude towards one another often caused outbreaks of violence in the country. Villages were kept afire and men were dragged to be killed. Such was the condition of Patusan, when Jim arrived.
Marlow learned all these from Jim and now went to see Rajah Allang with Jim who had to meet that chief for a specific purpose. Rajah Allang seemed, to Marlow, in fear because Jim had now become a very impressive and powerful man in Patusan. Doramin's entire support was with Jim because of Jim's invaluable services and Stein's recommendation for Jim. Jim spoke to Rajah Allang resolutely and defiantly that the latter's men had robbed a few man of Doramin because they wanted to reach Doramin with a few pieces of beeswax to exchange them for rice. Rajah Allang daringly said that they were not his men but Doramin was himself a thief. Nevertheless, he threatened his man not to mess up with Doramin. Thus Marlow perceived a mixed feeling of fear and defiance in Rajah Allang. The Chief had offered coffee to them, they sipped but Jim was suspicious of poison in the coffee because Rajah Allang was that kind of man who was expected to go to any extent to liquidate his enemies.