Having read Burgess' Malayan trilogy, I thought I would follow it with this Conrad story set 60 years earlier (published in 1897) in the Malay Archipelago. A short story and a quick read, and entertaining and informative. Interesting comparison with the later-dated novel(s). Conrad described the bats and mountains, the sea and habitats of the natives. A peaceful tale of intercultural friendships developing between wars and revenge. Superstition is used as a cure for a haunted man. A tale within the tale explains why the native feels haunted. Written from two perspectives; the English, and the Malayan. ( )