heart_darkness.txt

the
nellie
a
cruising
yawl
swung
to
her
anchor
without
a
flutter
of
the
sails
and
was
at
rest
the
flood
had
made
the
wind
was
nearly
calm
and
being
bound
down
the
river
the
only
thing
for
it
was
to
come
to
and
wait
for
the
turn
of
the
tide
the
sea
reach
of
the
thames
stretched
before
us
like
the
beginning
of
an
interminable
waterway
in
the
offing
the
sea
and
the
sky
were
welded
together
without
a
joint
and
in
the
luminous
space
the
tanned
sails
of
the
barges
drifting
up
with
the
tide
seemed
to
stand
still
in
red
clusters
of
canvas
sharply
peaked
with
gleams
of
varnished
sprits
a
haze
rested
on
the
low
shores
that
ran
out
to
sea
in
vanishing
flatness
the
air
was
dark
above
gravesend
and
farther
back
still
seemed
condensed
into
a
mournful
gloom
brooding
motionless
over
the
biggest
and
the
greatest
town
on
earth
the
director
of
companies
was
our
captain
and
our
host
we
four
affectionately
watched
his
back
as
he
stood
in
the
bows
looking
to
seaward
on
the
whole
river
there
was
nothing
that
looked
half
so
nautical
he
resembled
a
pilot
which
to
a
seaman
is
trustworthiness
personified
it
was
difficult
to
realize
his
work
was
not
out
there
in
the
luminous
estuary
but
behind
him
within
the
brooding
gloom
between
us
there
was
as
i
have
already
said
somewhere
the
bond
of
the
sea
besides
holding
our
hearts
together
through
long
periods
of
separation
it
had
the
effect
of
making
us
tolerant
of
each
other
s
yarns
and
even
convictions
the
lawyer
the
best
of
old
fellows
had
because
of
his
many
years
and
many
virtues
the
only
cushion
on
deck
and
was
lying
on
the
only
rug
the
accountant
had
brought
out
already
a
box
of
dominoes
and
was
toying
architecturally
with
the
bones
marlow
sat
cross
legged
right
aft
leaning
against
the
mizzen
mast
he
had
sunken
cheeks
a
yellow
complexion
a
straight
back
an
ascetic
aspect
and
with
his
arms
dropped
the
palms
of
hands
outwards
resembled
an
idol
the
director
satisfied
the
anchor
had
good
hold
made
his
way
aft
and
sat
down
amongst
us
we
exchanged
a
few
words
lazily
afterwards
there
was
silence
on
board
the
yacht
for
some
reason
or
other
we
did
not
begin
that
game
of
dominoes
we
felt
meditative
and
fit
for
nothing
but
placid
staring
the
day
was
ending
in
a
serenity
of
still
and
exquisite
brilliance
the
water
shone
pacifically
the
sky
without
a
speck
was
a
benign
immensity
of
unstained
light
the
very
mist
on
the
essex
marsh
was
like
a
gauzy
and
radiant
fabric
hung
from
the
wooded
rises
inland
and
draping
the
low
shores
in
diaphanous
folds
only
the
gloom
to
the
west
brooding
over
the
upper
reaches
became
more
sombre
every
minute
as
if
angered
by
the
approach
of
the
sun
and
at
last
in
its
curved
and
imperceptible
fall
the
sun
sank
low
and
from
glowing
white
changed
to
a
dull
red
without
rays
and
without
heat
as
if
about
to
go
out
suddenly
stricken
to
death
by
the
touch
of
that
gloom
brooding
over
a
crowd
of
men
forthwith
a
change
came
over
the
waters
and
the
serenity
became
less
brilliant
but
more
profound
the
old
river
in
its
broad
reach
rested
unruffled
at
the
decline
of
day
after
ages
of
good
service
done
to
the
race
that
peopled
its
banks
spread
out
in
the
tranquil
dignity
of
a
waterway
leading
to
the
uttermost
ends
of
the
earth
we
looked
at
the
venerable
stream
not
in
the
vivid
flush
of
a
short
day
that
comes
and
departs
for
ever
but
in
the
august
light
of
abiding
memories
and
indeed
nothing
is
easier
for
a
man
who
has
as
the
phrase
goes
followed
the
sea
with
reverence
and
affection
than
to
evoke
the
great
spirit
of
the
past
upon
the
lower
reaches
of
the
thames
the
tidal
current
runs
to
and
fro
in
its
unceasing
service
crowded
with
memories
of
men
and
ships
it
had
borne
to
the
rest
of
home
or
to
the
battles
of
the
sea
it
had
known
and
served
all
the
men
of
whom
the
nation
is
proud
from
sir
francis
drake
to
sir
john
franklin
knights
all
titled
and
untitled
the
great
knights
errant
of
the
sea
it
had
borne
all
the
ships
whose
names
are
like
jewels
flashing
in
the
night
of
time
from
the
golden
hind
returning
with
her
rotund
flanks
full
of
treasure
to
be
visited
by
the
queen
s
highness
and
thus
pass
out
of
the
gigantic
tale
to
the
erebus
and
terror
bound
on
other
conquests
and
that
never
returned
it
had
known
the
ships
and
the
men
they
had
sailed
from
deptford
from
greenwich
from
erith
the
adventurers
and
the
settlers
kings
ships
and
the
ships
of
men
on
change
captains
admirals
the
dark
interlopers
of
the
eastern
trade
and
the
commissioned
generals
of
east
india
fleets
hunters
for
gold
or
pursuers
of
fame
they
all
had
gone
out
on
that
stream
bearing
the
sword
and
often
the
torch
messengers
of
the
might
within
the
land
bearers
of
a
spark
from
the
sacred
fire
what
greatness
had
not
floated
on
the
ebb
of
that
river
into
the
mystery
of
an
unknown
earth
the
dreams
of
men
the
seed
of
commonwealths
the
germs
of
empires
the
sun
set
the
dusk
fell
on
the
stream
and
lights
began
to
appear
along
the
shore
the
chapman
light
house
a
three
legged
thing
erect
on
a
mud
flat
shone
strongly
lights
of
ships
moved
in
the
fairway
a
great
stir
of
lights
going
up
and
going
down
and
farther
west
on
the
upper
reaches
the
place
of
the
monstrous
town
was
still
marked
ominously
on
the
sky
a
brooding
gloom
in
sunshine
a
lurid
glare
under
the
stars
and
this
also
said
marlow
suddenly
has
been
one
of
the
dark
places
of
the
earth
he
was
the
only
man
of
us
who
still
followed
the
sea
the
worst
that
could
be
said
of
him
was
that
he
did
not
represent
his
class
he
was
a
seaman
but
he
was
a
wanderer
too
while
most
seamen
lead
if
one
may
so
express
it
a
sedentary
life
their
minds
are
of
the
stay
at
home
order
and
their
home
is
always
with
them
the
ship
and
so
is
their
country
the
sea
one
ship
is
very
much
like
another
and
the
sea
is
always
the
same
in
the
immutability
of
their
surroundings
the
foreign
shores
the
foreign
faces
the
changing
immensity
of
life
glide
past
veiled
not
by
a
sense
of
mystery
but
by
a
slightly
disdainful
ignorance
for
there
is
nothing
mysterious
to
a
seaman
unless
it
be
the
sea
itself
which
is
the
mistress
of
his
existence
and
as
inscrutable
as
destiny
for
the
rest
after
his
hours
of
work
a
casual
stroll
or
a
casual
spree
on
shore
suffices
to
unfold
for
him
the
secret
of
a
whole
continent
and
generally
he
finds
the
secret
not
worth
knowing
the
yarns
of
seamen
have
a
direct
simplicity
the
whole
meaning
of
which
lies
within
the
shell
of
a
cracked
nut
but
marlow
was
not
typical
if
his
propensity
to
spin
yarns
be
excepted
and
to
him
the
meaning
of
an
episode
was
not
inside
like
a
kernel
but
outside
enveloping
the
tale
which
brought
it
out
only
as
a
glow
brings
out
a
haze
in
the
likeness
of
one
of
these
misty
halos
that
sometimes
are
made
visible
by
the
spectral
illumination
of
moonshine
his
remark
did
not
seem
at
all
surprising
it
was
just
like
marlow
it
was
accepted
in
silence
no
one
took
the
trouble
to
grunt
even
and
presently
he
said
very
slow
i
was
thinking
of
very
old
times
when
the
romans
first
came
here
nineteen
hundred
years
ago
the
other
day
light
came
out
of
this
river
since
you
say
knights
yes
but
it
is
like
a
running
blaze
on
a
plain
like
a
flash
of
lightning
in
the
clouds
we
live
in
the
flicker
may
it
last
as
long
as
the
old
earth
keeps
rolling
but
darkness
was
here
yesterday
imagine
the
feelings
of
a
commander
of
a
fine
what
d
ye
call
em
trireme
in
the
mediterranean
ordered
suddenly
to
the
north
run
overland
across
the
gauls
in
a
hurry
put
in
charge
of
one
of
these
craft
the
legionaries
a
wonderful
lot
of
handy
men
they
must
have
been
too
used
to
build
apparently
by
the
hundred
in
a
month
or
two
if
we
may
believe
what
we
read
imagine
him
here
the
very
end
of
the
world
a
sea
the
colour
of
lead
a
sky
the
colour
of
smoke
a
kind
of
ship
about
as
rigid
as
a
concertina
and
going
up
this
river
with
stores
or
orders
or
what
you
like
sand
banks
marshes
forests
savages
precious
little
to
eat
fit
for
a
civilized
man
nothing
but
thames
water
to
drink
no
falernian
wine
here
no
going
ashore
here
and
there
a
military
camp
lost
in
a
wilderness
like
a
needle
in
a
bundle
of
hay
cold
fog
tempests
disease
exile
and
death
death
skulking
in
the
air
in
the
water
in
the
bush
they
must
have
been
dying
like
flies
here
oh
yes
he
did
it
did
it
very
well
too
no
doubt
and
without
thinking
much
about
it
either
except
afterwards
to
brag
of
what
he
had
gone
through
in
his
time
perhaps
they
were
men
enough
to
face
the
darkness
and
perhaps
he
was
cheered
by
keeping
his
eye
on
a
chance
of
promotion
to
the
fleet
at
ravenna
by
and
by
if
he
had
good
friends
in
rome
and
survived
the
awful
climate
or
think
of
a
decent
young
citizen
in
a
toga
perhaps
too
much
dice
you
know
coming
out
here
in
the
train
of
some
prefect
or
tax
gatherer
or
trader
even
to
mend
his
fortunes
land
in
a
swamp
march
through
the
woods
and
in
some
inland
post
feel
the
savagery
the
utter
savagery
had
closed
round
him
all
that
mysterious
life
of
the
wilderness
that
stirs
in
the
forest
in
the
jungles
in
the
hearts
of
wild
men
there
s
no
initiation
either
into
such
mysteries
he
has
to
live
in
the
midst
of
the
incomprehensible
which
is
also
detestable
and
it
has
a
fascination
too
that
goes
to
work
upon
him
the
fascination
of
the
abomination
you
know
imagine
the
growing
regrets
the
longing
to
escape
the
powerless
disgust
the
surrender
the
hate
he
paused
mind
he
began
again
lifting
one
arm
from
the
elbow
the
palm
of
the
hand
outwards
so
that
with
his
legs
folded
before
him
he
had
the
pose
of
a
buddha
preaching
in
european
clothes
and
without
a
lotus
flower
mind
none
of
us
would
feel
exactly
like
this
what
saves
us
is
efficiency
the
devotion
to
efficiency
but
these
chaps
were
not
much
account
really
they
were
no
colonists
their
administration
was
merely
a
squeeze
and
nothing
more
i
suspect
they
were
conquerors
and
for
that
you
want
only
brute
force
nothing
to
boast
of
when
you
have
it
since
your
strength
is
just
an
accident
arising
from
the
weakness
of
others
they
grabbed
what
they
could
get
for
the
sake
of
what
was
to
be
got
it
was
just
robbery
with
violence
aggravated
murder
on
a
great
scale
and
men
going
at
it
blind
as
is
very
proper
for
those
who
tackle
a
darkness
the
conquest
of
the
earth
which
mostly
means
the
taking
it
away
from
those
who
have
a
different
complexion
or
slightly
flatter
noses
than
ourselves
is
not
a
pretty
thing
when
you
look
into
it
too
much
what
redeems
it
is
the
idea
only
an
idea
at
the
back
of
it
not
a
sentimental
pretence
but
an
idea
and
an
unselfish
belief
in
the
idea
something
you
can
set
up
and
bow
down
before
and
offer
a
sacrifice
to
he
broke
off
flames
glided
in
the
river
small
green
flames
red
flames
white
flames
pursuing
overtaking
joining
crossing
each
other
then
separating
slowly
or
hastily
the
traffic
of
the
great
city
went
on
in
the
deepening
night
upon
the
sleepless
river
we
looked
on
waiting
patiently
there
was
nothing
else
to
do
till
the
end
of
the
flood
but
it
was
only
after
a
long
silence
when
he
said
in
a
hesitating
voice
i
suppose
you
fellows
remember
i
did
once
turn
fresh
water
sailor
for
a
bit
that
we
knew
we
were
fated
before
the
ebb
began
to
run
to
hear
about
one
of
marlow
s
inconclusive
experiences
i
don
t
want
to
bother
you
much
with
what
happened
to
me
personally
he
began
showing
in
this
remark
the
weakness
of
many
tellers
of
tales
who
seem
so
often
unaware
of
what
their
audience
would
like
best
to
hear
yet
to
understand
the
effect
of
it
on
me
you
ought
to
know
how
i
got
out
there
what
i
saw
how
i
went
up
that
river
to
the
place
where
i
first
met
the
poor
chap
it
was
the
farthest
point
of
navigation
and
the
culminating
point
of
my
experience
it
seemed
somehow
to
throw
a
kind
of
light
on
everything
about
me
and
into
my
thoughts
it
was
sombre
enough
too
and
pitiful
not
extraordinary
in
any
way
not
very
clear
either
no
not
very
clear
and
yet
it
seemed
to
throw
a
kind
of
light
i
had
then
as
you
remember
just
returned
to
london
after
a
lot
of
indian
ocean
pacific
china
seas
a
regular
dose
of
the
east
six
years
or
so
and
i
was
loafing
about
hindering
you
fellows
in
your
work
and
invading
your
homes
just
as
though
i
had
got
a
heavenly
mission
to
civilize
you
it
was
very
fine
for
a
time
but
after
a
bit
i
did
get
tired
of
resting
then
i
began
to
look
for
a
ship
i
should
think
the
hardest
work
on
earth
but
the
ships
wouldn
t
even
look
at
me
and
i
got
tired
of
that
game
too
now
when
i
was
a
little
chap
i
had
a
passion
for
maps
i
would
look
for
hours
at
south
america
or
africa
or
australia
and
lose
myself
in
all
the
glories
of
exploration
at
that
time
there
were
many
blank
spaces
on
the
earth
and
when
i
saw
one
that
looked
particularly
inviting
on
a
map
but
they
all
look
that
i
would
put
my
finger
on
it
and
say
when
i
grow
up
i
will
go
there
the
north
pole
was
one
of
these
places
i
remember
well
i
haven
t
been
there
yet
and
shall
not
try
now
the
glamour
s
off
other
places
were
scattered
about
the
hemispheres
i
have
been
in
some
of
them
and
well
we
won
t
talk
about
that
but
there
was
one
yet
the
biggest
the
most
blank
so
to
speak
that
i
had
a
hankering
after
true
by
this
time
it
was
not
a
blank
space
any
more
it
had
got
filled
since
my
boyhood
with
rivers
and
lakes
and
names
it
had
ceased
to
be
a
blank
space
of
delightful
mystery
a
white
patch
for
a
boy
to
dream
gloriously
over
it
had
become
a
place
of
darkness
but
there
was
in
it
one
river
especially
a
mighty
big
river
that
you
could
see
on
the
map
resembling
an
immense
snake
uncoiled
with
its
head
in
the
sea
its
body
at
rest
curving
afar
over
a
vast
country
and
its
tail
lost
in
the
depths
of
the
land
and
as
i
looked
at
the
map
of
it
in
a
shop
window
it
fascinated
me
as
a
snake
would
a
bird
a
silly
little
bird
then
i
remembered
there
was
a
big
concern
a
company
for
trade
on
that
river
dash
it
all
i
thought
to
myself
they
can
t
trade
without
using
some
kind
of
craft
on
that
lot
of
fresh
water
steamboats
why
shouldn
t
i
try
to
get
charge
of
one
i
went
on
along
fleet
street
but
could
not
shake
off
the
idea
the
snake
had
charmed
me
you
understand
it
was
a
continental
concern
that
trading
society
but
i
have
a
lot
of
relations
living
on
the
continent
because
it
s
cheap
and
not
so
nasty
as
it
looks
they
say
i
am
sorry
to
own
i
began
to
worry
them
this
was
already
a
fresh
departure
for
me
i
was
not
used
to
get
things
that
way
you
know
i
always
went
my
own
road
and
on
my
own
legs
where
i
had
a
mind
to
go
i
wouldn
t
have
believed
it
of
myself
but
then
you
see
i
felt
somehow
i
must
get
there
by
hook
or
by
crook
so
i
worried
them
the
men
said
my
dear
fellow
and
did
nothing
then
would
you
believe
it
i
tried
the
women
i
charlie
marlow
set
the
women
to
work
to
get
a
job
heavens
well
you
see
the
notion
drove
me
i
had
an
aunt
a
dear
enthusiastic
soul
she
wrote
it
will
be
delightful
i
am
ready
to
do
anything
anything
for
you
it
is
a
glorious
idea
i
know
the
wife
of
a
very
high
personage
in
the
administration
and
also
a
man
who
has
lots
of
influence
with
etc
she
was
determined
to
make
no
end
of
fuss
to
get
me
appointed
skipper
of
a
river
steamboat
if
such
was
my
fancy
i
got
my
appointment
of
course
and
i
got
it
very
quick
it
appears
the
company
had
received
news
that
one
of
their
captains
had
been
killed
in
a
scuffle
with
the
natives
this
was
my
chance
and
it
made
me
the
more
anxious
to
go
it
was
only
months
and
months
afterwards
when
i
made
the
attempt
to
recover
what
was
left
of
the
body
that
i
heard
the
original
quarrel
arose
from
a
misunderstanding
about
some
hens
yes
two
black
hens
fresleven
that
was
the
fellow
s
name
a
dane
thought
himself
wronged
somehow
in
the
bargain
so
he
went
ashore
and
started
to
hammer
the
chief
of
the
village
with
a
stick
oh
it
didn
t
surprise
me
in
the
least
to
hear
this
and
at
the
same
time
to
be
told
that
fresleven
was
the
gentlest
quietest
creature
that
ever
walked
on
two
legs
no
doubt
he
was
but
he
had
been
a
couple
of
years
already
out
there
engaged
in
the
noble
cause
you
know
and
he
probably
felt
the
need
at
last
of
asserting
his
self
respect
in
some
way
therefore
he
whacked
the
old
nigger
mercilessly
while
a
big
crowd
of
his
people
watched
him
thunderstruck
till
some
man
i
was
told
the
chief
s
son
in
desperation
at
hearing
the
old
chap
yell
made
a
tentative
jab
with
a
spear
at
the
white
man
and
of
course
it
went
quite
easy
between
the
shoulder
blades
then
the
whole
population
cleared
into
the
forest
expecting
all
kinds
of
calamities
to
happen
while
on
the
other
hand
the
steamer
fresleven
commanded
left
also
in
a
bad
panic
in
charge
of
the
engineer
i
believe
afterwards
nobody
seemed
to
trouble
much
about
fresleven
s
remains
till
i
got
out
and
stepped
into
his
shoes
i
couldn
t
let
it
rest
though
but
when
an
opportunity
offered
at
last
to
meet
my
predecessor
the
grass
growing
through
his
ribs
was
tall
enough
to
hide
his
bones
they
were
all
there
the
supernatural
being
had
not
been
touched
after
he
fell
and
the
village
was
deserted
the
huts
gaped
black
rotting
all
askew
within
the
fallen
enclosures
a
calamity
had
come
to
it
sure
enough
the
people
had
vanished
mad
terror
had
scattered
them
men
women
and
children
through
the
bush
and
they
had
never
returned
what
became
of
the
hens
i
don
t
know
either
i
should
think
the
cause
of
progress
got
them
anyhow
however
through
this
glorious
affair
i
got
my
appointment
before
i
had
fairly
begun
to
hope
for
it
i
flew
around
like
mad
to
get
ready
and
before
forty
eight
hours
i
was
crossing
the
channel
to
show
myself
to
my
employers
and
sign
the
contract
in
a
very
few
hours
i
arrived
in
a
city
that
always
makes
me
think
of
a
whited
sepulchre
prejudice
no
doubt
i
had
no
difficulty
in
finding
the
company
s
offices
it
was
the
biggest
thing
in
the
town
and
everybody
i
met
was
full
of
it
they
were
going
to
run
an
over
sea
empire
and
make
no
end
of
coin
by
trade
a
narrow
and
deserted
street
in
deep
shadow
high
houses
innumerable
windows
with
venetian
blinds
a
dead
silence
grass
sprouting
right
and
left
immense
double
doors
standing
ponderously
ajar
i
slipped
through
one
of
these
cracks
went
up
a
swept
and
ungarnished
staircase
as
arid
as
a
desert
and
opened
the
first
door
i
came
to
two
women
one
fat
and
the
other
slim
sat
on
straw
bottomed
chairs
knitting
black
wool
the
slim
one
got
up
and
walked
straight
at
me
still
knitting
with
downcast
eyes
and
only
just
as
i
began
to
think
of
getting
out
of
her
way
as
you
would
for
a
somnambulist
stood
still
and
looked
up
her
dress
was
as
plain
as
an
umbrella
cover
and
she
turned
round
without
a
word
and
preceded
me
into
a
waiting
room
i
gave
my
name
and
looked
about
deal
table
in
the
middle
plain
chairs
all
round
the
walls
on
one
end
a
large
shining
map
marked
with
all
the
colours
of
a
rainbow
there
was
a
vast
amount
of
red
good
to
see
at
any
time
because
one
knows
that
some
real
work
is
done
in
there
a
deuce
of
a
lot
of
blue
a
little
green
smears
of
orange
and
on
the
east
coast
a
purple
patch
to
show
where
the
jolly
pioneers
of
progress
drink
the
jolly
lager
beer
however
i
wasn
t
going
into
any
of
these
i
was
going
into
the
yellow
dead
in
the
centre
and
the
river
was
there
fascinating
deadly
like
a
snake
ough
a
door
opened
a
white
haired
secretarial
head
but
wearing
a
compassionate
expression
appeared
and
a
skinny
forefinger
beckoned
me
into
the
sanctuary
its
light
was
dim
and
a
heavy
writing
desk
squatted
in
the
middle
from
behind
that
structure
came
out
an
impression
of
pale
plumpness
in
a
frock
coat
the
great
man
himself
he
was
five
feet
six
i
should
judge
and
had
his
grip
on
the
handle
end
of
ever
so
many
millions
he
shook
hands
i
fancy
murmured
vaguely
was
satisfied
with
my
french
bon
voyage
in
about
forty
five
seconds
i
found
myself
again
in
the
waiting
room
with
the
compassionate
secretary
who
full
of
desolation
and
sympathy
made
me
sign
some
document
i
believe
i
undertook
amongst
other
things
not
to
disclose
any
trade
secrets
well
i
am
not
going
to
i
began
to
feel
slightly
uneasy
you
know
i
am
not
used
to
such
ceremonies
and
there
was
something
ominous
in
the
atmosphere
it
was
just
as
though
i
had
been
let
into
some
conspiracy
i
don
t
know
something
not
quite
right
and
i
was
glad
to
get
out
in
the
outer
room
the
two
women
knitted
black
wool
feverishly
people
were
arriving
and
the
younger
one
was
walking
back
and
forth
introducing
them
the
old
one
sat
on
her
chair
her
flat
cloth
slippers
were
propped
up
on
a
foot
warmer
and
a
cat
reposed
on
her
lap
she
wore
a
starched
white
affair
on
her
head
had
a
wart
on
one
cheek
and
silver
rimmed
spectacles
hung
on
the
tip
of
her
nose
she
glanced
at
me
above
the
glasses
the
swift
and
indifferent
placidity
of
that
look
troubled
me
two
youths
with
foolish
and
cheery
countenances
were
being
piloted
over
and
she
threw
at
them
the
same
quick
glance
of
unconcerned
wisdom
she
seemed
to
know
all
about
them
and
about
me
too
an
eerie
feeling
came
over
me
she
seemed
uncanny
and
fateful
often
far
away
there
i
thought
of
these
two
guarding
the
door
of
darkness
knitting
black
wool
as
for
a
warm
pall
one
introducing
introducing
continuously
to
the
unknown
the
other
scrutinizing
the
cheery
and
foolish
faces
with
unconcerned
old
eyes
ave

old
knitter
of
black
wool
morituri
te
salutant
not
many
of
those
she
looked
at
ever
saw
her
again
not
half
by
a
long
way
there
was
yet
a
visit
to
the
doctor
a
simple
formality
assured
me
the
secretary
with
an
air
of
taking
an
immense
part
in
all
my
sorrows
accordingly
a
young
chap
wearing
his
hat
over
the
left
eyebrow
some
clerk
i
suppose
there
must
have
been
clerks
in
the
business
though
the
house
was
as
still
as
a
house
in
a
city
of
the
dead
came
from
somewhere
up
stairs
and
led
me
forth
he
was
shabby
and
careless
with
inkstains
on
the
sleeves
of
his
jacket
and
his
cravat
was
large
and
billowy
under
a
chin
shaped
like
the
toe
of
an
old
boot
it
was
a
little
too
early
for
the
doctor
so
i
proposed
a
drink
and
thereupon
he
developed
a
vein
of
joviality
as
we
sat
over
our
vermouths
he
glorified
the
company
s
business
and
by
and
by
i
expressed
casually
my
surprise
at
him
not
going
out
there
he
became
very
cool
and
collected
all
at
once
i
am
not
such
a
fool
as
i
look
quoth
plato
to
his
disciples
he
said
sententiously
emptied
his
glass
with
great
resolution
and
we
rose
the
old
doctor
felt
my
pulse
evidently
thinking
of
something
else
the
while
good
good
for
there
he
mumbled
and
then
with
a
certain
eagerness
asked
me
whether
i
would
let
him
measure
my
head
rather
surprised
i
said
yes
when
he
produced
a
thing
like
calipers
and
got
the
dimensions
back
and
front
and
every
way
taking
notes
carefully
he
was
an
unshaven
little
man
in
a
threadbare
coat
like
a
gaberdine
with
his
feet
in
slippers
and
i
thought
him
a
harmless
fool
i
always
ask
leave
in
the
interests
of
science
to
measure
the
crania
of
those
going
out
there
he
said
and
when
they
come
back
too
i
asked
oh
i
never
see
them
he
remarked
and
moreover
the
changes
take
place
inside
you
know
he
smiled
as
if
at
some
quiet
joke
so
you
are
going
out
there
famous
interesting
too
he
gave
me
a
searching
glance
and
made
another
note
ever
any
madness
in
your
family
he
asked
in
a
matter
of
fact
tone
i
felt
very
annoyed
is
that
question
in
the
interests
of
science
too
it
would
be
he
said
without
taking
notice
of
my
irritation
interesting
for
science
to
watch
the
mental
changes
of
individuals
on
the
spot
but
are
you
an
alienist
i
interrupted
every
doctor
should
be
a
little
answered
that
original
imperturbably
i
have
a
little
theory
which
you
messieurs
who
go
out
there
must
help
me
to
prove
this
is
my
share
in
the
advantages
my
country
shall
reap
from
the
possession
of
such
a
magnificent
dependency
the
mere
wealth
i
leave
to
others
pardon
my
questions
but
you
are
the
first
englishman
coming
under
my
observation
i
hastened
to
assure
him
i
was
not
in
the
least
typical
if
i
were
said
i
i
wouldn
t
be
talking
like
this
with
you
what
you
say
is
rather
profound
and
probably
erroneous
he
said
with
a
laugh
avoid
irritation
more
than
exposure
to
the
sun
adieu
how
do
you
english
say
eh
good
bye
ah
good
bye
adieu
in
the
tropics
one
must
before
everything
keep
calm
he
lifted
a
warning
forefinger
du
calme
du
calme
one
thing
more
remained
to
do
say
good
bye
to
my
excellent
aunt
i
found
her
triumphant
i
had
a
cup
of
tea
the
last
decent
cup
of
tea
for
many
days
and
in
a
room
that
most
soothingly
looked
just
as
you
would
expect
a
lady
s
drawing
room
to
look
we
had
a
long
quiet
chat
by
the
fireside
in
the
course
of
these
confidences
it
became
quite
plain
to
me
i
had
been
represented
to
the
wife
of
the
high
dignitary
and
goodness
knows
to
how
many
more
people
besides
as
an
exceptional
and
gifted
creature
a
piece
of
good
fortune
for
the
company
a
man
you
don
t
get
hold
of
every
day
good
heavens
and
i
was
going
to
take
charge
of
a
two
penny
half
penny
river
steamboat
with
a
penny
whistle
attached
it
appeared
however
i
was
also
one
of
the
workers
with
a
capital
you
know
something
like
an
emissary
of
light
something
like
a
lower
sort
of
apostle
there
had
been
a
lot
of
such
rot
let
loose
in
print
and
talk
just
about
that
time
and
the
excellent
woman
living
right
in
the
rush
of
all
that
humbug
got
carried
off
her
feet
she
talked
about
weaning
those
ignorant
millions
from
their
horrid
ways
till
upon
my
word
she
made
me
quite
uncomfortable
i
ventured
to
hint
that
the
company
was
run
for
profit
you
forget
dear
charlie
that
the
labourer
is
worthy
of
his
hire
she
said
brightly
it
s
queer
how
out
of
touch
with
truth
women
are
they
live
in
a
world
of
their
own
and
there
has
never
been
anything
like
it
and
never
can
be
it
is
too
beautiful
altogether
and
if
they
were
to
set
it
up
it
would
go
to
pieces
before
the
first
sunset
some
confounded
fact
we
men
have
been
living
contentedly
with
ever
since
the
day
of
creation
would
start
up
and
knock
the
whole
thing
over
after
this
i
got
embraced
told
to
wear
flannel
be
sure
to
write
often
and
so
on
and
i
left
in
the
street
i
don
t
know
why
a
queer
feeling
came
to
me
that
i
was
an
imposter
odd
thing
that
i
who
used
to
clear
out
for
any
part
of
the
world
at
twenty
four
hours
notice
with
less
thought
than
most
men
give
to
the
crossing
of
a
street
had
a
moment
i
won
t
say
of
hesitation
but
of
startled
pause
before
this
commonplace
affair
the
best
way
i
can
explain
it
to
you
is
by
saying
that
for
a
second
or
two
i
felt
as
though
instead
of
going
to
the
centre
of
a
continent
i
were
about
to
set
off
for
the
centre
of
the
earth
i
left
in
a
french
steamer
and
she
called
in
every
blamed
port
they
have
out
there
for
as
far
as
i
could
see
the
sole
purpose
of
landing
soldiers
and
custom
house
officers
i
watched
the
coast
watching
a
coast
as
it
slips
by
the
ship
is
like
thinking
about
an
enigma
there
it
is
before
you
smiling
frowning
inviting
grand
mean
insipid
or
savage
and
always
mute
with
an
air
of
whispering
come
and
find
out
this
one
was
almost
featureless
as
if
still
in
the
making
with
an
aspect
of
monotonous
grimness
the
edge
of
a
colossal
jungle
so
dark
green
as
to
be
almost
black
fringed
with
white
surf
ran
straight
like
a
ruled
line
far
far
away
along
a
blue
sea
whose
glitter
was
blurred
by
a
creeping
mist
the
sun
was
fierce
the
land
seemed
to
glisten
and
drip
with
steam
here
and
there
greyish
whitish
specks
showed
up
clustered
inside
the
white
surf
with
a
flag
flying
above
them
perhaps
settlements
some
centuries
old
and
still
no
bigger
than
pinheads
on
the
untouched
expanse
of
their
background
we
pounded
along
stopped
landed
soldiers
went
on
landed
custom
house
clerks
to
levy
toll
in
what
looked
like
a
god
forsaken
wilderness
with
a
tin
shed
and
a
flag
pole
lost
in
it
landed
more
soldiers
to
take
care
of
the
custom
house
clerks
presumably
some
i
heard
got
drowned
in
the
surf
but
whether
they
did
or
not
nobody
seemed
particularly
to
care
they
were
just
flung
out
there
and
on
we
went
every
day
the
coast
looked
the
same
as
though
we
had
not
moved
but
we
passed
various
places
trading
places
with
names
like
gran
bassam
little
popo
names
that
seemed
to
belong
to
some
sordid
farce
acted
in
front
of
a
sinister
back
cloth
the
idleness
of
a
passenger
my
isolation
amongst
all
these
men
with
whom
i
had
no
point
of
contact
the
oily
and
languid
sea
the
uniform
sombreness
of
the
coast
seemed
to
keep
me
away
from
the
truth
of
things
within
the
toil
of
a
mournful
and
senseless
delusion
the
voice
of
the
surf
heard
now
and
then
was
a
positive
pleasure
like
the
speech
of
a
brother
it
was
something
natural
that
had
its
reason
that
had
a
meaning
now
and
then
a
boat
from
the
shore
gave
one
a
momentary
contact
with
reality
it
was
paddled
by
black
fellows
you
could
see
from
afar
the
white
of
their
eyeballs
glistening
they
shouted
sang
their
bodies
streamed
with
perspiration
they
had
faces
like
grotesque
masks
these
chaps
but
they
had
bone
muscle
a
wild
vitality
an
intense
energy
of
movement
that
was
as
natural
and
true
as
the
surf
along
their
coast
they
wanted
no
excuse
for
being
there
they
were
a
great
comfort
to
look
at
for
a
time
i
would
feel
i
belonged
still
to
a
world
of
straightforward
facts
but
the
feeling
would
not
last
long
something
would
turn
up
to
scare
it
away
once
i
remember
we
came
upon
a
man
of
war
anchored
off
the
coast
there
wasn
t
even
a
shed
there
and
she
was
shelling
the
bush
it
appears
the
french
had
one
of
their
wars
going
on
thereabouts
her
ensign
dropped
limp
like
a
rag
the
muzzles
of
the
long
six
inch
guns
stuck
out
all
over
the
low
hull
the
greasy
slimy
swell
swung
her
up
lazily
and
let
her
down
swaying
her
thin
masts
in
the
empty
immensity
of
earth
sky
and
water
there
she
was
incomprehensible
firing
into
a
continent
pop
would
go
one
of
the
six
inch
guns
a
small
flame
would
dart
and
vanish
a
little
white
smoke
would
disappear
a
tiny
projectile
would
give
a
feeble
screech
and
nothing
happened
nothing
could
happen
there
was
a
touch
of
insanity
in
the
proceeding
a
sense
of
lugubrious
drollery
in
the
sight
and
it
was
not
dissipated
by
somebody
on
board
assuring
me
earnestly
there
was
a
camp
of
natives
he
called
them
enemies
hidden
out
of
sight
somewhere
we
gave
her
her
letters
i
heard
the
men
in
that
lonely
ship
were
dying
of
fever
at
the
rate
of
three
a
day
and
went
on
we
called
at
some
more
places
with
farcical
names
where
the
merry
dance
of
death
and
trade
goes
on
in
a
still
and
earthy
atmosphere
as
of
an
overheated
catacomb
all
along
the
formless
coast
bordered
by
dangerous
surf
as
if
nature
herself
had
tried
to
ward
off
intruders
in
and
out
of
rivers
streams
of
death
in
life
whose
banks
were
rotting
into
mud
whose
waters
thickened
into
slime
invaded
the
contorted
mangroves
that
seemed
to
writhe
at
us
in
the
extremity
of
an
impotent
despair
nowhere
did
we
stop
long
enough
to
get
a
particularized
impression
but
the
general
sense
of
vague
and
oppressive
wonder
grew
upon
me
it
was
like
a
weary
pilgrimage
amongst
hints
for
nightmares
it
was
upward
of
thirty
days
before
i
saw
the
mouth
of
the
big
river
we
anchored
off
the
seat
of
the
government
but
my
work
would
not
begin
till
some
two
hundred
miles
farther
on
so
as
soon
as
i
could
i
made
a
start
for
a
place
thirty
miles
higher
up
i
had
my
passage
on
a
little
sea
going
steamer
her
captain
was
a
swede
and
knowing
me
for
a
seaman
invited
me
on
the
bridge
he
was
a
young
man
lean
fair
and
morose
with
lanky
hair
and
a
shuffling
gait
as
we
left
the
miserable
little
wharf
he
tossed
his
head
contemptuously
at
the
shore
been
living
there
he
asked
i
said
yes
fine
lot
these
government
chaps
are
they
not
he
went
on
speaking
english
with
great
precision
and
considerable
bitterness
it
is
funny
what
some
people
will
do
for
a
few
francs
a
month
i
wonder
what
becomes
of
that
kind
when
it
goes
upcountry
i
said
to
him
i
expected
to
see
that
soon
so
o
o
he
exclaimed
he
shuffled
athwart
keeping
one
eye
ahead
vigilantly
don
t
be
too
sure
he
continued
the
other
day
i
took
up
a
man
who
hanged
himself
on
the
road
he
was
a
swede
too
hanged
himself
why
in
god
s
name
i
cried
he
kept
on
looking
out
watchfully
who
knows
the
sun
too
much
for
him
or
the
country
perhaps
at
last
we
opened
a
reach
a
rocky
cliff
appeared
mounds
of
turned
up
earth
by
the
shore
houses
on
a
hill
others
with
iron
roofs
amongst
a
waste
of
excavations
or
hanging
to
the
declivity
a
continuous
noise
of
the
rapids
above
hovered
over
this
scene
of
inhabited
devastation
a
lot
of
people
mostly
black
and
naked
moved
about
like
ants
a
jetty
projected
into
the
river
a
blinding
sunlight
drowned
all
this
at
times
in
a
sudden
recrudescence
of
glare
there
s
your
company
s
station
said
the
swede
pointing
to
three
wooden
barrack
like
structures
on
the
rocky
slope
i
will
send
your
things
up
four
boxes
did
you
say
so
farewell
i
came
upon
a
boiler
wallowing
in
the
grass
then
found
a
path
leading
up
the
hill
it
turned
aside
for
the
boulders
and
also
for
an
undersized
railway
truck
lying
there
on
its
back
with
its
wheels
in
the
air
one
was
off
the
thing
looked
as
dead
as
the
carcass
of
some
animal
i
came
upon
more
pieces
of
decaying
machinery
a
stack
of
rusty
rails
to
the
left
a
clump
of
trees
made
a
shady
spot
where
dark
things
seemed
to
stir
feebly
i
blinked
the
path
was
steep
a
horn
tooted
to
the
right
and
i
saw
the
black
people
run
a
heavy
and
dull
detonation
shook
the
ground
a
puff
of
smoke
came
out
of
the
cliff
and
that
was
all
no
change
appeared
on
the
face
of
the
rock
they
were
building
a
railway
the
cliff
was
not
in
the
way
or
anything
but
this
objectless
blasting
was
all
the
work
going
on
a
slight
clinking
behind
me
made
me
turn
my
head
six
black
men
advanced
in
a
file
toiling
up
the
path
they
walked
erect
and
slow
balancing
small
baskets
full
of
earth
on
their
heads
and
the
clink
kept
time
with
their
footsteps
black
rags
were
wound
round
their
loins
and
the
short
ends
behind
waggled
to
and
fro
like
tails
i
could
see
every
rib
the
joints
of
their
limbs
were
like
knots
in
a
rope
each
had
an
iron
collar
on
his
neck
and
all
were
connected
together
with
a
chain
whose
bights
swung
between
them
rhythmically
clinking
another
report
from
the
cliff
made
me
think
suddenly
of
that
ship
of
war
i
had
seen
firing
into
a
continent
it
was
the
same
kind
of
ominous
voice
but
these
men
could
by
no
stretch
of
imagination
be
called
enemies
they
were
called
criminals
and
the
outraged
law
like
the
bursting
shells
had
come
to
them
an
insoluble
mystery
from
the
sea
all
their
meagre
breasts
panted
together
the
violently
dilated
nostrils
quivered
the
eyes
stared
stonily
uphill
they
passed
me
within
six
inches
without
a
glance
with
that
complete
deathlike
indifference
of
unhappy
savages
behind
this
raw
matter
one
of
the
reclaimed
the
product
of
the
new
forces
at
work
strolled
despondently
carrying
a
rifle
by
its
middle
he
had
a
uniform
jacket
with
one
button
off
and
seeing
a
white
man
on
the
path
hoisted
his
weapon
to
his
shoulder
with
alacrity
this
was
simple
prudence
white
men
being
so
much
alike
at
a
distance
that
he
could
not
tell
who
i
might
be
he
was
speedily
reassured
and
with
a
large
white
rascally
grin
and
a
glance
at
his
charge
seemed
to
take
me
into
partnership
in
his
exalted
trust
after
all
i
also
was
a
part
of
the
great
cause
of
these
high
and
just
proceedings
instead
of
going
up
i
turned
and
descended
to
the
left
my
idea
was
to
let
that
chain
gang
get
out
of
sight
before
i
climbed
the
hill
you
know
i
am
not
particularly
tender
i
ve
had
to
strike
and
to
fend
off
i
ve
had
to
resist
and
to
attack
sometimes
that
s
only
one
way
of
resisting
without
counting
the
exact
cost
according
to
the
demands
of
such
sort
of
life
as
i
had
blundered
into
i
ve
seen
the
devil
of
violence
and
the
devil
of
greed
and
the
devil
of
hot
desire
but
by
all
the
stars
these
were
strong
lusty
red
eyed
devils
that
swayed
and
drove
men
men
i
tell
you
but
as
i
stood
on
this
hillside
i
foresaw
that
in
the
blinding
sunshine
of
that
land
i
would
become
acquainted
with
a
flabby
pretending
weak
eyed
devil
of
a
rapacious
and
pitiless
folly
how
insidious
he
could
be
too
i
was
only
to
find
out
several
months
later
and
a
thousand
miles
farther
for
a
moment
i
stood
appalled
as
though
by
a
warning
finally
i
descended
the
hill
obliquely
towards
the
trees
i
had
seen
i
avoided
a
vast
artificial
hole
somebody
had
been
digging
on
the
slope
the
purpose
of
which
i
found
it
impossible
to
divine
it
wasn
t
a
quarry
or
a
sandpit
anyhow
it
was
just
a
hole
it
might
have
been
connected
with
the
philanthropic
desire
of
giving
the
criminals
something
to
do
i
don
t
know
then
i
nearly
fell
into
a
very
narrow
ravine
almost
no
more
than
a
scar
in
the
hillside
i
discovered
that
a
lot
of
imported
drainage
pipes
for
the
settlement
had
been
tumbled
in
there
there
wasn
t
one
that
was
not
broken
it
was
a
wanton
smash
up
at
last
i
got
under
the
trees
my
purpose
was
to
stroll
into
the
shade
for
a
moment
but
no
sooner
within
than
it
seemed
to
me
i
had
stepped
into
the
gloomy
circle
of
some
inferno
the
rapids
were
near
and
an
uninterrupted
uniform
headlong
rushing
noise
filled
the
mournful
stillness
of
the
grove
where
not
a
breath
stirred
not
a
leaf
moved
with
a
mysterious
sound
as
though
the
tearing
pace
of
the
launched
earth
had
suddenly
become
audible
black
shapes
crouched
lay
sat
between
the
trees
leaning
against
the
trunks
clinging
to
the
earth
half
coming
out
half
effaced
within
the
dim
light
in
all
the
attitudes
of
pain
abandonment
and
despair
another
mine
on
the
cliff
went
off
followed
by
a
slight
shudder
of
the
soil
under
my
feet
the
work
was
going
on
the
work
and
this
was
the
place
where
some
of
the
helpers
had
withdrawn
to
die
they
were
dying
slowly
it
was
very
clear
they
were
not
enemies
they
were
not
criminals
they
were
nothing
earthly
now
nothing
but
black
shadows
of
disease
and
starvation
lying
confusedly
in
the
greenish
gloom
brought
from
all
the
recesses
of
the
coast
in
all
the
legality
of
time
contracts
lost
in
uncongenial
surroundings
fed
on
unfamiliar
food
they
sickened
became
inefficient
and
were
then
allowed
to
crawl
away
and
rest
these
moribund
shapes
were
free
as
air
and
nearly
as
thin
i
began
to
distinguish
the
gleam
of
the
eyes
under
the
trees
then
glancing
down
i
saw
a
face
near
my
hand
the
black
bones
reclined
at
full
length
with
one
shoulder
against
the
tree
and
slowly
the
eyelids
rose
and
the
sunken
eyes
looked
up
at
me
enormous
and
vacant
a
kind
of
blind
white
flicker
in
the
depths
of
the
orbs
which
died
out
slowly
the
man
seemed
young
almost
a
boy
but
you
know
with
them
it
s
hard
to
tell
i
found
nothing
else
to
do
but
to
offer
him
one
of
my
good
swede
s
ship
s
biscuits
i
had
in
my
pocket
the
fingers
closed
slowly
on
it
and
held
there
was
no
other
movement
and
no
other
glance
he
had
tied
a
bit
of
white
worsted
round
his
neck
why
where
did
he
get
it
was
it
a
badge
an
ornament
a
charm
a
propitiatory
act
was
there
any
idea
at
all
connected
with
it
it
looked
startling
round
his
black
neck
this
bit
of
white
thread
from
beyond
the
seas
near
the
same
tree
two
more
bundles
of
acute
angles
sat
with
their
legs
drawn
up
one
with
his
chin
propped
on
his
knees
stared
at
nothing
in
an
intolerable
and
appalling
manner
his
brother
phantom
rested
its
forehead
as
if
overcome
with
a
great
weariness
and
all
about
others
were
scattered
in
every
pose
of
contorted
collapse
as
in
some
picture
of
a
massacre
or
a
pestilence
while
i
stood
horror
struck
one
of
these
creatures
rose
to
his
hands
and
knees
and
went
off
on
all
fours
towards
the
river
to
drink
he
lapped
out
of
his
hand
then
sat
up
in
the
sunlight
crossing
his
shins
in
front
of
him
and
after
a
time
let
his
woolly
head
fall
on
his
breastbone
i
didn
t
want
any
more
loitering
in
the
shade
and
i
made
haste
towards
the
station
when
near
the
buildings
i
met
a
white
man
in
such
an
unexpected
elegance
of
get
up
that
in
the
first
moment
i
took
him
for
a
sort
of
vision
i
saw
a
high
starched
collar
white
cuffs
a
light
alpaca
jacket
snowy
trousers
a
clean
necktie
and
varnished
boots
no
hat
hair
parted
brushed
oiled
under
a
green
lined
parasol
held
in
a
big
white
hand
he
was
amazing
and
had
a
penholder
behind
his
ear
i
shook
hands
with
this
miracle
and
i
learned
he
was
the
company
s
chief
accountant
and
that
all
the
book
keeping
was
done
at
this
station
he
had
come
out
for
a
moment
he
said
to
get
a
breath
of
fresh
air
the
expression
sounded
wonderfully
odd
with
its
suggestion
of
sedentary
desk
life
i
wouldn
t
have
mentioned
the
fellow
to
you
at
all
only
it
was
from
his
lips
that
i
first
heard
the
name
of
the
man
who
is
so
indissolubly
connected
with
the
memories
of
that
time
moreover
i
respected
the
fellow
yes
i
respected
his
collars
his
vast
cuffs
his
brushed
hair
his
appearance
was
certainly
that
of
a
hairdresser
s
dummy
but
in
the
great
demoralization
of
the
land
he
kept
up
his
appearance
that
s
backbone
his
starched
collars
and
got
up
shirt
fronts
were
achievements
of
character
he
had
been
out
nearly
three
years
and
later
i
could
not
help
asking
him
how
he
managed
to
sport
such
linen
he
had
just
the
faintest
blush
and
said
modestly
i
ve
been
teaching
one
of
the
native
women
about
the
station
it
was
difficult
she
had
a
distaste
for
the
work
thus
this
man
had
verily
accomplished
something
and
he
was
devoted
to
his
books
which
were
in
apple
pie
order
everything
else
in
the
station
was
in
a
muddle
heads
things
buildings
strings
of
dusty
niggers
with
splay
feet
arrived
and
departed
a
stream
of
manufactured
goods
rubbishy
cottons
beads
and
brass
wire
sent
into
the
depths
of
darkness
and
in
return
came
a
precious
trickle
of
ivory
i
had
to
wait
in
the
station
for
ten
days
an
eternity
i
lived
in
a
hut
in
the
yard
but
to
be
out
of
the
chaos
i
would
sometimes
get
into
the
accountant
s
office
it
was
built
of
horizontal
planks
and
so
badly
put
together
that
as
he
bent
over
his
high
desk
he
was
barred
from
neck
to
heels
with
narrow
strips
of
sunlight
there
was
no
need
to
open
the
big
shutter
to
see
it
was
hot
there
too
big
flies
buzzed
fiendishly
and
did
not
sting
but
stabbed
i
sat
generally
on
the
floor
while
of
faultless
appearance
and
even
slightly
scented
perching
on
a
high
stool
he
wrote
he
wrote
sometimes
he
stood
up
for
exercise
when
a
truckle
bed
with
a
sick
man
some
invalid
agent
from
upcountry
was
put
in
there
he
exhibited
a
gentle
annoyance
the
groans
of
this
sick
person
he
said
distract
my
attention
and
without
that
it
is
extremely
difficult
to
guard
against
clerical
errors
in
this
climate
one
day
he
remarked
without
lifting
his
head
in
the
interior
you
will
no
doubt
meet
mr
kurtz
on
my
asking
who
mr
kurtz
was
he
said
he
was
a
first
class
agent
and
seeing
my
disappointment
at
this
information
he
added
slowly
laying
down
his
pen
he
is
a
very
remarkable
person
further
questions
elicited
from
him
that
mr
kurtz
was
at
present
in
charge
of
a
trading
post
a
very
important
one
in
the
true
ivory
country
at
the
very
bottom
of
there
sends
in
as
much
ivory
as
all
the
others
put
together
he
began
to
write
again
the
sick
man
was
too
ill
to
groan
the
flies
buzzed
in
a
great
peace
suddenly
there
was
a
growing
murmur
of
voices
and
a
great
tramping
of
feet
a
caravan
had
come
in
a
violent
babble
of
uncouth
sounds
burst
out
on
the
other
side
of
the
planks
all
the
carriers
were
speaking
together
and
in
the
midst
of
the
uproar
the
lamentable
voice
of
the
chief
agent
was
heard
giving
it
up
tearfully
for
the
twentieth
time
that
day
he
rose
slowly
what
a
frightful
row
he
said
he
crossed
the
room
gently
to
look
at
the
sick
man
and
returning
said
to
me
he
does
not
hear
what
dead
i
asked
startled
no
not
yet
he
answered
with
great
composure
then
alluding
with
a
toss
of
the
head
to
the
tumult
in
the
station
yard
when
one
has
got
to
make
correct
entries
one
comes
to
hate
those
savages
hate
them
to
the
death
he
remained
thoughtful
for
a
moment
when
you
see
mr
kurtz
he
went
on
tell
him
from
me
that
everything
here
he
glanced
at
the
deck
is
very
satisfactory
i
don
t
like
to
write
to
him
with
those
messengers
of
ours
you
never
know
who
may
get
hold
of
your
letter
at
that
central
station
he
stared
at
me
for
a
moment
with
his
mild
bulging
eyes
oh
he
will
go
far
very
far
he
began
again
he
will
be
a
somebody
in
the
administration
before
long
they
above
the
council
in
europe
you
know
mean
him
to
be
he
turned
to
his
work
the
noise
outside
had
ceased
and
presently
in
going
out
i
stopped
at
the
door
in
the
steady
buzz
of
flies
the
homeward
bound
agent
was
lying
finished
and
insensible
the
other
bent
over
his
books
was
making
correct
entries
of
perfectly
correct
transactions
and
fifty
feet
below
the
doorstep
i
could
see
the
still
tree
tops
of
the
grove
of
death
next
day
i
left
that
station
at
last
with
a
caravan
of
sixty
men
for
a
two
hundred
mile
tramp
no
use
telling
you
much
about
that
paths
paths
everywhere
a
stamped
in
network
of
paths
spreading
over
the
empty
land
through
the
long
grass
through
burnt
grass
through
thickets
down
and
up
chilly
ravines
up
and
down
stony
hills
ablaze
with
heat
and
a
solitude
a
solitude
nobody
not
a
hut
the
population
had
cleared
out
a
long
time
ago
well
if
a
lot
of
mysterious
niggers
armed
with
all
kinds
of
fearful
weapons
suddenly
took
to
travelling
on
the
road
between
deal
and
gravesend
catching
the
yokels
right
and
left
to
carry
heavy
loads
for
them
i
fancy
every
farm
and
cottage
thereabouts
would
get
empty
very
soon
only
here
the
dwellings
were
gone
too
still
i
passed
through
several
abandoned
villages
there
s
something
pathetically
childish
in
the
ruins
of
grass
walls
day
after
day
with
the
stamp
and
shuffle
of
sixty
pair
of
bare
feet
behind
me
each
pair
under
a
lb
load
camp
cook
sleep
strike
camp
march
now
and
then
a
carrier
dead
in
harness
at
rest
in
the
long
grass
near
the
path
with
an
empty
water
gourd
and
his
long
staff
lying
by
his
side
a
great
silence
around
and
above
perhaps
on
some
quiet
night
the
tremor
of
far
off
drums
sinking
swelling
a
tremor
vast
faint
a
sound
weird
appealing
suggestive
and
wild
and
perhaps
with
as
profound
a
meaning
as
the
sound
of
bells
in
a
christian
country
once
a
white
man
in
an
unbuttoned
uniform
camping
on
the
path
with
an
armed
escort
of
lank
zanzibaris
very
hospitable
and
festive
not
to
say
drunk
was
looking
after
the
upkeep
of
the
road
he
declared
can
t
say
i
saw
any
road
or
any
upkeep
unless
the
body
of
a
middle
aged
negro
with
a
bullet
hole
in
the
forehead
upon
which
i
absolutely
stumbled
three
miles
farther
on
may
be
considered
as
a
permanent
improvement
i
had
a
white
companion
too
not
a
bad
chap
but
rather
too
fleshy
and
with
the
exasperating
habit
of
fainting
on
the
hot
hillsides
miles
away
from
the
least
bit
of
shade
and
water
annoying
you
know
to
hold
your
own
coat
like
a
parasol
over
a
man
s
head
while
he
is
coming
to
i
couldn
t
help
asking
him
once
what
he
meant
by
coming
there
at
all
to
make
money
of
course
what
do
you
think
he
said
scornfully
then
he
got
fever
and
had
to
be
carried
in
a
hammock
slung
under
a
pole
as
he
weighed
sixteen
stone
i
had
no
end
of
rows
with
the
carriers
they
jibbed
ran
away
sneaked
off
with
their
loads
in
the
night
quite
a
mutiny
so
one
evening
i
made
a
speech
in
english
with
gestures
not
one
of
which
was
lost
to
the
sixty
pairs
of
eyes
before
me
and
the
next
morning
i
started
the
hammock
off
in
front
all
right
an
hour
afterwards
i
came
upon
the
whole
concern
wrecked
in
a
bush
man
hammock
groans
blankets
horrors
the
heavy
pole
had
skinned
his
poor
nose
he
was
very
anxious
for
me
to
kill
somebody
but
there
wasn
t
the
shadow
of
a
carrier
near
i
remembered
the
old
doctor
it
would
be
interesting
for
science
to
watch
the
mental
changes
of
individuals
on
the
spot
i
felt
i
was
becoming
scientifically
interesting
however
all
that
is
to
no
purpose
on
the
fifteenth
day
i
came
in
sight
of
the
big
river
again
and
hobbled
into
the
central
station
it
was
on
a
back
water
surrounded
by
scrub
and
forest
with
a
pretty
border
of
smelly
mud
on
one
side
and
on
the
three
others
enclosed
by
a
crazy
fence
of
rushes
a
neglected
gap
was
all
the
gate
it
had
and
the
first
glance
at
the
place
was
enough
to
let
you
see
the
flabby
devil
was
running
that
show
white
men
with
long
staves
in
their
hands
appeared
languidly
from
amongst
the
buildings
strolling
up
to
take
a
look
at
me
and
then
retired
out
of
sight
somewhere
one
of
them
a
stout
excitable
chap
with
black
moustaches
informed
me
with
great
volubility
and
many
digressions
as
soon
as
i
told
him
who
i
was
that
my
steamer
was
at
the
bottom
of
the
river
i
was
thunderstruck
what
how
why
oh
it
was
all
right
the
manager
himself
was
there
all
quite
correct
everybody
had
behaved
splendidly
splendidly
you
must
he
said
in
agitation
go
and
see
the
general
manager
at
once
he
is
waiting
i
did
not
see
the
real
significance
of
that
wreck
at
once
i
fancy
i
see
it
now
but
i
am
not
sure
not
at
all
certainly
the
affair
was
too
stupid
when
i
think
of
it
to
be
altogether
natural
still
but
at
the
moment
it
presented
itself
simply
as
a
confounded
nuisance
the
steamer
was
sunk
they
had
started
two
days
before
in
a
sudden
hurry
up
the
river
with
the
manager
on
board
in
charge
of
some
volunteer
skipper
and
before
they
had
been
out
three
hours
they
tore
the
bottom
out
of
her
on
stones
and
she
sank
near
the
south
bank
i
asked
myself
what
i
was
to
do
there
now
my
boat
was
lost
as
a
matter
of
fact
i
had
plenty
to
do
in
fishing
my
command
out
of
the
river
i
had
to
set
about
it
the
very
next
day
that
and
the
repairs
when
i
brought
the
pieces
to
the
station
took
some
months
my
first
interview
with
the
manager
was
curious
he
did
not
ask
me
to
sit
down
after
my
twenty
mile
walk
that
morning
he
was
commonplace
in
complexion
in
features
in
manners
and
in
voice
he
was
of
middle
size
and
of
ordinary
build
his
eyes
of
the
usual
blue
were
perhaps
remarkably
cold
and
he
certainly
could
make
his
glance
fall
on
one
as
trenchant
and
heavy
as
an
axe
but
even
at
these
times
the
rest
of
his
person
seemed
to
disclaim
the
intention
otherwise
there
was
only
an
indefinable
faint
expression
of
his
lips
something
stealthy
a
smile
not
a
smile
i
remember
it
but
i
can
t
explain
it
was
unconscious
this
smile
was
though
just
after
he
had
said
something
it
got
intensified
for
an
instant
it
came
at
the
end
of
his
speeches
like
a
seal
applied
on
the
words
to
make
the
meaning
of
the
commonest
phrase
appear
absolutely
inscrutable
he
was
a
common
trader
from
his
youth
up
employed
in
these
parts
nothing
more
he
was
obeyed
yet
he
inspired
neither
love
nor
fear
nor
even
respect
he
inspired
uneasiness
that
was
it
uneasiness
not
a
definite
mistrust
just
uneasiness
nothing
more
you
have
no
idea
how
effective
such
a
a
faculty
can
be
he
had
no
genius
for
organizing
for
initiative
or
for
order
even
that
was
evident
in
such
things
as
the
deplorable
state
of
the
station
he
had
no
learning
and
no
intelligence
his
position
had
come
to
him
why
perhaps
because
he
was
never
ill
he
had
served
three
terms
of
three
years
out
there
because
triumphant
health
in
the
general
rout
of
constitutions
is
a
kind
of
power
in
itself
when
he
went
home
on
leave
he
rioted
on
a
large
scale
pompously
jack
ashore
with
a
difference
in
externals
only
this
one
could
gather
from
his
casual
talk
he
originated
nothing
he
could
keep
the
routine
going
that
s
all
but
he
was
great
he
was
great
by
this
little
thing
that
it
was
impossible
to
tell
what
could
control
such
a
man
he
never
gave
that
secret
away
perhaps
there
was
nothing
within
him
such
a
suspicion
made
one
pause
for
out
there
there
were
no
external
checks
once
when
various
tropical
diseases
had
laid
low
almost
every
agent
in
the
station
he
was
heard
to
say
men
who
come
out
here
should
have
no
entrails
he
sealed
the
utterance
with
that
smile
of
his
as
though
it
had
been
a
door
opening
into
a
darkness
he
had
in
his
keeping
you
fancied
you
had
seen
things
but
the
seal
was
on
when
annoyed
at
meal
times
by
the
constant
quarrels
of
the
white
men
about
precedence
he
ordered
an
immense
round
table
to
be
made
for
which
a
special
house
had
to
be
built
this
was
the
station
s
mess
room
where
he
sat
was
the
first
place
the
rest
were
nowhere
one
felt
this
to
be
his
unalterable
conviction
he
was
neither
civil
nor
uncivil
he
was
quiet
he
allowed
his
boy
an
overfed
young
negro
from
the
coast
to
treat
the
white
men
under
his
very
eyes
with
provoking
insolence
he
began
to
speak
as
soon
as
he
saw
me
i
had
been
very
long
on
the
road
he
could
not
wait
had
to
start
without
me
the
up
river
stations
had
to
be
relieved
there
had
been
so
many
delays
already
that
he
did
not
know
who
was
dead
and
who
was
alive
and
how
they
got
on
and
so
on
and
so
on
he
paid
no
attention
to
my
explanations
and
playing
with
a
stick
of
sealing
wax
repeated
several
times
that
the
situation
was
very
grave
very
grave
there
were
rumours
that
a
very
important
station
was
in
jeopardy
and
its
chief
mr
kurtz
was
ill
hoped
it
was
not
true
mr
kurtz
was
i
felt
weary
and
irritable
hang
kurtz
i
thought
i
interrupted
him
by
saying
i
had
heard
of
mr
kurtz
on
the
coast
ah
so
they
talk
of
him
down
there
he
murmured
to
himself
then
he
began
again
assuring
me
mr
kurtz
was
the
best
agent
he
had
an
exceptional
man
of
the
greatest
importance
to
the
company
therefore
i
could
understand
his
anxiety
he
was
he
said
very
very
uneasy
certainly
he
fidgeted
on
his
chair
a
good
deal
exclaimed
ah
mr
kurtz
broke
the
stick
of
sealing
wax
and
seemed
dumfounded
by
the
accident
next
thing
he
wanted
to
know
how
long
it
would
take
to
i
interrupted
him
again
being
hungry
you
know
and
kept
on
my
feet
too
i
was
getting
savage
how
can
i
tell
i
said
i
haven
t
even
seen
the
wreck
yet
some
months
no
doubt
all
this
talk
seemed
to
me
so
futile
some
months
he
said
well
let
us
say
three
months
before
we
can
make
a
start
yes
that
ought
to
do
the
affair
i
flung
out
of
his
hut
he
lived
all
alone
in
a
clay
hut
with
a
sort
of
verandah
muttering
to
myself
my
opinion
of
him
he
was
a
chattering
idiot
afterwards
i
took
it
back
when
it
was
borne
in
upon
me
startlingly
with
what
extreme
nicety
he
had
estimated
the
time
requisite
for
the
affair
i
went
to
work
the
next
day
turning
so
to
speak
my
back
on
that
station
in
that
way
only
it
seemed
to
me
i
could
keep
my
hold
on
the
redeeming
facts
of
life
still
one
must
look
about
sometimes
and
then
i
saw
this
station
these
men
strolling
aimlessly
about
in
the
sunshine
of
the
yard
i
asked
myself
sometimes
what
it
all
meant
they
wandered
here
and
there
with
their
absurd
long
staves
in
their
hands
like
a
lot
of
faithless
pilgrims
bewitched
inside
a
rotten
fence
the
word
ivory
rang
in
the
air
was
whispered
was
sighed
you
would
think
they
were
praying
to
it
a
taint
of
imbecile
rapacity
blew
through
it
all
like
a
whiff
from
some
corpse
by
jove
i
ve
never
seen
anything
so
unreal
in
my
life
and
outside
the
silent
wilderness
surrounding
this
cleared
speck
on
the
earth
struck
me
as
something
great
and
invincible
like
evil
or
truth
waiting
patiently
for
the
passing
away
of
this
fantastic
invasion
oh
these
months
well
never
mind
various
things
happened
one
evening
a
grass
shed
full
of
calico
cotton
prints
beads
and
i
don
t
know
what
else
burst
into
a
blaze
so
suddenly
that
you
would
have
thought
the
earth
had
opened
to
let
an
avenging
fire
consume
all
that
trash
i
was
smoking
my
pipe
quietly
by
my
dismantled
steamer
and
saw
them
all
cutting
capers
in
the
light
with
their
arms
lifted
high
when
the
stout
man
with
moustaches
came
tearing
down
to
the
river
a
tin
pail
in
his
hand
assured
me
that
everybody
was
behaving
splendidly
splendidly
dipped
about
a
quart
of
water
and
tore
back
again
i
noticed
there
was
a
hole
in
the
bottom
of
his
pail
i
strolled
up
there
was
no
hurry
you
see
the
thing
had
gone
off
like
a
box
of
matches
it
had
been
hopeless
from
the
very
first
the
flame
had
leaped
high
driven
everybody
back
lighted
up
everything
and
collapsed
the
shed
was
already
a
heap
of
embers
glowing
fiercely
a
nigger
was
being
beaten
near
by
they
said
he
had
caused
the
fire
in
some
way
be
that
as
it
may
he
was
screeching
most
horribly
i
saw
him
later
for
several
days
sitting
in
a
bit
of
shade
looking
very
sick
and
trying
to
recover
himself
afterwards
he
arose
and
went
out
and
the
wilderness
without
a
sound
took
him
into
its
bosom
again
as
i
approached
the
glow
from
the
dark
i
found
myself
at
the
back
of
two
men
talking
i
heard
the
name
of
kurtz
pronounced
then
the
words
take
advantage
of
this
unfortunate
accident
one
of
the
men
was
the
manager
i
wished
him
a
good
evening
did
you
ever
see
anything
like
it
eh
it
is
incredible
he
said
and
walked
off
the
other
man
remained
he
was
a
first
class
agent
young
gentlemanly
a
bit
reserved
with
a
forked
little
beard
and
a
hooked
nose
he
was
stand
offish
with
the
other
agents
and
they
on
their
side
said
he
was
the
manager
s
spy
upon
them
as
to
me
i
had
hardly
ever
spoken
to
him
before
we
got
into
talk
and
by
and
by
we
strolled
away
from
the
hissing
ruins
then
he
asked
me
to
his
room
which
was
in
the
main
building
of
the
station
he
struck
a
match
and
i
perceived
that
this
young
aristocrat
had
not
only
a
silver
mounted
dressing
case
but
also
a
whole
candle
all
to
himself
just
at
that
time
the
manager
was
the
only
man
supposed
to
have
any
right
to
candles
native
mats
covered
the
clay
walls
a
collection
of
spears
assegais
shields
knives
was
hung
up
in
trophies
the
business
intrusted
to
this
fellow
was
the
making
of
bricks
so
i
had
been
informed
but
there
wasn
t
a
fragment
of
a
brick
anywhere
in
the
station
and
he
had
been
there
more
than
a
year
waiting
it
seems
he
could
not
make
bricks
without
something
i
don
t
know
what
straw
maybe
anyway
it
could
not
be
found
there
and
as
it
was
not
likely
to
be
sent
from
europe
it
did
not
appear
clear
to
me
what
he
was
waiting
for
an
act
of
special
creation
perhaps
however
they
were
all
waiting
all
the
sixteen
or
twenty
pilgrims
of
them
for
something
and
upon
my
word
it
did
not
seem
an
uncongenial
occupation
from
the
way
they
took
it
though
the
only
thing
that
ever
came
to
them
was
disease
as
far
as
i
could
see
they
beguiled
the
time
by
back
biting
and
intriguing
against
each
other
in
a
foolish
kind
of
way
there
was
an
air
of
plotting
about
that
station
but
nothing
came
of
it
of
course
it
was
as
unreal
as
everything
else
as
the
philanthropic
pretence
of
the
whole
concern
as
their
talk
as
their
government
as
their
show
of
work
the
only
real
feeling
was
a
desire
to
get
appointed
to
a
trading
post
where
ivory
was
to
be
had
so
that
they
could
earn
percentages
they
intrigued
and
slandered
and
hated
each
other
only
on
that
account
but
as
to
effectually
lifting
a
little
finger
oh
no
by
heavens
there
is
something
after
all
in
the
world
allowing
one
man
to
steal
a
horse
while
another
must
not
look
at
a
halter
steal
a
horse
straight
out
very
well
he
has
done
it
perhaps
he
can
ride
but
there
is
a
way
of
looking
at
a
halter
that
would
provoke
the
most
charitable
of
saints
into
a
kick
i
had
no
idea
why
he
wanted
to
be
sociable
but
as
we
chatted
in
there
it
suddenly
occurred
to
me
the
fellow
was
trying
to
get
at
something
in
fact
pumping
me
he
alluded
constantly
to
europe
to
the
people
i
was
supposed
to
know
there
putting
leading
questions
as
to
my
acquaintances
in
the
sepulchral
city
and
so
on
his
little
eyes
glittered
like
mica
discs
with
curiosity
though
he
tried
to
keep
up
a
bit
of
superciliousness
at
first
i
was
astonished
but
very
soon
i
became
awfully
curious
to
see
what
he
would
find
out
from
me
i
couldn
t
possibly
imagine
what
i
had
in
me
to
make
it
worth
his
while
it
was
very
pretty
to
see
how
he
baffled
himself
for
in
truth
my
body
was
full
only
of
chills
and
my
head
had
nothing
in
it
but
that
wretched
steamboat
business
it
was
evident
he
took
me
for
a
perfectly
shameless
prevaricator
at
last
he
got
angry
and
to
conceal
a
movement
of
furious
annoyance
he
yawned
i
rose
then
i
noticed
a
small
sketch
in
oils
on
a
panel
representing
a
woman
draped
and
blindfolded
carrying
a
lighted
torch
the
background
was
sombre
almost
black
the
movement
of
the
woman
was
stately
and
the
effect
of
the
torchlight
on
the
face
was
sinister
it
arrested
me
and
he
stood
by
civilly
holding
an
empty
half
pint
champagne
bottle
medical
comforts
with
the
candle
stuck
in
it
to
my
question
he
said
mr
kurtz
had
painted
this
in
this
very
station
more
than
a
year
ago
while
waiting
for
means
to
go
to
his
trading
post
tell
me
pray
said
i
who
is
this
mr
kurtz
the
chief
of
the
inner
station
he
answered
in
a
short
tone
looking
away
much
obliged
i
said
laughing
and
you
are
the
brickmaker
of
the
central
station
every
one
knows
that
he
was
silent
for
a
while
he
is
a
prodigy
he
said
at
last
he
is
an
emissary
of
pity
and
science
and
progress
and
devil
knows
what
else
we
want
he
began
to
declaim
suddenly
for
the
guidance
of
the
cause
intrusted
to
us
by
europe
so
to
speak
higher
intelligence
wide
sympathies
a
singleness
of
purpose
who
says
that
i
asked
lots
of
them
he
replied
some
even
write
that
and
so
he
comes
here
a
special
being
as
you
ought
to
know
why
ought
i
to
know
i
interrupted
really
surprised
he
paid
no
attention
yes
today
he
is
chief
of
the
best
station
next
year
he
will
be
assistant
manager
two
years
more
and
but
i
dare
say
you
know
what
he
will
be
in
two
years
time
you
are
of
the
new
gang
the
gang
of
virtue
the
same
people
who
sent
him
specially
also
recommended
you
oh
don
t
say
no
i
ve
my
own
eyes
to
trust
light
dawned
upon
me
my
dear
aunt
s
influential
acquaintances
were
producing
an
unexpected
effect
upon
that
young
man
i
nearly
burst
into
a
laugh
do
you
read
the
company
s
confidential
correspondence
i
asked
he
hadn
t
a
word
to
say
it
was
great
fun
when
mr
kurtz
i
continued
severely
is
general
manager
you
won
t
have
the
opportunity
he
blew
the
candle
out
suddenly
and
we
went
outside
the
moon
had
risen
black
figures
strolled
about
listlessly
pouring
water
on
the
glow
whence
proceeded
a
sound
of
hissing
steam
ascended
in
the
moonlight
the
beaten
nigger
groaned
somewhere
what
a
row
the
brute
makes
said
the
indefatigable
man
with
the
moustaches
appearing
near
us
serve
him
right
transgression
punishment
bang
pitiless
pitiless
that
s
the
only
way
this
will
prevent
all
conflagrations
for
the
future
i
was
just
telling
the
manager
he
noticed
my
companion
and
became
crestfallen
all
at
once
not
in
bed
yet
he
said
with
a
kind
of
servile
heartiness
it
s
so
natural
ha
danger
agitation
he
vanished
i
went
on
to
the
riverside
and
the
other
followed
me
i
heard
a
scathing
murmur
at
my
ear
heap
of
muffs
go
to
the
pilgrims
could
be
seen
in
knots
gesticulating
discussing
several
had
still
their
staves
in
their
hands
i
verily
believe
they
took
these
sticks
to
bed
with
them
beyond
the
fence
the
forest
stood
up
spectrally
in
the
moonlight
and
through
that
dim
stir
through
the
faint
sounds
of
that
lamentable
courtyard
the
silence
of
the
land
went
home
to
one
s
very
heart
its
mystery
its
greatness
the
amazing
reality
of
its
concealed
life
the
hurt
nigger
moaned
feebly
somewhere
near
by
and
then
fetched
a
deep
sigh
that
made
me
mend
my
pace
away
from
there
i
felt
a
hand
introducing
itself
under
my
arm
my
dear
sir
said
the
fellow
i
don
t
want
to
be
misunderstood
and
especially
by
you
who
will
see
mr
kurtz
long
before
i
can
have
that
pleasure
i
wouldn
t
like
him
to
get
a
false
idea
of
my
disposition
i
let
him
run
on
this
papier
mache
mephistopheles
and
it
seemed
to
me
that
if
i
tried
i
could
poke
my
forefinger
through
him
and
would
find
nothing
inside
but
a
little
loose
dirt
maybe
he
don
t
you
see
had
been
planning
to
be
assistant
manager
by
and
by
under
the
present
man
and
i
could
see
that
the
coming
of
that
kurtz
had
upset
them
both
not
a
little
he
talked
precipitately
and
i
did
not
try
to
stop
him
i
had
my
shoulders
against
the
wreck
of
my
steamer
hauled
up
on
the
slope
like
a
carcass
of
some
big
river
animal
the
smell
of
mud
of
primeval
mud
by
jove
was
in
my
nostrils
the
high
stillness
of
primeval
forest
was
before
my
eyes
there
were
shiny
patches
on
the
black
creek
the
moon
had
spread
over
everything
a
thin
layer
of
silver
over
the
rank
grass
over
the
mud
upon
the
wall
of
matted
vegetation
standing
higher
than
the
wall
of
a
temple
over
the
great
river
i
could
see
through
a
sombre
gap
glittering
glittering
as
it
flowed
broadly
by
without
a
murmur
all
this
was
great
expectant
mute
while
the
man
jabbered
about
himself
i
wondered
whether
the
stillness
on
the
face
of
the
immensity
looking
at
us
two
were
meant
as
an
appeal
or
as
a
menace
what
were
we
who
had
strayed
in
here
could
we
handle
that
dumb
thing
or
would
it
handle
us
i
felt
how
big
how
confoundedly
big
was
that
thing
that
couldn
t
talk
and
perhaps
was
deaf
as
well
what
was
in
there
i
could
see
a
little
ivory
coming
out
from
there
and
i
had
heard
mr
kurtz
was
in
there
i
had
heard
enough
about
it
too
god
knows
yet
somehow
it
didn
t
bring
any
image
with
it
no
more
than
if
i
had
been
told
an
angel
or
a
fiend
was
in
there
i
believed
it
in
the
same
way
one
of
you
might
believe
there
are
inhabitants
in
the
planet
mars
i
knew
once
a
scotch
sailmaker
who
was
certain
dead
sure
there
were
people
in
mars
if
you
asked
him
for
some
idea
how
they
looked
and
behaved
he
would
get
shy
and
mutter
something
about
walking
on
all
fours
if
you
as
much
as
smiled
he
would
though
a
man
of
sixty
offer
to
fight
you
i
would
not
have
gone
so
far
as
to
fight
for
kurtz
but
i
went
for
him
near
enough
to
a
lie
you
know
i
hate
detest
and
can
t
bear
a
lie
not
because
i
am
straighter
than
the
rest
of
us
but
simply
because
it
appalls
me
there
is
a
taint
of
death
a
flavour
of
mortality
in
lies
which
is
exactly
what
i
hate
and
detest
in
the
world
what
i
want
to
forget
it
makes
me
miserable
and
sick
like
biting
something
rotten
would
do
temperament
i
suppose
well
i
went
near
enough
to
it
by
letting
the
young
fool
there
believe
anything
he
liked
to
imagine
as
to
my
influence
in
europe
i
became
in
an
instant
as
much
of
a
pretence
as
the
rest
of
the
bewitched
pilgrims
this
simply
because
i
had
a
notion
it
somehow
would
be
of
help
to
that
kurtz
whom
at
the
time
i
did
not
see
you
understand
he
was
just
a
word
for
me
i
did
not
see
the
man
in
the
name
any
more
than
you
do
do
you
see
him
do
you
see
the
story
do
you
see
anything
it
seems
to
me
i
am
trying
to
tell
you
a
dream
making
a
vain
attempt
because
no
relation
of
a
dream
can
convey
the
dream
sensation
that
commingling
of
absurdity
surprise
and
bewilderment
in
a
tremor
of
struggling
revolt
that
notion
of
being
captured
by
the
incredible
which
is
of
the
very
essence
of
dreams
he
was
silent
for
a
while
no
it
is
impossible
it
is
impossible
to
convey
the
life
sensation
of
any
given
epoch
of
one
s
existence
that
which
makes
its
truth
its
meaning
its
subtle
and
penetrating
essence
it
is
impossible
we
live
as
we
dream
alone
he
paused
again
as
if
reflecting
then
added
of
course
in
this
you
fellows
see
more
than
i
could
then
you
see
me
whom
you
know
it
had
become
so
pitch
dark
that
we
listeners
could
hardly
see
one
another
for
a
long
time
already
he
sitting
apart
had
been
no
more
to
us
than
a
voice
there
was
not
a
word
from
anybody
the
others
might
have
been
asleep
but
i
was
awake
i
listened
i
listened
on
the
watch
for
the
sentence
for
the
word
that
would
give
me
the
clue
to
the
faint
uneasiness
inspired
by
this
narrative
that
seemed
to
shape
itself
without
human
lips
in
the
heavy
night
air
of
the
river
yes
i
let
him
run
on
marlow
began
again
and
think
what
he
pleased
about
the
powers
that
were
behind
me
i
did
and
there
was
nothing
behind
me
there
was
nothing
but
that
wretched
old
mangled
steamboat
i
was
leaning
against
while
he
talked
fluently
about
the
necessity
for
every
man
to
get
on
and
when
one
comes
out
here
you
conceive
it
is
not
to
gaze
at
the
moon
mr
kurtz
was
a
universal
genius
but
even
a
genius
would
find
it
easier
to
work
with
adequate
tools
intelligent
men
he
did
not
make
bricks
why
there
was
a
physical
impossibility
in
the
way
as
i
was
well
aware
and
if
he
did
secretarial
work
for
the
manager
it
was
because
no
sensible
man
rejects
wantonly
the
confidence
of
his
superiors
did
i
see
it
i
saw
it
what
more
did
i
want
what
i
really
wanted
was
rivets
by
heaven
rivets
to
get
on
with
the
work
to
stop
the
hole
rivets
i
wanted
there
were
cases
of
them
down
at
the
coast
cases
piled
up
burst
split
you
kicked
a
loose
rivet
at
every
second
step
in
that
station
yard
on
the
hillside
rivets
had
rolled
into
the
grove
of
death
you
could
fill
your
pockets
with
rivets
for
the
trouble
of
stooping
down
and
there
wasn
t
one
rivet
to
be
found
where
it
was
wanted
we
had
plates
that
would
do
but
nothing
to
fasten
them
with
and
every
week
the
messenger
a
long
negro
letter
bag
on
shoulder
and
staff
in
hand
left
our
station
for
the
coast
and
several
times
a
week
a
coast
caravan
came
in
with
trade
goods
ghastly
glazed
calico
that
made
you
shudder
only
to
look
at
it
glass
beads
value
about
a
penny
a
quart
confounded
spotted
cotton
handkerchiefs
and
no
rivets
three
carriers
could
have
brought
all
that
was
wanted
to
set
that
steamboat
afloat
he
was
becoming
confidential
now
but
i
fancy
my
unresponsive
attitude
must
have
exasperated
him
at
last
for
he
judged
it
necessary
to
inform
me
he
feared
neither
god
nor
devil
let
alone
any
mere
man
i
said
i
could
see
that
very
well
but
what
i
wanted
was
a
certain
quantity
of
rivets
and
rivets
were
what
really
mr
kurtz
wanted
if
he
had
only
known
it
now
letters
went
to
the
coast
every
week
my
dear
sir
he
cried
i
write
from
dictation
i
demanded
rivets
there
was
a
way
for
an
intelligent
man
he
changed
his
manner
became
very
cold
and
suddenly
began
to
talk
about
a
hippopotamus
wondered
whether
sleeping
on
board
the
steamer
i
stuck
to
my
salvage
night
and
day
i
wasn
t
disturbed
there
was
an
old
hippo
that
had
the
bad
habit
of
getting
out
on
the
bank
and
roaming
at
night
over
the
station
grounds
the
pilgrims
used
to
turn
out
in
a
body
and
empty
every
rifle
they
could
lay
hands
on
at
him
some
even
had
sat
up
o
nights
for
him
all
this
energy
was
wasted
though
that
animal
has
a
charmed
life
he
said
but
you
can
say
this
only
of
brutes
in
this
country
no
man
you
apprehend
me
no
man
here
bears
a
charmed
life
he
stood
there
for
a
moment
in
the
moonlight
with
his
delicate
hooked
nose
set
a
little
askew
and
his
mica
eyes
glittering
without
a
wink
then
with
a
curt
good
night
he
strode
off
i
could
see
he
was
disturbed
and
considerably
puzzled
which
made
me
feel
more
hopeful
than
i
had
been
for
days
it
was
a
great
comfort
to
turn
from
that
chap
to
my
influential
friend
the
battered
twisted
ruined
tin
pot
steamboat
i
clambered
on
board
she
rang
under
my
feet
like
an
empty
huntley
palmer
biscuit
tin
kicked
along
a
gutter
she
was
nothing
so
solid
in
make
and
rather
less
pretty
in
shape
but
i
had
expended
enough
hard
work
on
her
to
make
me
love
her
no
influential
friend
would
have
served
me
better
she
had
given
me
a
chance
to
come
out
a
bit
to
find
out
what
i
could
do
no
i
don
t
like
work
i
had
rather
laze
about
and
think
of
all
the
fine
things
that
can
be
done
i
don
t
like
work
no
man
does
but
i
like
what
is
in
the
work
the
chance
to
find
yourself
your
own
reality
for
yourself
not
for
others
what
no
other
man
can
ever
know
they
can
only
see
the
mere
show
and
never
can
tell
what
it
really
means
i
was
not
surprised
to
see
somebody
sitting
aft
on
the
deck
with
his
legs
dangling
over
the
mud
you
see
i
rather
chummed
with
the
few
mechanics
there
were
in
that
station
whom
the
other
pilgrims
naturally
despised
on
account
of
their
imperfect
manners
i
suppose
this
was
the
foreman
a
boiler
maker
by
trade
a
good
worker
he
was
a
lank
bony
yellow
faced
man
with
big
intense
eyes
his
aspect
was
worried
and
his
head
was
as
bald
as
the
palm
of
my
hand
but
his
hair
in
falling
seemed
to
have
stuck
to
his
chin
and
had
prospered
in
the
new
locality
for
his
beard
hung
down
to
his
waist
he
was
a
widower
with
six
young
children
he
had
left
them
in
charge
of
a
sister
of
his
to
come
out
there
and
the
passion
of
his
life
was
pigeon
flying
he
was
an
enthusiast
and
a
connoisseur
he
would
rave
about
pigeons
after
work
hours
he
used
sometimes
to
come
over
from
his
hut
for
a
talk
about
his
children
and
his
pigeons
at
work
when
he
had
to
crawl
in
the
mud
under
the
bottom
of
the
steamboat
he
would
tie
up
that
beard
of
his
in
a
kind
of
white
serviette
he
brought
for
the
purpose
it
had
loops
to
go
over
his
ears
in
the
evening
he
could
be
seen
squatted
on
the
bank
rinsing
that
wrapper
in
the
creek
with
great
care
then
spreading
it
solemnly
on
a
bush
to
dry
i
slapped
him
on
the
back
and
shouted
we
shall
have
rivets
he
scrambled
to
his
feet
exclaiming
no
rivets
as
though
he
couldn
t
believe
his
ears
then
in
a
low
voice
you
eh
i
don
t
know
why
we
behaved
like
lunatics
i
put
my
finger
to
the
side
of
my
nose
and
nodded
mysteriously
good
for
you
he
cried
snapped
his
fingers
above
his
head
lifting
one
foot
i
tried
a
jig
we
capered
on
the
iron
deck
a
frightful
clatter
came
out
of
that
hulk
and
the
virgin
forest
on
the
other
bank
of
the
creek
sent
it
back
in
a
thundering
roll
upon
the
sleeping
station
it
must
have
made
some
of
the
pilgrims
sit
up
in
their
hovels
a
dark
figure
obscured
the
lighted
doorway
of
the
manager
s
hut
vanished
then
a
second
or
so
after
the
doorway
itself
vanished
too
we
stopped
and
the
silence
driven
away
by
the
stamping
of
our
feet
flowed
back
again
from
the
recesses
of
the
land
the
great
wall
of
vegetation
an
exuberant
and
entangled
mass
of
trunks
branches
leaves
boughs
festoons
motionless
in
the
moonlight
was
like
a
rioting
invasion
of
soundless
life
a
rolling
wave
of
plants
piled
up
crested
ready
to
topple
over
the
creek
to
sweep
every
little
man
of
us
out
of
his
little
existence
and
it
moved
not
a
deadened
burst
of
mighty
splashes
and
snorts
reached
us
from
afar
as
though
an
icthyosaurus
had
been
taking
a
bath
of
glitter
in
the
great
river
after
all
said
the
boiler
maker
in
a
reasonable
tone
why
shouldn
t
we
get
the
rivets
why
not
indeed
i
did
not
know
of
any
reason
why
we
shouldn
t
they
ll
come
in
three
weeks
i
said
confidently
but
they
didn
t
instead
of
rivets
there
came
an
invasion
an
infliction
a
visitation
it
came
in
sections
during
the
next
three
weeks
each
section
headed
by
a
donkey
carrying
a
white
man
in
new
clothes
and
tan
shoes
bowing
from
that
elevation
right
and
left
to
the
impressed
pilgrims
a
quarrelsome
band
of
footsore
sulky
niggers
trod
on
the
heels
of
the
donkey
a
lot
of
tents
camp
stools
tin
boxes
white
cases
brown
bales
would
be
shot
down
in
the
courtyard
and
the
air
of
mystery
would
deepen
a
little
over
the
muddle
of
the
station
five
such
instalments
came
with
their
absurd
air
of
disorderly
flight
with
the
loot
of
innumerable
outfit
shops
and
provision
stores
that
one
would
think
they
were
lugging
after
a
raid
into
the
wilderness
for
equitable
division
it
was
an
inextricable
mess
of
things
decent
in
themselves
but
that
human
folly
made
look
like
the
spoils
of
thieving
this
devoted
band
called
itself
the
eldorado
exploring
expedition
and
i
believe
they
were
sworn
to
secrecy
their
talk
however
was
the
talk
of
sordid
buccaneers
it
was
reckless
without
hardihood
greedy
without
audacity
and
cruel
without
courage
there
was
not
an
atom
of
foresight
or
of
serious
intention
in
the
whole
batch
of
them
and
they
did
not
seem
aware
these
things
are
wanted
for
the
work
of
the
world
to
tear
treasure
out
of
the
bowels
of
the
land
was
their
desire
with
no
more
moral
purpose
at
the
back
of
it
than
there
is
in
burglars
breaking
into
a
safe
who
paid
the
expenses
of
the
noble
enterprise
i
don
t
know
but
the
uncle
of
our
manager
was
leader
of
that
lot
in
exterior
he
resembled
a
butcher
in
a
poor
neighbourhood
and
his
eyes
had
a
look
of
sleepy
cunning
he
carried
his
fat
paunch
with
ostentation
on
his
short
legs
and
during
the
time
his
gang
infested
the
station
spoke
to
no
one
but
his
nephew
you
could
see
these
two
roaming
about
all
day
long
with
their
heads
close
together
in
an
everlasting
confab
i
had
given
up
worrying
myself
about
the
rivets
one
s
capacity
for
that
kind
of
folly
is
more
limited
than
you
would
suppose
i
said
hang
and
let
things
slide
i
had
plenty
of
time
for
meditation
and
now
and
then
i
would
give
some
thought
to
kurtz
i
wasn
t
very
interested
in
him
no
still
i
was
curious
to
see
whether
this
man
who
had
come
out
equipped
with
moral
ideas
of
some
sort
would
climb
to
the
top
after
all
and
how
he
would
set
about
his
work
when
there
one
evening
as
i
was
lying
flat
on
the
deck
of
my
steamboat
i
heard
voices
approaching
and
there
were
the
nephew
and
the
uncle
strolling
along
the
bank
i
laid
my
head
on
my
arm
again
and
had
nearly
lost
myself
in
a
doze
when
somebody
said
in
my
ear
as
it
were
i
am
as
harmless
as
a
little
child
but
i
don
t
like
to
be
dictated
to
am
i
the
manager
or
am
i
not
i
was
ordered
to
send
him
there
it
s
incredible
i
became
aware
that
the
two
were
standing
on
the
shore
alongside
the
forepart
of
the
steamboat
just
below
my
head
i
did
not
move
it
did
not
occur
to
me
to
move
i
was
sleepy
it
is
unpleasant
grunted
the
uncle
he
has
asked
the
administration
to
be
sent
there
said
the
other
with
the
idea
of
showing
what
he
could
do
and
i
was
instructed
accordingly
look
at
the
influence
that
man
must
have
is
it
not
frightful
they
both
agreed
it
was
frightful
then
made
several
bizarre
remarks
make
rain
and
fine
weather
one
man
the
council
by
the
nose
bits
of
absurd
sentences
that
got
the
better
of
my
drowsiness
so
that
i
had
pretty
near
the
whole
of
my
wits
about
me
when
the
uncle
said
the
climate
may
do
away
with
this
difficulty
for
you
is
he
alone
there
yes
answered
the
manager
he
sent
his
assistant
down
the
river
with
a
note
to
me
in
these
terms
clear
this
poor
devil
out
of
the
country
and
don
t
bother
sending
more
of
that
sort
i
had
rather
be
alone
than
have
the
kind
of
men
you
can
dispose
of
with
me
it
was
more
than
a
year
ago
can
you
imagine
such
impudence
anything
since
then
asked
the
other
hoarsely
ivory
jerked
the
nephew
lots
of
it
prime
sort
lots
most
annoying
from
him
and
with
that
questioned
the
heavy
rumble
invoice
was
the
reply
fired
out
so
to
speak
then
silence
they
had
been
talking
about
kurtz
i
was
broad
awake
by
this
time
but
lying
perfectly
at
ease
remained
still
having
no
inducement
to
change
my
position
how
did
that
ivory
come
all
this
way
growled
the
elder
man
who
seemed
very
vexed
the
other
explained
that
it
had
come
with
a
fleet
of
canoes
in
charge
of
an
english
half
caste
clerk
kurtz
had
with
him
that
kurtz
had
apparently
intended
to
return
himself
the
station
being
by
that
time
bare
of
goods
and
stores
but
after
coming
three
hundred
miles
had
suddenly
decided
to
go
back
which
he
started
to
do
alone
in
a
small
dugout
with
four
paddlers
leaving
the
half
caste
to
continue
down
the
river
with
the
ivory
the
two
fellows
there
seemed
astounded
at
anybody
attempting
such
a
thing
they
were
at
a
loss
for
an
adequate
motive
as
to
me
i
seemed
to
see
kurtz
for
the
first
time
it
was
a
distinct
glimpse
the
dugout
four
paddling
savages
and
the
lone
white
man
turning
his
back
suddenly
on
the
headquarters
on
relief
on
thoughts
of
home
perhaps
setting
his
face
towards
the
depths
of
the
wilderness
towards
his
empty
and
desolate
station
i
did
not
know
the
motive
perhaps
he
was
just
simply
a
fine
fellow
who
stuck
to
his
work
for
its
own
sake
his
name
you
understand
had
not
been
pronounced
once
he
was
that
man
the
half
caste
who
as
far
as
i
could
see
had
conducted
a
difficult
trip
with
great
prudence
and
pluck
was
invariably
alluded
to
as
that
scoundrel
the
scoundrel
had
reported
that
the
man
had
been
very
ill
had
recovered
imperfectly
the
two
below
me
moved
away
then
a
few
paces
and
strolled
back
and
forth
at
some
little
distance
i
heard
military
post
doctor
two
hundred
miles
quite
alone
now
unavoidable
delays
nine
months
no
news
strange
rumours
they
approached
again
just
as
the
manager
was
saying
no
one
as
far
as
i
know
unless
a
species
of
wandering
trader
a
pestilential
fellow
snapping
ivory
from
the
natives
who
was
it
they
were
talking
about
now
i
gathered
in
snatches
that
this
was
some
man
supposed
to
be
in
kurtz
s
district
and
of
whom
the
manager
did
not
approve
we
will
not
be
free
from
unfair
competition
till
one
of
these
fellows
is
hanged
for
an
example
he
said
certainly
grunted
the
other
get
him
hanged
why
not
anything
anything
can
be
done
in
this
country
that
s
what
i
say
nobody
here
you
understand
here
can
endanger
your
position
and
why
you
stand
the
climate
you
outlast
them
all
the
danger
is
in
europe
but
there
before
i
left
i
took
care
to
they
moved
off
and
whispered
then
their
voices
rose
again
the
extraordinary
series
of
delays
is
not
my
fault
i
did
my
best
the
fat
man
sighed
very
sad
and
the
pestiferous
absurdity
of
his
talk
continued
the
other
he
bothered
me
enough
when
he
was
here
each
station
should
be
like
a
beacon
on
the
road
towards
better
things
a
centre
for
trade
of
course
but
also
for
humanizing
improving
instructing
conceive
you
that
ass
and
he
wants
to
be
manager
no
it
s
here
he
got
choked
by
excessive
indignation
and
i
lifted
my
head
the
least
bit
i
was
surprised
to
see
how
near
they
were
right
under
me
i
could
have
spat
upon
their
hats
they
were
looking
on
the
ground
absorbed
in
thought
the
manager
was
switching
his
leg
with
a
slender
twig
his
sagacious
relative
lifted
his
head
you
have
been
well
since
you
came
out
this
time
he
asked
the
other
gave
a
start
who
i
oh
like
a
charm
like
a
charm
but
the
rest
oh
my
goodness
all
sick
they
die
so
quick
too
that
i
haven
t
the
time
to
send
them
out
of
the
country
it
s
incredible
hm
m
just
so
grunted
the
uncle
ah
my
boy
trust
to
this
i
say
trust
to
this
i
saw
him
extend
his
short
flipper
of
an
arm
for
a
gesture
that
took
in
the
forest
the
creek
the
mud
the
river
seemed
to
beckon
with
a
dishonouring
flourish
before
the
sunlit
face
of
the
land
a
treacherous
appeal
to
the
lurking
death
to
the
hidden
evil
to
the
profound
darkness
of
its
heart
it
was
so
startling
that
i
leaped
to
my
feet
and
looked
back
at
the
edge
of
the
forest
as
though
i
had
expected
an
answer
of
some
sort
to
that
black
display
of
confidence
you
know
the
foolish
notions
that
come
to
one
sometimes
the
high
stillness
confronted
these
two
figures
with
its
ominous
patience
waiting
for
the
passing
away
of
a
fantastic
invasion
they
swore
aloud
together
out
of
sheer
fright
i
believe
then
pretending
not
to
know
anything
of
my
existence
turned
back
to
the
station
the
sun
was
low
and
leaning
forward
side
by
side
they
seemed
to
be
tugging
painfully
uphill
their
two
ridiculous
shadows
of
unequal
length
that
trailed
behind
them
slowly
over
the
tall
grass
without
bending
a
single
blade
in
a
few
days
the
eldorado
expedition
went
into
the
patient
wilderness
that
closed
upon
it
as
the
sea
closes
over
a
diver
long
afterwards
the
news
came
that
all
the
donkeys
were
dead
i
know
nothing
as
to
the
fate
of
the
less
valuable
animals
they
no
doubt
like
the
rest
of
us
found
what
they
deserved
i
did
not
inquire
i
was
then
rather
excited
at
the
prospect
of
meeting
kurtz
very
soon
when
i
say
very
soon
i
mean
it
comparatively
it
was
just
two
months
from
the
day
we
left
the
creek
when
we
came
to
the
bank
below
kurtz
s
station
going
up
that
river
was
like
traveling
back
to
the
earliest
beginnings
of
the
world
when
vegetation
rioted
on
the
earth
and
the
big
trees
were
kings
an
empty
stream
a
great
silence
an
impenetrable
forest
the
air
was
warm
thick
heavy
sluggish
there
was
no
joy
in
the
brilliance
of
sunshine
the
long
stretches
of
the
waterway
ran
on
deserted
into
the
gloom
of
overshadowed
distances
on
silvery
sand
banks
hippos
and
alligators
sunned
themselves
side
by
side
the
broadening
waters
flowed
through
a
mob
of
wooded
islands
you
lost
your
way
on
that
river
as
you
would
in
a
desert
and
butted
all
day
long
against
shoals
trying
to
find
the
channel
till
you
thought
yourself
bewitched
and
cut
off
for
ever
from
everything
you
had
known
once
somewhere
far
away
in
another
existence
perhaps
there
were
moments
when
one
s
past
came
back
to
one
as
it
will
sometimes
when
you
have
not
a
moment
to
spare
for
yourself
but
it
came
in
the
shape
of
an
unrestful
and
noisy
dream
remembered
with
wonder
amongst
the
overwhelming
realities
of
this
strange
world
of
plants
and
water
and
silence
and
this
stillness
of
life
did
not
in
the
least
resemble
a
peace
it
was
the
stillness
of
an
implacable
force
brooding
over
an
inscrutable
intention
it
looked
at
you
with
a
vengeful
aspect
i
got
used
to
it
afterwards
i
did
not
see
it
any
more
i
had
no
time
i
had
to
keep
guessing
at
the
channel
i
had
to
discern
mostly
by
inspiration
the
signs
of
hidden
banks
i
watched
for
sunken
stones
i
was
learning
to
clap
my
teeth
smartly
before
my
heart
flew
out
when
i
shaved
by
a
fluke
some
infernal
sly
old
snag
that
would
have
ripped
the
life
out
of
the
tin
pot
steamboat
and
drowned
all
the
pilgrims
i
had
to
keep
a
lookout
for
the
signs
of
dead
wood
we
could
cut
up
in
the
night
for
next
day
s
steaming
when
you
have
to
attend
to
things
of
that
sort
to
the
mere
incidents
of
the
surface
the
reality
the
reality
i
tell
you
fades
the
inner
truth
is
hidden
luckily
luckily
but
i
felt
it
all
the
same
i
felt
often
its
mysterious
stillness
watching
me
at
my
monkey
tricks
just
as
it
watches
you
fellows
performing
on
your
respective
tight
ropes
for
what
is
it
half
a
crown
a
tumble
try
to
be
civil
marlow
growled
a
voice
and
i
knew
there
was
at
least
one
listener
awake
besides
myself
i
beg
your
pardon
i
forgot
the
heartache
which
makes
up
the
rest
of
the
price
and
indeed
what
does
the
price
matter
if
the
trick
be
well
done
you
do
your
tricks
very
well
and
i
didn
t
do
badly
either
since
i
managed
not
to
sink
that
steamboat
on
my
first
trip
it
s
a
wonder
to
me
yet
imagine
a
blindfolded
man
set
to
drive
a
van
over
a
bad
road
i
sweated
and
shivered
over
that
business
considerably
i
can
tell
you
after
all
for
a
seaman
to
scrape
the
bottom
of
the
thing
that
s
supposed
to
float
all
the
time
under
his
care
is
the
unpardonable
sin
no
one
may
know
of
it
but
you
never
forget
the
thump
eh
a
blow
on
the
very
heart
you
remember
it
you
dream
of
it
you
wake
up
at
night
and
think
of
it
years
after
and
go
hot
and
cold
all
over
i
don
t
pretend
to
say
that
steamboat
floated
all
the
time
more
than
once
she
had
to
wade
for
a
bit
with
twenty
cannibals
splashing
around
and
pushing
we
had
enlisted
some
of
these
chaps
on
the
way
for
a
crew
fine
fellows
cannibals
in
their
place
they
were
men
one
could
work
with
and
i
am
grateful
to
them
and
after
all
they
did
not
eat
each
other
before
my
face
they
had
brought
along
a
provision
of
hippo
meat
which
went
rotten
and
made
the
mystery
of
the
wilderness
stink
in
my
nostrils
phoo
i
can
sniff
it
now
i
had
the
manager
on
board
and
three
or
four
pilgrims
with
their
staves
all
complete
sometimes
we
came
upon
a
station
close
by
the
bank
clinging
to
the
skirts
of
the
unknown
and
the
white
men
rushing
out
of
a
tumble
down
hovel
with
great
gestures
of
joy
and
surprise
and
welcome
seemed
very
strange
had
the
appearance
of
being
held
there
captive
by
a
spell
the
word
ivory
would
ring
in
the
air
for
a
while
and
on
we
went
again
into
the
silence
along
empty
reaches
round
the
still
bends
between
the
high
walls
of
our
winding
way
reverberating
in
hollow
claps
the
ponderous
beat
of
the
stern
wheel
trees
trees
millions
of
trees
massive
immense
running
up
high
and
at
their
foot
hugging
the
bank
against
the
stream
crept
the
little
begrimed
steamboat
like
a
sluggish
beetle
crawling
on
the
floor
of
a
lofty
portico
it
made
you
feel
very
small
very
lost
and
yet
it
was
not
altogether
depressing
that
feeling
after
all
if
you
were
small
the
grimy
beetle
crawled
on
which
was
just
what
you
wanted
it
to
do
where
the
pilgrims
imagined
it
crawled
to
i
don
t
know
to
some
place
where
they
expected
to
get
something
i
bet
for
me
it
crawled
towards
kurtz
exclusively
but
when
the
steam
pipes
started
leaking
we
crawled
very
slow
the
reaches
opened
before
us
and
closed
behind
as
if
the
forest
had
stepped
leisurely
across
the
water
to
bar
the
way
for
our
return
we
penetrated
deeper
and
deeper
into
the
heart
of
darkness
it
was
very
quiet
there
at
night
sometimes
the
roll
of
drums
behind
the
curtain
of
trees
would
run
up
the
river
and
remain
sustained
faintly
as
if
hovering
in
the
air
high
over
our
heads
till
the
first
break
of
day
whether
it
meant
war
peace
or
prayer
we
could
not
tell
the
dawns
were
heralded
by
the
descent
of
a
chill
stillness
the
wood
cutters
slept
their
fires
burned
low
the
snapping
of
a
twig
would
make
you
start
we
were
wanderers
on
a
prehistoric
earth
on
an
earth
that
wore
the
aspect
of
an
unknown
planet
we
could
have
fancied
ourselves
the
first
of
men
taking
possession
of
an
accursed
inheritance
to
be
subdued
at
the
cost
of
profound
anguish
and
of
excessive
toil
but
suddenly
as
we
struggled
round
a
bend
there
would
be
a
glimpse
of
rush
walls
of
peaked
grass
roofs
a
burst
of
yells
a
whirl
of
black
limbs
a
mass
of
hands
clapping
of
feet
stamping
of
bodies
swaying
of
eyes
rolling
under
the
droop
of
heavy
and
motionless
foliage
the
steamer
toiled
along
slowly
on
the
edge
of
a
black
and
incomprehensible
frenzy
the
prehistoric
man
was
cursing
us
praying
to
us
welcoming
us
who
could
tell
we
were
cut
off
from
the
comprehension
of
our
surroundings
we
glided
past
like
phantoms
wondering
and
secretly
appalled
as
sane
men
would
be
before
an
enthusiastic
outbreak
in
a
madhouse
we
could
not
understand
because
we
were
too
far
and
could
not
remember
because
we
were
travelling
in
the
night
of
first
ages
of
those
ages
that
are
gone
leaving
hardly
a
sign
and
no
memories
the
earth
seemed
unearthly
we
are
accustomed
to
look
upon
the
shackled
form
of
a
conquered
monster
but
there
there
you
could
look
at
a
thing
monstrous
and
free
it
was
unearthly
and
the
men
were
no
they
were
not
inhuman
well
you
know
that
was
the
worst
of
it
this
suspicion
of
their
not
being
inhuman
it
would
come
slowly
to
one
they
howled
and
leaped
and
spun
and
made
horrid
faces
but
what
thrilled
you
was
just
the
thought
of
their
humanity
like
yours
the
thought
of
your
remote
kinship
with
this
wild
and
passionate
uproar
ugly
yes
it
was
ugly
enough
but
if
you
were
man
enough
you
would
admit
to
yourself
that
there
was
in
you
just
the
faintest
trace
of
a
response
to
the
terrible
frankness
of
that
noise
a
dim
suspicion
of
there
being
a
meaning
in
it
which
you
you
so
remote
from
the
night
of
first
ages
could
comprehend
and
why
not
the
mind
of
man
is
capable
of
anything
because
everything
is
in
it
all
the
past
as
well
as
all
the
future
what
was
there
after
all
joy
fear
sorrow
devotion
valour
rage
who
can
tell
but
truth
truth
stripped
of
its
cloak
of
time
let
the
fool
gape
and
shudder
the
man
knows
and
can
look
on
without
a
wink
but
he
must
at
least
be
as
much
of
a
man
as
these
on
the
shore
he
must
meet
that
truth
with
his
own
true
stuff
with
his
own
inborn
strength
principles
won
t
do
acquisitions
clothes
pretty
rags
rags
that
would
fly
off
at
the
first
good
shake
no
you
want
a
deliberate
belief
an
appeal
to
me
in
this
fiendish
row
is
there
very
well
i
hear
i
admit
but
i
have
a
voice
too
and
for
good
or
evil
mine
is
the
speech
that
cannot
be
silenced
of
course
a
fool
what
with
sheer
fright
and
fine
sentiments
is
always
safe
who
s
that
grunting
you
wonder
i
didn
t
go
ashore
for
a
howl
and
a
dance
well
no
i
didn
t
fine
sentiments
you
say
fine
sentiments
be
hanged
i
had
no
time
i
had
to
mess
about
with
white
lead
and
strips
of
woolen
blanket
helping
to
put
bandages
on
those
leaky
steam
pipes
i
tell
you
i
had
to
watch
the
steering
and
circumvent
those
snags
and
get
the
tin
pot
along
by
hook
or
by
crook
there
was
surface
truth
enough
in
these
things
to
save
a
wiser
man
and
between
whiles
i
had
to
look
after
the
savage
who
was
fireman
he
was
an
improved
specimen
he
could
fire
up
a
vertical
boiler
he
was
there
below
me
and
upon
my
word
to
look
at
him
was
as
edifying
as
seeing
a
dog
in
a
parody
of
breeches
and
a
feather
hat
walking
on
his
hind
legs
a
few
months
of
training
had
done
for
that
really
fine
chap
he
squinted
at
the
steam
gauge
and
at
the
water
gauge
with
an
evident
effort
of
intrepidity
and
he
had
filed
teeth
too
the
poor
devil
and
the
wool
of
his
pate
shaved
into
queer
patterns
and
three
ornamental
scars
on
each
of
his
cheeks
he
ought
to
have
been
clapping
his
hands
and
stamping
his
feet
on
the
bank
instead
of
which
he
was
hard
at
work
a
thrall
to
strange
witchcraft
full
of
improving
knowledge
he
was
useful
because
he
had
been
instructed
and
what
he
knew
was
this
that
should
the
water
in
that
transparent
thing
disappear
the
evil
spirit
inside
the
boiler
would
get
angry
through
the
greatness
of
his
thirst
and
take
a
terrible
vengeance
so
he
sweated
and
fired
up
and
watched
the
glass
fearfully
with
an
impromptu
charm
made
of
rags
tied
to
his
arm
and
a
piece
of
polished
bone
as
big
as
a
watch
stuck
flatways
through
his
lower
lip
while
the
wooded
banks
slipped
past
us
slowly
the
short
noise
was
left
behind
the
interminable
miles
of
silence
and
we
crept
on
towards
kurtz
but
the
snags
were
thick
the
water
was
treacherous
and
shallow
the
boiler
seemed
indeed
to
have
a
sulky
devil
in
it
and
thus
neither
that
fireman
nor
i
had
any
time
to
peer
into
our
creepy
thoughts
some
fifty
miles
below
the
inner
station
we
came
upon
a
hut
of
reeds
an
inclined
and
melancholy
pole
with
the
unrecognizable
tatters
of
what
had
been
a
flag
of
some
sort
flying
from
it
and
a
neatly
stacked
wood
pile
this
was
unexpected
we
came
to
the
bank
and
on
the
stack
of
firewood
found
a
flat
piece
of
board
with
some
faded
pencil
writing
on
it
when
deciphered
it
said
wood
for
you
hurry
up
approach
cautiously
there
was
a
signature
but
it
was
illegible
not
kurtz
a
much
longer
word
hurry
up
where
up
the
river
approach
cautiously
we
had
not
done
so
but
the
warning
could
not
have
been
meant
for
the
place
where
it
could
be
only
found
after
approach
something
was
wrong
above
but
what
and
how
much
that
was
the
question
we
commented
adversely
upon
the
imbecility
of
that
telegraphic
style
the
bush
around
said
nothing
and
would
not
let
us
look
very
far
either
a
torn
curtain
of
red
twill
hung
in
the
doorway
of
the
hut
and
flapped
sadly
in
our
faces
the
dwelling
was
dismantled
but
we
could
see
a
white
man
had
lived
there
not
very
long
ago
there
remained
a
rude
table
a
plank
on
two
posts
a
heap
of
rubbish
reposed
in
a
dark
corner
and
by
the
door
i
picked
up
a
book
it
had
lost
its
covers
and
the
pages
had
been
thumbed
into
a
state
of
extremely
dirty
softness
but
the
back
had
been
lovingly
stitched
afresh
with
white
cotton
thread
which
looked
clean
yet
it
was
an
extraordinary
find
its
title
was
an
inquiry
into
some
points
of
seamanship
by
a
man
towser
towson
some
such
name
master
in
his
majesty
s
navy
the
matter
looked
dreary
reading
enough
with
illustrative
diagrams
and
repulsive
tables
of
figures
and
the
copy
was
sixty
years
old
i
handled
this
amazing
antiquity
with
the
greatest
possible
tenderness
lest
it
should
dissolve
in
my
hands
within
towson
or
towser
was
inquiring
earnestly
into
the
breaking
strain
of
ships
chains
and
tackle
and
other
such
matters
not
a
very
enthralling
book
but
at
the
first
glance
you
could
see
there
a
singleness
of
intention
an
honest
concern
for
the
right
way
of
going
to
work
which
made
these
humble
pages
thought
out
so
many
years
ago
luminous
with
another
than
a
professional
light
the
simple
old
sailor
with
his
talk
of
chains
and
purchases
made
me
forget
the
jungle
and
the
pilgrims
in
a
delicious
sensation
of
having
come
upon
something
unmistakably
real
such
a
book
being
there
was
wonderful
enough
but
still
more
astounding
were
the
notes
pencilled
in
the
margin
and
plainly
referring
to
the
text
i
couldn
t
believe
my
eyes
they
were
in
cipher
yes
it
looked
like
cipher
fancy
a
man
lugging
with
him
a
book
of
that
description
into
this
nowhere
and
studying
it
and
making
notes
in
cipher
at
that
it
was
an
extravagant
mystery
i
had
been
dimly
aware
for
some
time
of
a
worrying
noise
and
when
i
lifted
my
eyes
i
saw
the
wood
pile
was
gone
and
the
manager
aided
by
all
the
pilgrims
was
shouting
at
me
from
the
riverside
i
slipped
the
book
into
my
pocket
i
assure
you
to
leave
off
reading
was
like
tearing
myself
away
from
the
shelter
of
an
old
and
solid
friendship
i
started
the
lame
engine
ahead
it
must
be
this
miserable
trader
this
intruder
exclaimed
the
manager
looking
back
malevolently
at
the
place
we
had
left
he
must
be
english
i
said
it
will
not
save
him
from
getting
into
trouble
if
he
is
not
careful
muttered
the
manager
darkly
i
observed
with
assumed
innocence
that
no
man
was
safe
from
trouble
in
this
world
the
current
was
more
rapid
now
the
steamer
seemed
at
her
last
gasp
the
stern
wheel
flopped
languidly
and
i
caught
myself
listening
on
tiptoe
for
the
next
beat
of
the
boat
for
in
sober
truth
i
expected
the
wretched
thing
to
give
up
every
moment
it
was
like
watching
the
last
flickers
of
a
life
but
still
we
crawled
sometimes
i
would
pick
out
a
tree
a
little
way
ahead
to
measure
our
progress
towards
kurtz
by
but
i
lost
it
invariably
before
we
got
abreast
to
keep
the
eyes
so
long
on
one
thing
was
too
much
for
human
patience
the
manager
displayed
a
beautiful
resignation
i
fretted
and
fumed
and
took
to
arguing
with
myself
whether
or
no
i
would
talk
openly
with
kurtz
but
before
i
could
come
to
any
conclusion
it
occurred
to
me
that
my
speech
or
my
silence
indeed
any
action
of
mine
would
be
a
mere
futility
what
did
it
matter
what
any
one
knew
or
ignored
what
did
it
matter
who
was
manager
one
gets
sometimes
such
a
flash
of
insight
the
essentials
of
this
affair
lay
deep
under
the
surface
beyond
my
reach
and
beyond
my
power
of
meddling
towards
the
evening
of
the
second
day
we
judged
ourselves
about
eight
miles
from
kurtz
s
station
i
wanted
to
push
on
but
the
manager
looked
grave
and
told
me
the
navigation
up
there
was
so
dangerous
that
it
would
be
advisable
the
sun
being
very
low
already
to
wait
where
we
were
till
next
morning
moreover
he
pointed
out
that
if
the
warning
to
approach
cautiously
were
to
be
followed
we
must
approach
in
daylight
not
at
dusk
or
in
the
dark
this
was
sensible
enough
eight
miles
meant
nearly
three
hours
steaming
for
us
and
i
could
also
see
suspicious
ripples
at
the
upper
end
of
the
reach
nevertheless
i
was
annoyed
beyond
expression
at
the
delay
and
most
unreasonably
too
since
one
night
more
could
not
matter
much
after
so
many
months
as
we
had
plenty
of
wood
and
caution
was
the
word
i
brought
up
in
the
middle
of
the
stream
the
reach
was
narrow
straight
with
high
sides
like
a
railway
cutting
the
dusk
came
gliding
into
it
long
before
the
sun
had
set
the
current
ran
smooth
and
swift
but
a
dumb
immobility
sat
on
the
banks
the
living
trees
lashed
together
by
the
creepers
and
every
living
bush
of
the
undergrowth
might
have
been
changed
into
stone
even
to
the
slenderest
twig
to
the
lightest
leaf
it
was
not
sleep
it
seemed
unnatural
like
a
state
of
trance
not
the
faintest
sound
of
any
kind
could
be
heard
you
looked
on
amazed
and
began
to
suspect
yourself
of
being
deaf
then
the
night
came
suddenly
and
struck
you
blind
as
well
about
three
in
the
morning
some
large
fish
leaped
and
the
loud
splash
made
me
jump
as
though
a
gun
had
been
fired
when
the
sun
rose
there
was
a
white
fog
very
warm
and
clammy
and
more
blinding
than
the
night
it
did
not
shift
or
drive
it
was
just
there
standing
all
round
you
like
something
solid
at
eight
or
nine
perhaps
it
lifted
as
a
shutter
lifts
we
had
a
glimpse
of
the
towering
multitude
of
trees
of
the
immense
matted
jungle
with
the
blazing
little
ball
of
the
sun
hanging
over
it
all
perfectly
still
and
then
the
white
shutter
came
down
again
smoothly
as
if
sliding
in
greased
grooves
i
ordered
the
chain
which
we
had
begun
to
heave
in
to
be
paid
out
again
before
it
stopped
running
with
a
muffled
rattle
a
cry
a
very
loud
cry
as
of
infinite
desolation
soared
slowly
in
the
opaque
air
it
ceased
a
complaining
clamour
modulated
in
savage
discords
filled
our
ears
the
sheer
unexpectedness
of
it
made
my
hair
stir
under
my
cap
i
don
t
know
how
it
struck
the
others
to
me
it
seemed
as
though
the
mist
itself
had
screamed
so
suddenly
and
apparently
from
all
sides
at
once
did
this
tumultuous
and
mournful
uproar
arise
it
culminated
in
a
hurried
outbreak
of
almost
intolerably
excessive
shrieking
which
stopped
short
leaving
us
stiffened
in
a
variety
of
silly
attitudes
and
obstinately
listening
to
the
nearly
as
appalling
and
excessive
silence
good
god
what
is
the
meaning
stammered
at
my
elbow
one
of
the
pilgrims
a
little
fat
man
with
sandy
hair
and
red
whiskers
who
wore
sidespring
boots
and
pink
pyjamas
tucked
into
his
socks
two
others
remained
open
mouthed
a
while
minute
then
dashed
into
the
little
cabin
to
rush
out
incontinently
and
stand
darting
scared
glances
with
winchesters
at
ready
in
their
hands
what
we
could
see
was
just
the
steamer
we
were
on
her
outlines
blurred
as
though
she
had
been
on
the
point
of
dissolving
and
a
misty
strip
of
water
perhaps
two
feet
broad
around
her
and
that
was
all
the
rest
of
the
world
was
nowhere
as
far
as
our
eyes
and
ears
were
concerned
just
nowhere
gone
disappeared
swept
off
without
leaving
a
whisper
or
a
shadow
behind
i
went
forward
and
ordered
the
chain
to
be
hauled
in
short
so
as
to
be
ready
to
trip
the
anchor
and
move
the
steamboat
at
once
if
necessary
will
they
attack
whispered
an
awed
voice
we
will
be
all
butchered
in
this
fog
murmured
another
the
faces
twitched
with
the
strain
the
hands
trembled
slightly
the
eyes
forgot
to
wink
it
was
very
curious
to
see
the
contrast
of
expressions
of
the
white
men
and
of
the
black
fellows
of
our
crew
who
were
as
much
strangers
to
that
part
of
the
river
as
we
though
their
homes
were
only
eight
hundred
miles
away
the
whites
of
course
greatly
discomposed
had
besides
a
curious
look
of
being
painfully
shocked
by
such
an
outrageous
row
the
others
had
an
alert
naturally
interested
expression
but
their
faces
were
essentially
quiet
even
those
of
the
one
or
two
who
grinned
as
they
hauled
at
the
chain
several
exchanged
short
grunting
phrases
which
seemed
to
settle
the
matter
to
their
satisfaction
their
headman
a
young
broad
chested
black
severely
draped
in
dark
blue
fringed
cloths
with
fierce
nostrils
and
his
hair
all
done
up
artfully
in
oily
ringlets
stood
near
me
aha
i
said
just
for
good
fellowship
s
sake
catch
im
he
snapped
with
a
bloodshot
widening
of
his
eyes
and
a
flash
of
sharp
teeth
catch
im
give
im
to
us
to
you
eh
i
asked
what
would
you
do
with
them
eat
im
he
said
curtly
and
leaning
his
elbow
on
the
rail
looked
out
into
the
fog
in
a
dignified
and
profoundly
pensive
attitude
i
would
no
doubt
have
been
properly
horrified
had
it
not
occurred
to
me
that
he
and
his
chaps
must
be
very
hungry
that
they
must
have
been
growing
increasingly
hungry
for
at
least
this
month
past
they
had
been
engaged
for
six
months
i
don
t
think
a
single
one
of
them
had
any
clear
idea
of
time
as
we
at
the
end
of
countless
ages
have
they
still
belonged
to
the
beginnings
of
time
had
no
inherited
experience
to
teach
them
as
it
were
and
of
course
as
long
as
there
was
a
piece
of
paper
written
over
in
accordance
with
some
farcical
law
or
other
made
down
the
river
it
didn
t
enter
anybody
s
head
to
trouble
how
they
would
live
certainly
they
had
brought
with
them
some
rotten
hippo
meat
which
couldn
t
have
lasted
very
long
anyway
even
if
the
pilgrims
hadn
t
in
the
midst
of
a
shocking
hullabaloo
thrown
a
considerable
quantity
of
it
overboard
it
looked
like
a
high
handed
proceeding
but
it
was
really
a
case
of
legitimate
self
defence
you
can
t
breathe
dead
hippo
waking
sleeping
and
eating
and
at
the
same
time
keep
your
precarious
grip
on
existence
besides
that
they
had
given
them
every
week
three
pieces
of
brass
wire
each
about
nine
inches
long
and
the
theory
was
they
were
to
buy
their
provisions
with
that
currency
in
riverside
villages
you
can
see
how
that
worked
there
were
either
no
villages
or
the
people
were
hostile
or
the
director
who
like
the
rest
of
us
fed
out
of
tins
with
an
occasional
old
he
goat
thrown
in
didn
t
want
to
stop
the
steamer
for
some
more
or
less
recondite
reason
so
unless
they
swallowed
the
wire
itself
or
made
loops
of
it
to
snare
the
fishes
with
i
don
t
see
what
good
their
extravagant
salary
could
be
to
them
i
must
say
it
was
paid
with
a
regularity
worthy
of
a
large
and
honourable
trading
company
for
the
rest
the
only
thing
to
eat
though
it
didn
t
look
eatable
in
the
least
i
saw
in
their
possession
was
a
few
lumps
of
some
stuff
like
half
cooked
dough
of
a
dirty
lavender
colour
they
kept
wrapped
in
leaves
and
now
and
then
swallowed
a
piece
of
but
so
small
that
it
seemed
done
more
for
the
looks
of
the
thing
than
for
any
serious
purpose
of
sustenance
why
in
the
name
of
all
the
gnawing
devils
of
hunger
they
didn
t
go
for
us
they
were
thirty
to
five
and
have
a
good
tuck
in
for
once
amazes
me
now
when
i
think
of
it
they
were
big
powerful
men
with
not
much
capacity
to
weigh
the
consequences
with
courage
with
strength
even
yet
though
their
skins
were
no
longer
glossy
and
their
muscles
no
longer
hard
and
i
saw
that
something
restraining
one
of
those
human
secrets
that
baffle
probability
had
come
into
play
there
i
looked
at
them
with
a
swift
quickening
of
interest
not
because
it
occurred
to
me
i
might
be
eaten
by
them
before
very
long
though
i
own
to
you
that
just
then
i
perceived
in
a
new
light
as
it
were
how
unwholesome
the
pilgrims
looked
and
i
hoped
yes
i
positively
hoped
that
my
aspect
was
not
so
what
shall
i
say
so
unappetizing
a
touch
of
fantastic
vanity
which
fitted
well
with
the
dream
sensation
that
pervaded
all
my
days
at
that
time
perhaps
i
had
a
little
fever
too
one
can
t
live
with
one
s
finger
everlastingly
on
one
s
pulse
i
had
often
a
little
fever
or
a
little
touch
of
other
things
the
playful
paw
strokes
of
the
wilderness
the
preliminary
trifling
before
the
more
serious
onslaught
which
came
in
due
course
yes
i
looked
at
them
as
you
would
on
any
human
being
with
a
curiosity
of
their
impulses
motives
capacities
weaknesses
when
brought
to
the
test
of
an
inexorable
physical
necessity
restraint
what
possible
restraint
was
it
superstition
disgust
patience
fear
or
some
kind
of
primitive
honour
no
fear
can
stand
up
to
hunger
no
patience
can
wear
it
out
disgust
simply
does
not
exist
where
hunger
is
and
as
to
superstition
beliefs
and
what
you
may
call
principles
they
are
less
than
chaff
in
a
breeze
don
t
you
know
the
devilry
of
lingering
starvation
its
exasperating
torment
its
black
thoughts
its
sombre
and
brooding
ferocity
well
i
do
it
takes
a
man
all
his
inborn
strength
to
fight
hunger
properly
it
s
really
easier
to
face
bereavement
dishonour
and
the
perdition
of
one
s
soul
than
this
kind
of
prolonged
hunger
sad
but
true
and
these
chaps
too
had
no
earthly
reason
for
any
kind
of
scruple
restraint
i
would
just
as
soon
have
expected
restraint
from
a
hyena
prowling
amongst
the
corpses
of
a
battlefield
but
there
was
the
fact
facing
me
the
fact
dazzling
to
be
seen
like
the
foam
on
the
depths
of
the
sea
like
a
ripple
on
an
unfathomable
enigma
a
mystery
greater
when
i
thought
of
it
than
the
curious
inexplicable
note
of
desperate
grief
in
this
savage
clamour
that
had
swept
by
us
on
the
river
bank
behind
the
blind
whiteness
of
the
fog
two
pilgrims
were
quarrelling
in
hurried
whispers
as
to
which
bank
left
no
no
how
can
you
right
right
of
course
it
is
very
serious
said
the
manager
s
voice
behind
me
i
would
be
desolated
if
anything
should
happen
to
mr
kurtz
before
we
came
up
i
looked
at
him
and
had
not
the
slightest
doubt
he
was
sincere
he
was
just
the
kind
of
man
who
would
wish
to
preserve
appearances
that
was
his
restraint
but
when
he
muttered
something
about
going
on
at
once
i
did
not
even
take
the
trouble
to
answer
him
i
knew
and
he
knew
that
it
was
impossible
were
we
to
let
go
our
hold
of
the
bottom
we
would
be
absolutely
in
the
air
in
space
we
wouldn
t
be
able
to
tell
where
we
were
going
to
whether
up
or
down
stream
or
across
till
we
fetched
against
one
bank
or
the
other
and
then
we
wouldn
t
know
at
first
which
it
was
of
course
i
made
no
move
i
had
no
mind
for
a
smash
up
you
couldn
t
imagine
a
more
deadly
place
for
a
shipwreck
whether
we
drowned
at
once
or
not
we
were
sure
to
perish
speedily
in
one
way
or
another
i
authorize
you
to
take
all
the
risks
he
said
after
a
short
silence
i
refuse
to
take
any
i
said
shortly
which
was
just
the
answer
he
expected
though
its
tone
might
have
surprised
him
well
i
must
defer
to
your
judgment
you
are
captain
he
said
with
marked
civility
i
turned
my
shoulder
to
him
in
sign
of
my
appreciation
and
looked
into
the
fog
how
long
would
it
last
it
was
the
most
hopeless
lookout
the
approach
to
this
kurtz
grubbing
for
ivory
in
the
wretched
bush
was
beset
by
as
many
dangers
as
though
he
had
been
an
enchanted
princess
sleeping
in
a
fabulous
castle
will
they
attack
do
you
think
asked
the
manager
in
a
confidential
tone
i
did
not
think
they
would
attack
for
several
obvious
reasons
the
thick
fog
was
one
if
they
left
the
bank
in
their
canoes
they
would
get
lost
in
it
as
we
would
be
if
we
attempted
to
move
still
i
had
also
judged
the
jungle
of
both
banks
quite
impenetrable
and
yet
eyes
were
in
it
eyes
that
had
seen
us
the
riverside
bushes
were
certainly
very
thick
but
the
undergrowth
behind
was
evidently
penetrable
however
during
the
short
lift
i
had
seen
no
canoes
anywhere
in
the
reach
certainly
not
abreast
of
the
steamer
but
what
made
the
idea
of
attack
inconceivable
to
me
was
the
nature
of
the
noise
of
the
cries
we
had
heard
they
had
not
the
fierce
character
boding
immediate
hostile
intention
unexpected
wild
and
violent
as
they
had
been
they
had
given
me
an
irresistible
impression
of
sorrow
the
glimpse
of
the
steamboat
had
for
some
reason
filled
those
savages
with
unrestrained
grief
the
danger
if
any
i
expounded
was
from
our
proximity
to
a
great
human
passion
let
loose
even
extreme
grief
may
ultimately
vent
itself
in
violence
but
more
generally
takes
the
form
of
apathy
you
should
have
seen
the
pilgrims
stare
they
had
no
heart
to
grin
or
even
to
revile
me
but
i
believe
they
thought
me
gone
mad
with
fright
maybe
i
delivered
a
regular
lecture
my
dear
boys
it
was
no
good
bothering
keep
a
lookout
well
you
may
guess
i
watched
the
fog
for
the
signs
of
lifting
as
a
cat
watches
a
mouse
but
for
anything
else
our
eyes
were
of
no
more
use
to
us
than
if
we
had
been
buried
miles
deep
in
a
heap
of
cotton
wool
it
felt
like
it
too
choking
warm
stifling
besides
all
i
said
though
it
sounded
extravagant
was
absolutely
true
to
fact
what
we
afterwards
alluded
to
as
an
attack
was
really
an
attempt
at
repulse
the
action
was
very
far
from
being
aggressive
it
was
not
even
defensive
in
the
usual
sense
it
was
undertaken
under
the
stress
of
desperation
and
in
its
essence
was
purely
protective
it
developed
itself
i
should
say
two
hours
after
the
fog
lifted
and
its
commencement
was
at
a
spot
roughly
speaking
about
a
mile
and
a
half
below
kurtz
s
station
we
had
just
floundered
and
flopped
round
a
bend
when
i
saw
an
islet
a
mere
grassy
hummock
of
bright
green
in
the
middle
of
the
stream
it
was
the
only
thing
of
the
kind
but
as
we
opened
the
reach
more
i
perceived
it
was
the
head
of
a
long
sand
bank
or
rather
of
a
chain
of
shallow
patches
stretching
down
the
middle
of
the
river
they
were
discoloured
just
awash
and
the
whole
lot
was
seen
just
under
the
water
exactly
as
a
man
s
backbone
is
seen
running
down
the
middle
of
his
back
under
the
skin
now
as
far
as
i
did
see
i
could
go
to
the
right
or
to
the
left
of
this
i
didn
t
know
either
channel
of
course
the
banks
looked
pretty
well
alike
the
depth
appeared
the
same
but
as
i
had
been
informed
the
station
was
on
the
west
side
i
naturally
headed
for
the
western
passage
no
sooner
had
we
fairly
entered
it
than
i
became
aware
it
was
much
narrower
than
i
had
supposed
to
the
left
of
us
there
was
the
long
uninterrupted
shoal
and
to
the
right
a
high
steep
bank
heavily
overgrown
with
bushes
above
the
bush
the
trees
stood
in
serried
ranks
the
twigs
overhung
the
current
thickly
and
from
distance
to
distance
a
large
limb
of
some
tree
projected
rigidly
over
the
stream
it
was
then
well
on
in
the
afternoon
the
face
of
the
forest
was
gloomy
and
a
broad
strip
of
shadow
had
already
fallen
on
the
water
in
this
shadow
we
steamed
up
very
slowly
as
you
may
imagine
i
sheered
her
well
inshore
the
water
being
deepest
near
the
bank
as
the
sounding
pole
informed
me
one
of
my
hungry
and
forbearing
friends
was
sounding
in
the
bows
just
below
me
this
steamboat
was
exactly
like
a
decked
scow
on
the
deck
there
were
two
little
teakwood
houses
with
doors
and
windows
the
boiler
was
in
the
fore
end
and
the
machinery
right
astern
over
the
whole
there
was
a
light
roof
supported
on
stanchions
the
funnel
projected
through
that
roof
and
in
front
of
the
funnel
a
small
cabin
built
of
light
planks
served
for
a
pilot
house
it
contained
a
couch
two
camp
stools
a
loaded
martini
henry
leaning
in
one
corner
a
tiny
table
and
the
steering
wheel
it
had
a
wide
door
in
front
and
a
broad
shutter
at
each
side
all
these
were
always
thrown
open
of
course
i
spent
my
days
perched
up
there
on
the
extreme
fore
end
of
that
roof
before
the
door
at
night
i
slept
or
tried
to
on
the
couch
an
athletic
black
belonging
to
some
coast
tribe
and
educated
by
my
poor
predecessor
was
the
helmsman
he
sported
a
pair
of
brass
earrings
wore
a
blue
cloth
wrapper
from
the
waist
to
the
ankles
and
thought
all
the
world
of
himself
he
was
the
most
unstable
kind
of
fool
i
had
ever
seen
he
steered
with
no
end
of
a
swagger
while
you
were
by
but
if
he
lost
sight
of
you
he
became
instantly
the
prey
of
an
abject
funk
and
would
let
that
cripple
of
a
steamboat
get
the
upper
hand
of
him
in
a
minute
i
was
looking
down
at
the
sounding
pole
and
feeling
much
annoyed
to
see
at
each
try
a
little
more
of
it
stick
out
of
that
river
when
i
saw
my
poleman
give
up
on
the
business
suddenly
and
stretch
himself
flat
on
the
deck
without
even
taking
the
trouble
to
haul
his
pole
in
he
kept
hold
on
it
though
and
it
trailed
in
the
water
at
the
same
time
the
fireman
whom
i
could
also
see
below
me
sat
down
abruptly
before
his
furnace
and
ducked
his
head
i
was
amazed
then
i
had
to
look
at
the
river
mighty
quick
because
there
was
a
snag
in
the
fairway
sticks
little
sticks
were
flying
about
thick
they
were
whizzing
before
my
nose
dropping
below
me
striking
behind
me
against
my
pilot
house
all
this
time
the
river
the
shore
the
woods
were
very
quiet
perfectly
quiet
i
could
only
hear
the
heavy
splashing
thump
of
the
stern
wheel
and
the
patter
of
these
things
we
cleared
the
snag
clumsily
arrows
by
jove
we
were
being
shot
at
i
stepped
in
quickly
to
close
the
shutter
on
the
landside
that
fool
helmsman
his
hands
on
the
spokes
was
lifting
his
knees
high
stamping
his
feet
champing
his
mouth
like
a
reined
in
horse
confound
him
and
we
were
staggering
within
ten
feet
of
the
bank
i
had
to
lean
right
out
to
swing
the
heavy
shutter
and
i
saw
a
face
amongst
the
leaves
on
the
level
with
my
own
looking
at
me
very
fierce
and
steady
and
then
suddenly
as
though
a
veil
had
been
removed
from
my
eyes
i
made
out
deep
in
the
tangled
gloom
naked
breasts
arms
legs
glaring
eyes
the
bush
was
swarming
with
human
limbs
in
movement
glistening
of
bronze
colour
the
twigs
shook
swayed
and
rustled
the
arrows
flew
out
of
them
and
then
the
shutter
came
to
steer
her
straight
i
said
to
the
helmsman
he
held
his
head
rigid
face
forward
but
his
eyes
rolled
he
kept
on
lifting
and
setting
down
his
feet
gently
his
mouth
foamed
a
little
keep
quiet
i
said
in
a
fury
i
might
just
as
well
have
ordered
a
tree
not
to
sway
in
the
wind
i
darted
out
below
me
there
was
a
great
scuffle
of
feet
on
the
iron
deck
confused
exclamations
a
voice
screamed
can
you
turn
back
i
caught
sight
of
a
v
shaped
ripple
on
the
water
ahead
what
another
snag
a
fusillade
burst
out
under
my
feet
the
pilgrims
had
opened
with
their
winchesters
and
were
simply
squirting
lead
into
that
bush
a
deuce
of
a
lot
of
smoke
came
up
and
drove
slowly
forward
i
swore
at
it
now
i
couldn
t
see
the
ripple
or
the
snag
either
i
stood
in
the
doorway
peering
and
the
arrows
came
in
swarms
they
might
have
been
poisoned
but
they
looked
as
though
they
wouldn
t
kill
a
cat
the
bush
began
to
howl
our
wood
cutters
raised
a
warlike
whoop
the
report
of
a
rifle
just
at
my
back
deafened
me
i
glanced
over
my
shoulder
and
the
pilot
house
was
yet
full
of
noise
and
smoke
when
i
made
a
dash
at
the
wheel
the
fool
nigger
had
dropped
everything
to
throw
the
shutter
open
and
let
off
that
martini
henry
he
stood
before
the
wide
opening
glaring
and
i
yelled
at
him
to
come
back
while
i
straightened
the
sudden
twist
out
of
that
steamboat
there
was
no
room
to
turn
even
if
i
had
wanted
to
the
snag
was
somewhere
very
near
ahead
in
that
confounded
smoke
there
was
no
time
to
lose
so
i
just
crowded
her
into
the
bank
right
into
the
bank
where
i
knew
the
water
was
deep
we
tore
slowly
along
the
overhanging
bushes
in
a
whirl
of
broken
twigs
and
flying
leaves
the
fusillade
below
stopped
short
as
i
had
foreseen
it
would
when
the
squirts
got
empty
i
threw
my
head
back
to
a
glinting
whizz
that
traversed
the
pilot
house
in
at
one
shutter
hole
and
out
at
the
other
looking
past
that
mad
helmsman
who
was
shaking
the
empty
rifle
and
yelling
at
the
shore
i
saw
vague
forms
of
men
running
bent
double
leaping
gliding
distinct
incomplete
evanescent
something
big
appeared
in
the
air
before
the
shutter
the
rifle
went
overboard
and
the
man
stepped
back
swiftly
looked
at
me
over
his
shoulder
in
an
extraordinary
profound
familiar
manner
and
fell
upon
my
feet
the
side
of
his
head
hit
the
wheel
twice
and
the
end
of
what
appeared
a
long
cane
clattered
round
and
knocked
over
a
little
camp
stool
it
looked
as
though
after
wrenching
that
thing
from
somebody
ashore
he
had
lost
his
balance
in
the
effort
the
thin
smoke
had
blown
away
we
were
clear
of
the
snag
and
looking
ahead
i
could
see
that
in
another
hundred
yards
or
so
i
would
be
free
to
sheer
off
away
from
the
bank
but
my
feet
felt
so
very
warm
and
wet
that
i
had
to
look
down
the
man
had
rolled
on
his
back
and
stared
straight
up
at
me
both
his
hands
clutched
that
cane
it
was
the
shaft
of
a
spear
that
either
thrown
or
lunged
through
the
opening
had
caught
him
in
the
side
just
below
the
ribs
the
blade
had
gone
in
out
of
sight
after
making
a
frightful
gash
my
shoes
were
full
a
pool
of
blood
lay
very
still
gleaming
dark
red
under
the
wheel
his
eyes
shone
with
an
amazing
lustre
the
fusillade
burst
out
again
he
looked
at
me
anxiously
gripping
the
spear
like
something
precious
with
an
air
of
being
afraid
i
would
try
to
take
it
away
from
him
i
had
to
make
an
effort
to
free
my
eyes
from
his
gaze
and
attend
to
the
steering
with
one
hand
i
felt
above
my
head
for
the
line
of
the
steam
whistle
and
jerked
out
screech
after
screech
hurriedly
the
tumult
of
angry
and
warlike
yells
was
checked
instantly
and
then
from
the
depths
of
the
woods
went
out
such
a
tremulous
and
prolonged
wail
of
mournful
fear
and
utter
despair
as
may
be
imagined
to
follow
the
flight
of
the
last
hope
from
the
earth
there
was
a
great
commotion
in
the
bush
the
shower
of
arrows
stopped
a
few
dropping
shots
rang
out
sharply
then
silence
in
which
the
languid
beat
of
the
stern
wheel
came
plainly
to
my
ears
i
put
the
helm
hard
a
starboard
at
the
moment
when
the
pilgrim
in
pink
pyjamas
very
hot
and
agitated
appeared
in
the
doorway
the
manager
sends
me
he
began
in
an
official
tone
and
stopped
short
good
god
he
said
glaring
at
the
wounded
man
we
two
whites
stood
over
him
and
his
lustrous
and
inquiring
glance
enveloped
us
both
i
declare
it
looked
as
though
he
would
presently
put
to
us
some
questions
in
an
understandable
language
but
he
died
without
uttering
a
sound
without
moving
a
limb
without
twitching
a
muscle
only
in
the
very
last
moment
as
though
in
response
to
some
sign
we
could
not
see
to
some
whisper
we
could
not
hear
he
frowned
heavily
and
that
frown
gave
to
his
black
death
mask
an
inconceivably
sombre
brooding
and
menacing
expression
the
lustre
of
inquiring
glance
faded
swiftly
into
vacant
glassiness
can
you
steer
i
asked
the
agent
eagerly
he
looked
very
dubious
but
i
made
a
grab
at
his
arm
and
he
understood
at
once
i
meant
him
to
steer
whether
or
no
to
tell
you
the
truth
i
was
morbidly
anxious
to
change
my
shoes
and
socks
he
is
dead
murmured
the
fellow
immensely
impressed
no
doubt
about
it
said
i
tugging
like
mad
at
the
shoe
laces
and
by
the
way
i
suppose
mr
kurtz
is
dead
as
well
by
this
time
for
the
moment
that
was
the
dominant
thought
there
was
a
sense
of
extreme
disappointment
as
though
i
had
found
out
i
had
been
striving
after
something
altogether
without
a
substance
i
couldn
t
have
been
more
disgusted
if
i
had
travelled
all
this
way
for
the
sole
purpose
of
talking
with
mr
kurtz
talking
with
i
flung
one
shoe
overboard
and
became
aware
that
that
was
exactly
what
i
had
been
looking
forward
to
a
talk
with
kurtz
i
made
the
strange
discovery
that
i
had
never
imagined
him
as
doing
you
know
but
as
discoursing
i
didn
t
say
to
myself
now
i
will
never
see
him
or
now
i
will
never
shake
him
by
the
hand
but
now
i
will
never
hear
him
the
man
presented
himself
as
a
voice
not
of
course
that
i
did
not
connect
him
with
some
sort
of
action
hadn
t
i
been
told
in
all
the
tones
of
jealousy
and
admiration
that
he
had
collected
bartered
swindled
or
stolen
more
ivory
than
all
the
other
agents
together
that
was
not
the
point
the
point
was
in
his
being
a
gifted
creature
and
that
of
all
his
gifts
the
one
that
stood
out
preeminently
that
carried
with
it
a
sense
of
real
presence
was
his
ability
to
talk
his
words
the
gift
of
expression
the
bewildering
the
illuminating
the
most
exalted
and
the
most
contemptible
the
pulsating
stream
of
light
or
the
deceitful
flow
from
the
heart
of
an
impenetrable
darkness
the
other
shoe
went
flying
unto
the
devil
god
of
that
river
i
thought
by
jove
it
s
all
over
we
are
too
late
he
has
vanished
the
gift
has
vanished
by
means
of
some
spear
arrow
or
club
i
will
never
hear
that
chap
speak
after
all
and
my
sorrow
had
a
startling
extravagance
of
emotion
even
such
as
i
had
noticed
in
the
howling
sorrow
of
these
savages
in
the
bush
i
couldn
t
have
felt
more
of
lonely
desolation
somehow
had
i
been
robbed
of
a
belief
or
had
missed
my
destiny
in
life
why
do
you
sigh
in
this
beastly
way
somebody
absurd
well
absurd
good
lord
mustn
t
a
man
ever
here
give
me
some
tobacco
there
was
a
pause
of
profound
stillness
then
a
match
flared
and
marlow
s
lean
face
appeared
worn
hollow
with
downward
folds
and
dropped
eyelids
with
an
aspect
of
concentrated
attention
and
as
he
took
vigorous
draws
at
his
pipe
it
seemed
to
retreat
and
advance
out
of
the
night
in
the
regular
flicker
of
tiny
flame
the
match
went
out
absurd
he
cried
this
is
the
worst
of
trying
to
tell
here
you
all
are
each
moored
with
two
good
addresses
like
a
hulk
with
two
anchors
a
butcher
round
one
corner
a
policeman
round
another
excellent
appetites
and
temperature
normal
you
hear
normal
from
year
s
end
to
year
s
end
and
you
say
absurd
absurd
be
exploded
absurd
my
dear
boys
what
can
you
expect
from
a
man
who
out
of
sheer
nervousness
had
just
flung
overboard
a
pair
of
new
shoes
now
i
think
of
it
it
is
amazing
i
did
not
shed
tears
i
am
upon
the
whole
proud
of
my
fortitude
i
was
cut
to
the
quick
at
the
idea
of
having
lost
the
inestimable
privilege
of
listening
to
the
gifted
kurtz
of
course
i
was
wrong
the
privilege
was
waiting
for
me
oh
yes
i
heard
more
than
enough
and
i
was
right
too
a
voice
he
was
very
little
more
than
a
voice
and
i
heard
him
it
this
voice
other
voices
all
of
them
were
so
little
more
than
voices
and
the
memory
of
that
time
itself
lingers
around
me
impalpable
like
a
dying
vibration
of
one
immense
jabber
silly
atrocious
sordid
savage
or
simply
mean
without
any
kind
of
sense
voices
voices
even
the
girl
herself
now
he
was
silent
for
a
long
time
i
laid
the
ghost
of
his
gifts
at
last
with
a
lie
he
began
suddenly
girl
what
did
i
mention
a
girl
oh
she
is
out
of
it
completely
they
the
women
i
mean
are
out
of
it
should
be
out
of
it
we
must
help
them
to
stay
in
that
beautiful
world
of
their
own
lest
ours
gets
worse
oh
she
had
to
be
out
of
it
you
should
have
heard
the
disinterred
body
of
mr
kurtz
saying
my
intended
you
would
have
perceived
directly
then
how
completely
she
was
out
of
it
and
the
lofty
frontal
bone
of
mr
kurtz
they
say
the
hair
goes
on
growing
sometimes
but
this
ah
specimen
was
impressively
bald
the
wilderness
had
patted
him
on
the
head
and
behold
it
was
like
a
ball
an
ivory
ball
it
had
caressed
him
and
lo
he
had
withered
it
had
taken
him
loved
him
embraced
him
got
into
his
veins
consumed
his
flesh
and
sealed
his
soul
to
its
own
by
the
inconceivable
ceremonies
of
some
devilish
initiation
he
was
its
spoiled
and
pampered
favourite
ivory
i
should
think
so
heaps
of
it
stacks
of
it
the
old
mud
shanty
was
bursting
with
it
you
would
think
there
was
not
a
single
tusk
left
either
above
or
below
the
ground
in
the
whole
country
mostly
fossil
the
manager
had
remarked
disparagingly
it
was
no
more
fossil
than
i
am
but
they
call
it
fossil
when
it
is
dug
up
it
appears
these
niggers
do
bury
the
tusks
sometimes
but
evidently
they
couldn
t
bury
this
parcel
deep
enough
to
save
the
gifted
mr
kurtz
from
his
fate
we
filled
the
steamboat
with
it
and
had
to
pile
a
lot
on
the
deck
thus
he
could
see
and
enjoy
as
long
as
he
could
see
because
the
appreciation
of
this
favour
had
remained
with
him
to
the
last
you
should
have
heard
him
say
my
ivory
oh
yes
i
heard
him
my
intended
my
ivory
my
station
my
river
my
everything
belonged
to
him
it
made
me
hold
my
breath
in
expectation
of
hearing
the
wilderness
burst
into
a
prodigious
peal
of
laughter
that
would
shake
the
fixed
stars
in
their
places
everything
belonged
to
him
but
that
was
a
trifle
the
thing
was
to
know
what
he
belonged
to
how
many
powers
of
darkness
claimed
him
for
their
own
that
was
the
reflection
that
made
you
creepy
all
over
it
was
impossible
it
was
not
good
for
one
either
trying
to
imagine
he
had
taken
a
high
seat
amongst
the
devils
of
the
land
i
mean
literally
you
can
t
understand
how
could
you
with
solid
pavement
under
your
feet
surrounded
by
kind
neighbours
ready
to
cheer
you
or
to
fall
on
you
stepping
delicately
between
the
butcher
and
the
policeman
in
the
holy
terror
of
scandal
and
gallows
and
lunatic
asylums
how
can
you
imagine
what
particular
region
of
the
first
ages
a
man
s
untrammelled
feet
may
take
him
into
by
the
way
of
solitude
utter
solitude
without
a
policeman
by
the
way
of
silence
utter
silence
where
no
warning
voice
of
a
kind
neighbour
can
be
heard
whispering
of
public
opinion
these
little
things
make
all
the
great
difference
when
they
are
gone
you
must
fall
back
upon
your
own
innate
strength
upon
your
own
capacity
for
faithfulness
of
course
you
may
be
too
much
of
a
fool
to
go
wrong
too
dull
even
to
know
you
are
being
assaulted
by
the
powers
of
darkness
i
take
it
no
fool
ever
made
a
bargain
for
his
soul
with
the
devil
the
fool
is
too
much
of
a
fool
or
the
devil
too
much
of
a
devil
i
don
t
know
which
or
you
may
be
such
a
thunderingly
exalted
creature
as
to
be
altogether
deaf
and
blind
to
anything
but
heavenly
sights
and
sounds
then
the
earth
for
you
is
only
a
standing
place
and
whether
to
be
like
this
is
your
loss
or
your
gain
i
won
t
pretend
to
say
but
most
of
us
are
neither
one
nor
the
other
the
earth
for
us
is
a
place
to
live
in
where
we
must
put
up
with
sights
with
sounds
with
smells
too
by
jove
breathe
dead
hippo
so
to
speak
and
not
be
contaminated
and
there
don
t
you
see
your
strength
comes
in
the
faith
in
your
ability
for
the
digging
of
unostentatious
holes
to
bury
the
stuff
in
your
power
of
devotion
not
to
yourself
but
to
an
obscure
back
breaking
business
and
that
s
difficult
enough
mind
i
am
not
trying
to
excuse
or
even
explain
i
am
trying
to
account
to
myself
for
for
mr
kurtz
for
the
shade
of
mr
kurtz
this
initiated
wraith
from
the
back
of
nowhere
honoured
me
with
its
amazing
confidence
before
it
vanished
altogether
this
was
because
it
could
speak
english
to
me
the
original
kurtz
had
been
educated
partly
in
england
and
as
he
was
good
enough
to
say
himself
his
sympathies
were
in
the
right
place
his
mother
was
half
english
his
father
was
half
french
all
europe
contributed
to
the
making
of
kurtz
and
by
and
by
i
learned
that
most
appropriately
the
international
society
for
the
suppression
of
savage
customs
had
intrusted
him
with
the
making
of
a
report
for
its
future
guidance
and
he
had
written
it
too
i
ve
seen
it
i
ve
read
it
it
was
eloquent
vibrating
with
eloquence
but
too
high
strung
i
think
seventeen
pages
of
close
writing
he
had
found
time
for
but
this
must
have
been
before
his
let
us
say
nerves
went
wrong
and
caused
him
to
preside
at
certain
midnight
dances
ending
with
unspeakable
rites
which
as
far
as
i
reluctantly
gathered
from
what
i
heard
at
various
times
were
offered
up
to
him
do
you
understand
to
mr
kurtz
himself
but
it
was
a
beautiful
piece
of
writing
the
opening
paragraph
however
in
the
light
of
later
information
strikes
me
now
as
ominous
he
began
with
the
argument
that
we
whites
from
the
point
of
development
we
had
arrived
at
must
necessarily
appear
to
them
savages
in
the
nature
of
supernatural
beings
we
approach
them
with
the
might
of
a
deity
and
so
on
and
so
on
by
the
simple
exercise
of
our
will
we
can
exert
a
power
for
good
practically
unbounded
etc
etc
from
that
point
he
soared
and
took
me
with
him
the
peroration
was
magnificent
though
difficult
to
remember
you
know
it
gave
me
the
notion
of
an
exotic
immensity
ruled
by
an
august
benevolence
it
made
me
tingle
with
enthusiasm
this
was
the
unbounded
power
of
eloquence
of
words
of
burning
noble
words
there
were
no
practical
hints
to
interrupt
the
magic
current
of
phrases
unless
a
kind
of
note
at
the
foot
of
the
last
page
scrawled
evidently
much
later
in
an
unsteady
hand
may
be
regarded
as
the
exposition
of
a
method
it
was
very
simple
and
at
the
end
of
that
moving
appeal
to
every
altruistic
sentiment
it
blazed
at
you
luminous
and
terrifying
like
a
flash
of
lightning
in
a
serene
sky
exterminate
all
the
brutes
the
curious
part
was
that
he
had
apparently
forgotten
all
about
that
valuable
postscriptum
because
later
on
when
he
in
a
sense
came
to
himself
he
repeatedly
entreated
me
to
take
good
care
of
my
pamphlet
he
called
it
as
it
was
sure
to
have
in
the
future
a
good
influence
upon
his
career
i
had
full
information
about
all
these
things
and
besides
as
it
turned
out
i
was
to
have
the
care
of
his
memory
i
ve
done
enough
for
it
to
give
me
the
indisputable
right
to
lay
it
if
i
choose
for
an
everlasting
rest
in
the
dust
bin
of
progress
amongst
all
the
sweepings
and
figuratively
speaking
all
the
dead
cats
of
civilization
but
then
you
see
i
can
t
choose
he
won
t
be
forgotten
whatever
he
was
he
was
not
common
he
had
the
power
to
charm
or
frighten
rudimentary
souls
into
an
aggravated
witch
dance
in
his
honour
he
could
also
fill
the
small
souls
of
the
pilgrims
with
bitter
misgivings
he
had
one
devoted
friend
at
least
and
he
had
conquered
one
soul
in
the
world
that
was
neither
rudimentary
nor
tainted
with
self
seeking
no
i
can
t
forget
him
though
i
am
not
prepared
to
affirm
the
fellow
was
exactly
worth
the
life
we
lost
in
getting
to
him
i
missed
my
late
helmsman
awfully
i
missed
him
even
while
his
body
was
still
lying
in
the
pilot
house
perhaps
you
will
think
it
passing
strange
this
regret
for
a
savage
who
was
no
more
account
than
a
grain
of
sand
in
a
black
sahara
well
don
t
you
see
he
had
done
something
he
had
steered
for
months
i
had
him
at
my
back
a
help
an
instrument
it
was
a
kind
of
partnership
he
steered
for
me
i
had
to
look
after
him
i
worried
about
his
deficiencies
and
thus
a
subtle
bond
had
been
created
of
which
i
only
became
aware
when
it
was
suddenly
broken
and
the
intimate
profundity
of
that
look
he
gave
me
when
he
received
his
hurt
remains
to
this
day
in
my
memory
like
a
claim
of
distant
kinship
affirmed
in
a
supreme
moment
poor
fool
if
he
had
only
left
that
shutter
alone
he
had
no
restraint
no
restraint
just
like
kurtz
a
tree
swayed
by
the
wind
as
soon
as
i
had
put
on
a
dry
pair
of
slippers
i
dragged
him
out
after
first
jerking
the
spear
out
of
his
side
which
operation
i
confess
i
performed
with
my
eyes
shut
tight
his
heels
leaped
together
over
the
little
doorstep
his
shoulders
were
pressed
to
my
breast
i
hugged
him
from
behind
desperately
oh
he
was
heavy
heavy
heavier
than
any
man
on
earth
i
should
imagine
then
without
more
ado
i
tipped
him
overboard
the
current
snatched
him
as
though
he
had
been
a
wisp
of
grass
and
i
saw
the
body
roll
over
twice
before
i
lost
sight
of
it
for
ever
all
the
pilgrims
and
the
manager
were
then
congregated
on
the
awning
deck
about
the
pilot
house
chattering
at
each
other
like
a
flock
of
excited
magpies
and
there
was
a
scandalized
murmur
at
my
heartless
promptitude
what
they
wanted
to
keep
that
body
hanging
about
for
i
can
t
guess
embalm
it
maybe
but
i
had
also
heard
another
and
a
very
ominous
murmur
on
the
deck
below
my
friends
the
wood
cutters
were
likewise
scandalized
and
with
a
better
show
of
reason
though
i
admit
that
the
reason
itself
was
quite
inadmissible
oh
quite
i
had
made
up
my
mind
that
if
my
late
helmsman
was
to
be
eaten
the
fishes
alone
should
have
him
he
had
been
a
very
second
rate
helmsman
while
alive
but
now
he
was
dead
he
might
have
become
a
first
class
temptation
and
possibly
cause
some
startling
trouble
besides
i
was
anxious
to
take
the
wheel
the
man
in
pink
pyjamas
showing
himself
a
hopeless
duffer
at
the
business
this
i
did
directly
the
simple
funeral
was
over
we
were
going
half
speed
keeping
right
in
the
middle
of
the
stream
and
i
listened
to
the
talk
about
me
they
had
given
up
kurtz
they
had
given
up
the
station
kurtz
was
dead
and
the
station
had
been
burnt
and
so
on
and
so
on
the
red
haired
pilgrim
was
beside
himself
with
the
thought
that
at
least
this
poor
kurtz
had
been
properly
avenged
say
we
must
have
made
a
glorious
slaughter
of
them
in
the
bush
eh
what
do
you
think
say
he
positively
danced
the
bloodthirsty
little
gingery
beggar
and
he
had
nearly
fainted
when
he
saw
the
wounded
man
i
could
not
help
saying
you
made
a
glorious
lot
of
smoke
anyhow
i
had
seen
from
the
way
the
tops
of
the
bushes
rustled
and
flew
that
almost
all
the
shots
had
gone
too
high
you
can
t
hit
anything
unless
you
take
aim
and
fire
from
the
shoulder
but
these
chaps
fired
from
the
hip
with
their
eyes
shut
the
retreat
i
maintained
and
i
was
right
was
caused
by
the
screeching
of
the
steam
whistle
upon
this
they
forgot
kurtz
and
began
to
howl
at
me
with
indignant
protests
the
manager
stood
by
the
wheel
murmuring
confidentially
about
the
necessity
of
getting
well
away
down
the
river
before
dark
at
all
events
when
i
saw
in
the
distance
a
clearing
on
the
riverside
and
the
outlines
of
some
sort
of
building
what
s
this
i
asked
he
clapped
his
hands
in
wonder
the
station
he
cried
i
edged
in
at
once
still
going
half
speed
through
my
glasses
i
saw
the
slope
of
a
hill
interspersed
with
rare
trees
and
perfectly
free
from
undergrowth
a
long
decaying
building
on
the
summit
was
half
buried
in
the
high
grass
the
large
holes
in
the
peaked
roof
gaped
black
from
afar
the
jungle
and
the
woods
made
a
background
there
was
no
enclosure
or
fence
of
any
kind
but
there
had
been
one
apparently
for
near
the
house
half
a
dozen
slim
posts
remained
in
a
row
roughly
trimmed
and
with
their
upper
ends
ornamented
with
round
carved
balls
the
rails
or
whatever
there
had
been
between
had
disappeared
of
course
the
forest
surrounded
all
that
the
river
bank
was
clear
and
on
the
waterside
i
saw
a
white
man
under
a
hat
like
a
cart
wheel
beckoning
persistently
with
his
whole
arm
examining
the
edge
of
the
forest
above
and
below
i
was
almost
certain
i
could
see
movements
human
forms
gliding
here
and
there
i
steamed
past
prudently
then
stopped
the
engines
and
let
her
drift
down
the
man
on
the
shore
began
to
shout
urging
us
to
land
we
have
been
attacked
screamed
the
manager
i
know
i
know
it
s
all
right
yelled
back
the
other
as
cheerful
as
you
please
come
along
it
s
all
right
i
am
glad
his
aspect
reminded
me
of
something
i
had
seen
something
funny
i
had
seen
somewhere
as
i
manoeuvred
to
get
alongside
i
was
asking
myself
what
does
this
fellow
look
like
suddenly
i
got
it
he
looked
like
a
harlequin
his
clothes
had
been
made
of
some
stuff
that
was
brown
holland
probably
but
it
was
covered
with
patches
all
over
with
bright
patches
blue
red
and
yellow
patches
on
the
back
patches
on
the
front
patches
on
elbows
on
knees
coloured
binding
around
his
jacket
scarlet
edging
at
the
bottom
of
his
trousers
and
the
sunshine
made
him
look
extremely
gay
and
wonderfully
neat
withal
because
you
could
see
how
beautifully
all
this
patching
had
been
done
a
beardless
boyish
face
very
fair
no
features
to
speak
of
nose
peeling
little
blue
eyes
smiles
and
frowns
chasing
each
other
over
that
open
countenance
like
sunshine
and
shadow
on
a
wind
swept
plain
look
out
captain
he
cried
there
s
a
snag
lodged
in
here
last
night
what
another
snag
i
confess
i
swore
shamefully
i
had
nearly
holed
my
cripple
to
finish
off
that
charming
trip
the
harlequin
on
the
bank
turned
his
little
pug
nose
up
to
me
you
english
he
asked
all
smiles
are
you
i
shouted
from
the
wheel
the
smiles
vanished
and
he
shook
his
head
as
if
sorry
for
my
disappointment
then
he
brightened
up
never
mind
he
cried
encouragingly
are
we
in
time
i
asked
he
is
up
there
he
replied
with
a
toss
of
the
head
up
the
hill
and
becoming
gloomy
all
of
a
sudden
his
face
was
like
the
autumn
sky
overcast
one
moment
and
bright
the
next
when
the
manager
escorted
by
the
pilgrims
all
of
them
armed
to
the
teeth
had
gone
to
the
house
this
chap
came
on
board
i
say
i
don
t
like
this
these
natives
are
in
the
bush
i
said
he
assured
me
earnestly
it
was
all
right
they
are
simple
people
he
added
well
i
am
glad
you
came
it
took
me
all
my
time
to
keep
them
off
but
you
said
it
was
all
right
i
cried
oh
they
meant
no
harm
he
said
and
as
i
stared
he
corrected
himself
not
exactly
then
vivaciously
my
faith
your
pilot
house
wants
a
clean
up
in
the
next
breath
he
advised
me
to
keep
enough
steam
on
the
boiler
to
blow
the
whistle
in
case
of
any
trouble
one
good
screech
will
do
more
for
you
than
all
your
rifles
they
are
simple
people
he
repeated
he
rattled
away
at
such
a
rate
he
quite
overwhelmed
me
he
seemed
to
be
trying
to
make
up
for
lots
of
silence
and
actually
hinted
laughing
that
such
was
the
case
don
t
you
talk
with
mr
kurtz
i
said
you
don
t
talk
with
that
man
you
listen
to
him
he
exclaimed
with
severe
exaltation
but
now
he
waved
his
arm
and
in
the
twinkling
of
an
eye
was
in
the
uttermost
depths
of
despondency
in
a
moment
he
came
up
again
with
a
jump
possessed
himself
of
both
my
hands
shook
them
continuously
while
he
gabbled
brother
sailor
honour
pleasure
delight
introduce
myself
russian
son
of
an
arch
priest
government
of
tambov
what
tobacco
english
tobacco
the
excellent
english
tobacco
now
that
s
brotherly
smoke
where
s
a
sailor
that
does
not
smoke
the
pipe
soothed
him
and
gradually
i
made
out
he
had
run
away
from
school
had
gone
to
sea
in
a
russian
ship
ran
away
again
served
some
time
in
english
ships
was
now
reconciled
with
the
arch
priest
he
made
a
point
of
that
but
when
one
is
young
one
must
see
things
gather
experience
ideas
enlarge
the
mind
here
i
interrupted
you
can
never
tell
here
i
met
mr
kurtz
he
said
youthfully
solemn
and
reproachful
i
held
my
tongue
after
that
it
appears
he
had
persuaded
a
dutch
trading
house
on
the
coast
to
fit
him
out
with
stores
and
goods
and
had
started
for
the
interior
with
a
light
heart
and
no
more
idea
of
what
would
happen
to
him
than
a
baby
he
had
been
wandering
about
that
river
for
nearly
two
years
alone
cut
off
from
everybody
and
everything
i
am
not
so
young
as
i
look
i
am
twenty
five
he
said
at
first
old
van
shuyten
would
tell
me
to
go
to
the
devil
he
narrated
with
keen
enjoyment
but
i
stuck
to
him
and
talked
and
talked
till
at
last
he
got
afraid
i
would
talk
the
hind
leg
off
his
favourite
dog
so
he
gave
me
some
cheap
things
and
a
few
guns
and
told
me
he
hoped
he
would
never
see
my
face
again
good
old
dutchman
van
shuyten
i
ve
sent
him
one
small
lot
of
ivory
a
year
ago
so
that
he
can
t
call
me
a
little
thief
when
i
get
back
i
hope
he
got
it
and
for
the
rest
i
don
t
care
i
had
some
wood
stacked
for
you
that
was
my
old
house
did
you
see
i
gave
him
towson
s
book
he
made
as
though
he
would
kiss
me
but
restrained
himself
the
only
book
i
had
left
and
i
thought
i
had
lost
it
he
said
looking
at
it
ecstatically
so
many
accidents
happen
to
a
man
going
about
alone
you
know
canoes
get
upset
sometimes
and
sometimes
you
ve
got
to
clear
out
so
quick
when
the
people
get
angry
he
thumbed
the
pages
you
made
notes
in
russian
i
asked
he
nodded
i
thought
they
were
written
in
cipher
i
said
he
laughed
then
became
serious
i
had
lots
of
trouble
to
keep
these
people
off
he
said
did
they
want
to
kill
you
i
asked
oh
no
he
cried
and
checked
himself
why
did
they
attack
us
i
pursued
he
hesitated
then
said
shamefacedly
they
don
t
want
him
to
go
don
t
they
i
said
curiously
he
nodded
a
nod
full
of
mystery
and
wisdom
i
tell
you
he
cried
this
man
has
enlarged
my
mind
he
opened
his
arms
wide
staring
at
me
with
his
little
blue
eyes
that
were
perfectly
round
i
looked
at
him
lost
in
astonishment
there
he
was
before
me
in
motley
as
though
he
had
absconded
from
a
troupe
of
mimes
enthusiastic
fabulous
his
very
existence
was
improbable
inexplicable
and
altogether
bewildering
he
was
an
insoluble
problem
it
was
inconceivable
how
he
had
existed
how
he
had
succeeded
in
getting
so
far
how
he
had
managed
to
remain
why
he
did
not
instantly
disappear
i
went
a
little
farther
he
said
then
still
a
little
farther
till
i
had
gone
so
far
that
i
don
t
know
how
i
ll
ever
get
back
never
mind
plenty
time
i
can
manage
you
take
kurtz
away
quick
quick
i
tell
you
the
glamour
of
youth
enveloped
his
parti
coloured
rags
his
destitution
his
loneliness
the
essential
desolation
of
his
futile
wanderings
for
months
for
years
his
life
hadn
t
been
worth
a
day
s
purchase
and
there
he
was
gallantly
thoughtlessly
alive
to
all
appearances
indestructible
solely
by
the
virtue
of
his
few
years
and
of
his
unreflecting
audacity
i
was
seduced
into
something
like
admiration
like
envy
glamour
urged
him
on
glamour
kept
him
unscathed
he
surely
wanted
nothing
from
the
wilderness
but
space
to
breathe
in
and
to
push
on
through
his
need
was
to
exist
and
to
move
onwards
at
the
greatest
possible
risk
and
with
a
maximum
of
privation
if
the
absolutely
pure
uncalculating
unpractical
spirit
of
adventure
had
ever
ruled
a
human
being
it
ruled
this
bepatched
youth
i
almost
envied
him
the
possession
of
this
modest
and
clear
flame
it
seemed
to
have
consumed
all
thought
of
self
so
completely
that
even
while
he
was
talking
to
you
you
forgot
that
it
was
he
the
man
before
your
eyes
who
had
gone
through
these
things
i
did
not
envy
him
his
devotion
to
kurtz
though
he
had
not
meditated
over
it
it
came
to
him
and
he
accepted
it
with
a
sort
of
eager
fatalism
i
must
say
that
to
me
it
appeared
about
the
most
dangerous
thing
in
every
way
he
had
come
upon
so
far
they
had
come
together
unavoidably
like
two
ships
becalmed
near
each
other
and
lay
rubbing
sides
at
last
i
suppose
kurtz
wanted
an
audience
because
on
a
certain
occasion
when
encamped
in
the
forest
they
had
talked
all
night
or
more
probably
kurtz
had
talked
we
talked
of
everything
he
said
quite
transported
at
the
recollection
i
forgot
there
was
such
a
thing
as
sleep
the
night
did
not
seem
to
last
an
hour
everything
everything
of
love
too
ah
he
talked
to
you
of
love
i
said
much
amused
it
isn
t
what
you
think
he
cried
almost
passionately
it
was
in
general
he
made
me
see
things
things
he
threw
his
arms
up
we
were
on
deck
at
the
time
and
the
headman
of
my
wood
cutters
lounging
near
by
turned
upon
him
his
heavy
and
glittering
eyes
i
looked
around
and
i
don
t
know
why
but
i
assure
you
that
never
never
before
did
this
land
this
river
this
jungle
the
very
arch
of
this
blazing
sky
appear
to
me
so
hopeless
and
so
dark
so
impenetrable
to
human
thought
so
pitiless
to
human
weakness
and
ever
since
you
have
been
with
him
of
course
i
said
on
the
contrary
it
appears
their
intercourse
had
been
very
much
broken
by
various
causes
he
had
as
he
informed
me
proudly
managed
to
nurse
kurtz
through
two
illnesses
he
alluded
to
it
as
you
would
to
some
risky
feat
but
as
a
rule
kurtz
wandered
alone
far
in
the
depths
of
the
forest
very
often
coming
to
this
station
i
had
to
wait
days
and
days
before
he
would
turn
up
he
said
ah
it
was
worth
waiting
for
sometimes
what
was
he
doing
exploring
or
what
i
asked
oh
yes
of
course
he
had
discovered
lots
of
villages
a
lake
too
he
did
not
know
exactly
in
what
direction
it
was
dangerous
to
inquire
too
much
but
mostly
his
expeditions
had
been
for
ivory
but
he
had
no
goods
to
trade
with
by
that
time
i
objected
there
s
a
good
lot
of
cartridges
left
even
yet
he
answered
looking
away
to
speak
plainly
he
raided
the
country
i
said
he
nodded
not
alone
surely
he
muttered
something
about
the
villages
round
that
lake
kurtz
got
the
tribe
to
follow
him
did
he
i
suggested
he
fidgeted
a
little
they
adored
him
he
said
the
tone
of
these
words
was
so
extraordinary
that
i
looked
at
him
searchingly
it
was
curious
to
see
his
mingled
eagerness
and
reluctance
to
speak
of
kurtz
the
man
filled
his
life
occupied
his
thoughts
swayed
his
emotions
what
can
you
expect
he
burst
out
he
came
to
them
with
thunder
and
lightning
you
know
and
they
had
never
seen
anything
like
it
and
very
terrible
he
could
be
very
terrible
you
can
t
judge
mr
kurtz
as
you
would
an
ordinary
man
no
no
no
now
just
to
give
you
an
idea
i
don
t
mind
telling
you
he
wanted
to
shoot
me
too
one
day
but
i
don
t
judge
him
shoot
you
i
cried
what
for
well
i
had
a
small
lot
of
ivory
the
chief
of
that
village
near
my
house
gave
me
you
see
i
used
to
shoot
game
for
them
well
he
wanted
it
and
wouldn
t
hear
reason
he
declared
he
would
shoot
me
unless
i
gave
him
the
ivory
and
then
cleared
out
of
the
country
because
he
could
do
so
and
had
a
fancy
for
it
and
there
was
nothing
on
earth
to
prevent
him
killing
whom
he
jolly
well
pleased
and
it
was
true
too
i
gave
him
the
ivory
what
did
i
care
but
i
didn
t
clear
out
no
no
i
couldn
t
leave
him
i
had
to
be
careful
of
course
till
we
got
friendly
again
for
a
time
he
had
his
second
illness
then
afterwards
i
had
to
keep
out
of
the
way
but
i
didn
t
mind
he
was
living
for
the
most
part
in
those
villages
on
the
lake
when
he
came
down
to
the
river
sometimes
he
would
take
to
me
and
sometimes
it
was
better
for
me
to
be
careful
this
man
suffered
too
much
he
hated
all
this
and
somehow
he
couldn
t
get
away
when
i
had
a
chance
i
begged
him
to
try
and
leave
while
there
was
time
i
offered
to
go
back
with
him
and
he
would
say
yes
and
then
he
would
remain
go
off
on
another
ivory
hunt
disappear
for
weeks
forget
himself
amongst
these
people
forget
himself
you
know
why
he
s
mad
i
said
he
protested
indignantly
mr
kurtz
couldn
t
be
mad
if
i
had
heard
him
talk
only
two
days
ago
i
wouldn
t
dare
hint
at
such
a
thing
i
had
taken
up
my
binoculars
while
we
talked
and
was
looking
at
the
shore
sweeping
the
limit
of
the
forest
at
each
side
and
at
the
back
of
the
house
the
consciousness
of
there
being
people
in
that
bush
so
silent
so
quiet
as
silent
and
quiet
as
the
ruined
house
on
the
hill
made
me
uneasy
there
was
no
sign
on
the
face
of
nature
of
this
amazing
tale
that
was
not
so
much
told
as
suggested
to
me
in
desolate
exclamations
completed
by
shrugs
in
interrupted
phrases
in
hints
ending
in
deep
sighs
the
woods
were
unmoved
like
a
mask
heavy
like
the
closed
door
of
a
prison
they
looked
with
their
air
of
hidden
knowledge
of
patient
expectation
of
unapproachable
silence
the
russian
was
explaining
to
me
that
it
was
only
lately
that
mr
kurtz
had
come
down
to
the
river
bringing
along
with
him
all
the
fighting
men
of
that
lake
tribe
he
had
been
absent
for
several
months
getting
himself
adored
i
suppose
and
had
come
down
unexpectedly
with
the
intention
to
all
appearance
of
making
a
raid
either
across
the
river
or
down
stream
evidently
the
appetite
for
more
ivory
had
got
the
better
of
the
what
shall
i
say
less
material
aspirations
however
he
had
got
much
worse
suddenly
i
heard
he
was
lying
helpless
and
so
i
came
up
took
my
chance
said
the
russian
oh
he
is
bad
very
bad
i
directed
my
glass
to
the
house
there
were
no
signs
of
life
but
there
was
the
ruined
roof
the
long
mud
wall
peeping
above
the
grass
with
three
little
square
window
holes
no
two
of
the
same
size
all
this
brought
within
reach
of
my
hand
as
it
were
and
then
i
made
a
brusque
movement
and
one
of
the
remaining
posts
of
that
vanished
fence
leaped
up
in
the
field
of
my
glass
you
remember
i
told
you
i
had
been
struck
at
the
distance
by
certain
attempts
at
ornamentation
rather
remarkable
in
the
ruinous
aspect
of
the
place
now
i
had
suddenly
a
nearer
view
and
its
first
result
was
to
make
me
throw
my
head
back
as
if
before
a
blow
then
i
went
carefully
from
post
to
post
with
my
glass
and
i
saw
my
mistake
these
round
knobs
were
not
ornamental
but
symbolic
they
were
expressive
and
puzzling
striking
and
disturbing
food
for
thought
and
also
for
vultures
if
there
had
been
any
looking
down
from
the
sky
but
at
all
events
for
such
ants
as
were
industrious
enough
to
ascend
the
pole
they
would
have
been
even
more
impressive
those
heads
on
the
stakes
if
their
faces
had
not
been
turned
to
the
house
only
one
the
first
i
had
made
out
was
facing
my
way
i
was
not
so
shocked
as
you
may
think
the
start
back
i
had
given
was
really
nothing
but
a
movement
of
surprise
i
had
expected
to
see
a
knob
of
wood
there
you
know
i
returned
deliberately
to
the
first
i
had
seen
and
there
it
was
black
dried
sunken
with
closed
eyelids
a
head
that
seemed
to
sleep
at
the
top
of
that
pole
and
with
the
shrunken
dry
lips
showing
a
narrow
white
line
of
the
teeth
was
smiling
too
smiling
continuously
at
some
endless
and
jocose
dream
of
that
eternal
slumber
i
am
not
disclosing
any
trade
secrets
in
fact
the
manager
said
afterwards
that
mr
kurtz
s
methods
had
ruined
the
district
i
have
no
opinion
on
that
point
but
i
want
you
clearly
to
understand
that
there
was
nothing
exactly
profitable
in
these
heads
being
there
they
only
showed
that
mr
kurtz
lacked
restraint
in
the
gratification
of
his
various
lusts
that
there
was
something
wanting
in
him
some
small
matter
which
when
the
pressing
need
arose
could
not
be
found
under
his
magnificent
eloquence
whether
he
knew
of
this
deficiency
himself
i
can
t
say
i
think
the
knowledge
came
to
him
at
last
only
at
the
very
last
but
the
wilderness
had
found
him
out
early
and
had
taken
on
him
a
terrible
vengeance
for
the
fantastic
invasion
i
think
it
had
whispered
to
him
things
about
himself
which
he
did
not
know
things
of
which
he
had
no
conception
till
he
took
counsel
with
this
great
solitude
and
the
whisper
had
proved
irresistibly
fascinating
it
echoed
loudly
within
him
because
he
was
hollow
at
the
core
i
put
down
the
glass
and
the
head
that
had
appeared
near
enough
to
be
spoken
to
seemed
at
once
to
have
leaped
away
from
me
into
inaccessible
distance
the
admirer
of
mr
kurtz
was
a
bit
crestfallen
in
a
hurried
indistinct
voice
he
began
to
assure
me
he
had
not
dared
to
take
these
say
symbols
down
he
was
not
afraid
of
the
natives
they
would
not
stir
till
mr
kurtz
gave
the
word
his
ascendancy
was
extraordinary
the
camps
of
these
people
surrounded
the
place
and
the
chiefs
came
every
day
to
see
him
they
would
crawl
i
don
t
want
to
know
anything
of
the
ceremonies
used
when
approaching
mr
kurtz
i
shouted
curious
this
feeling
that
came
over
me
that
such
details
would
be
more
intolerable
than
those
heads
drying
on
the
stakes
under
mr
kurtz
s
windows
after
all
that
was
only
a
savage
sight
while
i
seemed
at
one
bound
to
have
been
transported
into
some
lightless
region
of
subtle
horrors
where
pure
uncomplicated
savagery
was
a
positive
relief
being
something
that
had
a
right
to
exist
obviously
in
the
sunshine
the
young
man
looked
at
me
with
surprise
i
suppose
it
did
not
occur
to
him
that
mr
kurtz
was
no
idol
of
mine
he
forgot
i
hadn
t
heard
any
of
these
splendid
monologues
on
what
was
it
on
love
justice
conduct
of
life
or
what
not
if
it
had
come
to
crawling
before
mr
kurtz
he
crawled
as
much
as
the
veriest
savage
of
them
all
i
had
no
idea
of
the
conditions
he
said
these
heads
were
the
heads
of
rebels
i
shocked
him
excessively
by
laughing
rebels
what
would
be
the
next
definition
i
was
to
hear
there
had
been
enemies
criminals
workers
and
these
were
rebels
those
rebellious
heads
looked
very
subdued
to
me
on
their
sticks
you
don
t
know
how
such
a
life
tries
a
man
like
kurtz
cried
kurtz
s
last
disciple
well
and
you
i
said
i
i
i
am
a
simple
man
i
have
no
great
thoughts
i
want
nothing
from
anybody
how
can
you
compare
me
to
his
feelings
were
too
much
for
speech
and
suddenly
he
broke
down
i
don
t
understand
he
groaned
i
ve
been
doing
my
best
to
keep
him
alive
and
that
s
enough
i
had
no
hand
in
all
this
i
have
no
abilities
there
hasn
t
been
a
drop
of
medicine
or
a
mouthful
of
invalid
food
for
months
here
he
was
shamefully
abandoned
a
man
like
this
with
such
ideas
shamefully
shamefully
i
i
haven
t
slept
for
the
last
ten
nights
his
voice
lost
itself
in
the
calm
of
the
evening
the
long
shadows
of
the
forest
had
slipped
downhill
while
we
talked
had
gone
far
beyond
the
ruined
hovel
beyond
the
symbolic
row
of
stakes
all
this
was
in
the
gloom
while
we
down
there
were
yet
in
the
sunshine
and
the
stretch
of
the
river
abreast
of
the
clearing
glittered
in
a
still
and
dazzling
splendour
with
a
murky
and
overshadowed
bend
above
and
below
not
a
living
soul
was
seen
on
the
shore
the
bushes
did
not
rustle
suddenly
round
the
corner
of
the
house
a
group
of
men
appeared
as
though
they
had
come
up
from
the
ground
they
waded
waist
deep
in
the
grass
in
a
compact
body
bearing
an
improvised
stretcher
in
their
midst
instantly
in
the
emptiness
of
the
landscape
a
cry
arose
whose
shrillness
pierced
the
still
air
like
a
sharp
arrow
flying
straight
to
the
very
heart
of
the
land
and
as
if
by
enchantment
streams
of
human
beings
of
naked
human
beings
with
spears
in
their
hands
with
bows
with
shields
with
wild
glances
and
savage
movements
were
poured
into
the
clearing
by
the
dark
faced
and
pensive
forest
the
bushes
shook
the
grass
swayed
for
a
time
and
then
everything
stood
still
in
attentive
immobility
now
if
he
does
not
say
the
right
thing
to
them
we
are
all
done
for
said
the
russian
at
my
elbow
the
knot
of
men
with
the
stretcher
had
stopped
too
halfway
to
the
steamer
as
if
petrified
i
saw
the
man
on
the
stretcher
sit
up
lank
and
with
an
uplifted
arm
above
the
shoulders
of
the
bearers
let
us
hope
that
the
man
who
can
talk
so
well
of
love
in
general
will
find
some
particular
reason
to
spare
us
this
time
i
said
i
resented
bitterly
the
absurd
danger
of
our
situation
as
if
to
be
at
the
mercy
of
that
atrocious
phantom
had
been
a
dishonouring
necessity
i
could
not
hear
a
sound
but
through
my
glasses
i
saw
the
thin
arm
extended
commandingly
the
lower
jaw
moving
the
eyes
of
that
apparition
shining
darkly
far
in
its
bony
head
that
nodded
with
grotesque
jerks
kurtz
kurtz
that
means
short
in
german
don
t
it
well
the
name
was
as
true
as
everything
else
in
his
life
and
death
he
looked
at
least
seven
feet
long
his
covering
had
fallen
off
and
his
body
emerged
from
it
pitiful
and
appalling
as
from
a
winding
sheet
i
could
see
the
cage
of
his
ribs
all
astir
the
bones
of
his
arm
waving
it
was
as
though
an
animated
image
of
death
carved
out
of
old
ivory
had
been
shaking
its
hand
with
menaces
at
a
motionless
crowd
of
men
made
of
dark
and
glittering
bronze
i
saw
him
open
his
mouth
wide
it
gave
him
a
weirdly
voracious
aspect
as
though
he
had
wanted
to
swallow
all
the
air
all
the
earth
all
the
men
before
him
a
deep
voice
reached
me
faintly
he
must
have
been
shouting
he
fell
back
suddenly
the
stretcher
shook
as
the
bearers
staggered
forward
again
and
almost
at
the
same
time
i
noticed
that
the
crowd
of
savages
was
vanishing
without
any
perceptible
movement
of
retreat
as
if
the
forest
that
had
ejected
these
beings
so
suddenly
had
drawn
them
in
again
as
the
breath
is
drawn
in
a
long
aspiration
some
of
the
pilgrims
behind
the
stretcher
carried
his
arms
two
shot
guns
a
heavy
rifle
and
a
light
revolver
carbine
the
thunderbolts
of
that
pitiful
jupiter
the
manager
bent
over
him
murmuring
as
he
walked
beside
his
head
they
laid
him
down
in
one
of
the
little
cabins
just
a
room
for
a
bed
place
and
a
camp
stool
or
two
you
know
we
had
brought
his
belated
correspondence
and
a
lot
of
torn
envelopes
and
open
letters
littered
his
bed
his
hand
roamed
feebly
amongst
these
papers
i
was
struck
by
the
fire
of
his
eyes
and
the
composed
languor
of
his
expression
it
was
not
so
much
the
exhaustion
of
disease
he
did
not
seem
in
pain
this
shadow
looked
satiated
and
calm
as
though
for
the
moment
it
had
had
its
fill
of
all
the
emotions
he
rustled
one
of
the
letters
and
looking
straight
in
my
face
said
i
am
glad
somebody
had
been
writing
to
him
about
me
these
special
recommendations
were
turning
up
again
the
volume
of
tone
he
emitted
without
effort
almost
without
the
trouble
of
moving
his
lips
amazed
me
a
voice
a
voice
it
was
grave
profound
vibrating
while
the
man
did
not
seem
capable
of
a
whisper
however
he
had
enough
strength
in
him
factitious
no
doubt
to
very
nearly
make
an
end
of
us
as
you
shall
hear
directly
the
manager
appeared
silently
in
the
doorway
i
stepped
out
at
once
and
he
drew
the
curtain
after
me
the
russian
eyed
curiously
by
the
pilgrims
was
staring
at
the
shore
i
followed
the
direction
of
his
glance
dark
human
shapes
could
be
made
out
in
the
distance
flitting
indistinctly
against
the
gloomy
border
of
the
forest
and
near
the
river
two
bronze
figures
leaning
on
tall
spears
stood
in
the
sunlight
under
fantastic
head
dresses
of
spotted
skins
warlike
and
still
in
statuesque
repose
and
from
right
to
left
along
the
lighted
shore
moved
a
wild
and
gorgeous
apparition
of
a
woman
she
walked
with
measured
steps
draped
in
striped
and
fringed
cloths
treading
the
earth
proudly
with
a
slight
jingle
and
flash
of
barbarous
ornaments
she
carried
her
head
high
her
hair
was
done
in
the
shape
of
a
helmet
she
had
brass
leggings
to
the
knee
brass
wire
gauntlets
to
the
elbow
a
crimson
spot
on
her
tawny
cheek
innumerable
necklaces
of
glass
beads
on
her
neck
bizarre
things
charms
gifts
of
witch
men
that
hung
about
her
glittered
and
trembled
at
every
step
she
must
have
had
the
value
of
several
elephant
tusks
upon
her
she
was
savage
and
superb
wild
eyed
and
magnificent
there
was
something
ominous
and
stately
in
her
deliberate
progress
and
in
the
hush
that
had
fallen
suddenly
upon
the
whole
sorrowful
land
the
immense
wilderness
the
colossal
body
of
the
fecund
and
mysterious
life
seemed
to
look
at
her
pensive
as
though
it
had
been
looking
at
the
image
of
its
own
tenebrous
and
passionate
soul
she
came
abreast
of
the
steamer
stood
still
and
faced
us
her
long
shadow
fell
to
the
water
s
edge
her
face
had
a
tragic
and
fierce
aspect
of
wild
sorrow
and
of
dumb
pain
mingled
with
the
fear
of
some
struggling
half
shaped
resolve
she
stood
looking
at
us
without
a
stir
and
like
the
wilderness
itself
with
an
air
of
brooding
over
an
inscrutable
purpose
a
whole
minute
passed
and
then
she
made
a
step
forward
there
was
a
low
jingle
a
glint
of
yellow
metal
a
sway
of
fringed
draperies
and
she
stopped
as
if
her
heart
had
failed
her
the
young
fellow
by
my
side
growled
the
pilgrims
murmured
at
my
back
she
looked
at
us
all
as
if
her
life
had
depended
upon
the
unswerving
steadiness
of
her
glance
suddenly
she
opened
her
bared
arms
and
threw
them
up
rigid
above
her
head
as
though
in
an
uncontrollable
desire
to
touch
the
sky
and
at
the
same
time
the
swift
shadows
darted
out
on
the
earth
swept
around
on
the
river
gathering
the
steamer
into
a
shadowy
embrace
a
formidable
silence
hung
over
the
scene
she
turned
away
slowly
walked
on
following
the
bank
and
passed
into
the
bushes
to
the
left
once
only
her
eyes
gleamed
back
at
us
in
the
dusk
of
the
thickets
before
she
disappeared
if
she
had
offered
to
come
aboard
i
really
think
i
would
have
tried
to
shoot
her
said
the
man
of
patches
nervously
i
have
been
risking
my
life
every
day
for
the
last
fortnight
to
keep
her
out
of
the
house
she
got
in
one
day
and
kicked
up
a
row
about
those
miserable
rags
i
picked
up
in
the
storeroom
to
mend
my
clothes
with
i
wasn
t
decent
at
least
it
must
have
been
that
for
she
talked
like
a
fury
to
kurtz
for
an
hour
pointing
at
me
now
and
then
i
don
t
understand
the
dialect
of
this
tribe
luckily
for
me
i
fancy
kurtz
felt
too
ill
that
day
to
care
or
there
would
have
been
mischief
i
don
t
understand
no
it
s
too
much
for
me
ah
well
it
s
all
over
now
at
this
moment
i
heard
kurtz
s
deep
voice
behind
the
curtain
save
me
save
the
ivory
you
mean
don
t
tell
me
save
me

why
i
ve
had
to
save
you
you
are
interrupting
my
plans
now
sick
sick
not
so
sick
as
you
would
like
to
believe
never
mind
i
ll
carry
my
ideas
out
yet
i
will
return
i
ll
show
you
what
can
be
done
you
with
your
little
peddling
notions
you
are
interfering
with
me
i
will
return
i
the
manager
came
out
he
did
me
the
honour
to
take
me
under
the
arm
and
lead
me
aside
he
is
very
low
very
low
he
said
he
considered
it
necessary
to
sigh
but
neglected
to
be
consistently
sorrowful
we
have
done
all
we
could
for
him
haven
t
we
but
there
is
no
disguising
the
fact
mr
kurtz
has
done
more
harm
than
good
to
the
company
he
did
not
see
the
time
was
not
ripe
for
vigorous
action
cautiously
cautiously
that
s
my
principle
we
must
be
cautious
yet
the
district
is
closed
to
us
for
a
time
deplorable
upon
the
whole
the
trade
will
suffer
i
don
t
deny
there
is
a
remarkable
quantity
of
ivory
mostly
fossil
we
must
save
it
at
all
events
but
look
how
precarious
the
position
is
and
why
because
the
method
is
unsound
do
you
said
i
looking
at
the
shore
call
it
unsound
method
without
doubt
he
exclaimed
hotly
don
t
you
no
method
at
all
i
murmured
after
a
while
exactly
he
exulted
i
anticipated
this
shows
a
complete
want
of
judgment
it
is
my
duty
to
point
it
out
in
the
proper
quarter
oh
said
i
that
fellow
what
s
his
name
the
brickmaker
will
make
a
readable
report
for
you
he
appeared
confounded
for
a
moment
it
seemed
to
me
i
had
never
breathed
an
atmosphere
so
vile
and
i
turned
mentally
to
kurtz
for
relief
positively
for
relief
nevertheless
i
think
mr
kurtz
is
a
remarkable
man
i
said
with
emphasis
he
started
dropped
on
me
a
heavy
glance
said
very
quietly
he
was
and
turned
his
back
on
me
my
hour
of
favour
was
over
i
found
myself
lumped
along
with
kurtz
as
a
partisan
of
methods
for
which
the
time
was
not
ripe
i
was
unsound
ah
but
it
was
something
to
have
at
least
a
choice
of
nightmares
i
had
turned
to
the
wilderness
really
not
to
mr
kurtz
who
i
was
ready
to
admit
was
as
good
as
buried
and
for
a
moment
it
seemed
to
me
as
if
i
also
were
buried
in
a
vast
grave
full
of
unspeakable
secrets
i
felt
an
intolerable
weight
oppressing
my
breast
the
smell
of
the
damp
earth
the
unseen
presence
of
victorious
corruption
the
darkness
of
an
impenetrable
night
the
russian
tapped
me
on
the
shoulder
i
heard
him
mumbling
and
stammering
something
about
brother
seaman
couldn
t
conceal
knowledge
of
matters
that
would
affect
mr
kurtz
s
reputation
i
waited
for
him
evidently
mr
kurtz
was
not
in
his
grave
i
suspect
that
for
him
mr
kurtz
was
one
of
the
immortals
well
said
i
at
last
speak
out
as
it
happens
i
am
mr
kurtz
s
friend
in
a
way
he
stated
with
a
good
deal
of
formality
that
had
we
not
been
of
the
same
profession
he
would
have
kept
the
matter
to
himself
without
regard
to
consequences
he
suspected
there
was
an
active
ill
will
towards
him
on
the
part
of
these
white
men
that
you
are
right
i
said
remembering
a
certain
conversation
i
had
overheard
the
manager
thinks
you
ought
to
be
hanged
he
showed
a
concern
at
this
intelligence
which
amused
me
at
first
i
had
better
get
out
of
the
way
quietly
he
said
earnestly
i
can
do
no
more
for
kurtz
now
and
they
would
soon
find
some
excuse
what
s
to
stop
them
there
s
a
military
post
three
hundred
miles
from
here
well
upon
my
word
said
i
perhaps
you
had
better
go
if
you
have
any
friends
amongst
the
savages
near
by
plenty
he
said
they
are
simple
people
and
i
want
nothing
you
know
he
stood
biting
his
lip
then
i
don
t
want
any
harm
to
happen
to
these
whites
here
but
of
course
i
was
thinking
of
mr
kurtz
s
reputation
but
you
are
a
brother
seaman
and
all
right
said
i
after
a
time
mr
kurtz
s
reputation
is
safe
with
me
i
did
not
know
how
truly
i
spoke
he
informed
me
lowering
his
voice
that
it
was
kurtz
who
had
ordered
the
attack
to
be
made
on
the
steamer
he
hated
sometimes
the
idea
of
being
taken
away
and
then
again
but
i
don
t
understand
these
matters
i
am
a
simple
man
he
thought
it
would
scare
you
away
that
you
would
give
it
up
thinking
him
dead
i
could
not
stop
him
oh
i
had
an
awful
time
of
it
this
last
month
very
well
i
said
he
is
all
right
now
ye
e
es
he
muttered
not
very
convinced
apparently
thanks
said
i
i
shall
keep
my
eyes
open
but
quiet
eh
he
urged
anxiously
it
would
be
awful
for
his
reputation
if
anybody
here
i
promised
a
complete
discretion
with
great
gravity
i
have
a
canoe
and
three
black
fellows
waiting
not
very
far
i
am
off
could
you
give
me
a
few
martini
henry
cartridges
i
could
and
did
with
proper
secrecy
he
helped
himself
with
a
wink
at
me
to
a
handful
of
my
tobacco
between
sailors
you
know
good
english
tobacco
at
the
door
of
the
pilot
house
he
turned
round
i
say
haven
t
you
a
pair
of
shoes
you
could
spare
he
raised
one
leg
look
the
soles
were
tied
with
knotted
strings
sandalwise
under
his
bare
feet
i
rooted
out
an
old
pair
at
which
he
looked
with
admiration
before
tucking
it
under
his
left
arm
one
of
his
pockets
bright
red
was
bulging
with
cartridges
from
the
other
dark
blue
peeped
towson
s
inquiry
etc
etc
he
seemed
to
think
himself
excellently
well
equipped
for
a
renewed
encounter
with
the
wilderness
ah
i
ll
never
never
meet
such
a
man
again
you
ought
to
have
heard
him
recite
poetry
his
own
too
it
was
he
told
me
poetry
he
rolled
his
eyes
at
the
recollection
of
these
delights
oh
he
enlarged
my
mind
good
bye
said
i
he
shook
hands
and
vanished
in
the
night
sometimes
i
ask
myself
whether
i
had
ever
really
seen
him
whether
it
was
possible
to
meet
such
a
phenomenon
when
i
woke
up
shortly
after
midnight
his
warning
came
to
my
mind
with
its
hint
of
danger
that
seemed
in
the
starred
darkness
real
enough
to
make
me
get
up
for
the
purpose
of
having
a
look
round
on
the
hill
a
big
fire
burned
illuminating
fitfully
a
crooked
corner
of
the
station
house
one
of
the
agents
with
a
picket
of
a
few
of
our
blacks
armed
for
the
purpose
was
keeping
guard
over
the
ivory
but
deep
within
the
forest
red
gleams
that
wavered
that
seemed
to
sink
and
rise
from
the
ground
amongst
confused
columnar
shapes
of
intense
blackness
showed
the
exact
position
of
the
camp
where
mr
kurtz
s
adorers
were
keeping
their
uneasy
vigil
the
monotonous
beating
of
a
big
drum
filled
the
air
with
muffled
shocks
and
a
lingering
vibration
a
steady
droning
sound
of
many
men
chanting
each
to
himself
some
weird
incantation
came
out
from
the
black
flat
wall
of
the
woods
as
the
humming
of
bees
comes
out
of
a
hive
and
had
a
strange
narcotic
effect
upon
my
half
awake
senses
i
believe
i
dozed
off
leaning
over
the
rail
till
an
abrupt
burst
of
yells
an
overwhelming
outbreak
of
a
pent
up
and
mysterious
frenzy
woke
me
up
in
a
bewildered
wonder
it
was
cut
short
all
at
once
and
the
low
droning
went
on
with
an
effect
of
audible
and
soothing
silence
i
glanced
casually
into
the
little
cabin
a
light
was
burning
within
but
mr
kurtz
was
not
there
i
think
i
would
have
raised
an
outcry
if
i
had
believed
my
eyes
but
i
didn
t
believe
them
at
first
the
thing
seemed
so
impossible
the
fact
is
i
was
completely
unnerved
by
a
sheer
blank
fright
pure
abstract
terror
unconnected
with
any
distinct
shape
of
physical
danger
what
made
this
emotion
so
overpowering
was
how
shall
i
define
it
the
moral
shock
i
received
as
if
something
altogether
monstrous
intolerable
to
thought
and
odious
to
the
soul
had
been
thrust
upon
me
unexpectedly
this
lasted
of
course
the
merest
fraction
of
a
second
and
then
the
usual
sense
of
commonplace
deadly
danger
the
possibility
of
a
sudden
onslaught
and
massacre
or
something
of
the
kind
which
i
saw
impending
was
positively
welcome
and
composing
it
pacified
me
in
fact
so
much
that
i
did
not
raise
an
alarm
there
was
an
agent
buttoned
up
inside
an
ulster
and
sleeping
on
a
chair
on
deck
within
three
feet
of
me
the
yells
had
not
awakened
him
he
snored
very
slightly
i
left
him
to
his
slumbers
and
leaped
ashore
i
did
not
betray
mr
kurtz
it
was
ordered
i
should
never
betray
him
it
was
written
i
should
be
loyal
to
the
nightmare
of
my
choice
i
was
anxious
to
deal
with
this
shadow
by
myself
alone
and
to
this
day
i
don
t
know
why
i
was
so
jealous
of
sharing
with
any
one
the
peculiar
blackness
of
that
experience
as
soon
as
i
got
on
the
bank
i
saw
a
trail
a
broad
trail
through
the
grass
i
remember
the
exultation
with
which
i
said
to
myself
he
can
t
walk
he
is
crawling
on
all
fours
i
ve
got
him
the
grass
was
wet
with
dew
i
strode
rapidly
with
clenched
fists
i
fancy
i
had
some
vague
notion
of
falling
upon
him
and
giving
him
a
drubbing
i
don
t
know
i
had
some
imbecile
thoughts
the
knitting
old
woman
with
the
cat
obtruded
herself
upon
my
memory
as
a
most
improper
person
to
be
sitting
at
the
other
end
of
such
an
affair
i
saw
a
row
of
pilgrims
squirting
lead
in
the
air
out
of
winchesters
held
to
the
hip
i
thought
i
would
never
get
back
to
the
steamer
and
imagined
myself
living
alone
and
unarmed
in
the
woods
to
an
advanced
age
such
silly
things
you
know
and
i
remember
i
confounded
the
beat
of
the
drum
with
the
beating
of
my
heart
and
was
pleased
at
its
calm
regularity
i
kept
to
the
track
though
then
stopped
to
listen
the
night
was
very
clear
a
dark
blue
space
sparkling
with
dew
and
starlight
in
which
black
things
stood
very
still
i
thought
i
could
see
a
kind
of
motion
ahead
of
me
i
was
strangely
cocksure
of
everything
that
night
i
actually
left
the
track
and
ran
in
a
wide
semicircle
i
verily
believe
chuckling
to
myself
so
as
to
get
in
front
of
that
stir
of
that
motion
i
had
seen
if
indeed
i
had
seen
anything
i
was
circumventing
kurtz
as
though
it
had
been
a
boyish
game
i
came
upon
him
and
if
he
had
not
heard
me
coming
i
would
have
fallen
over
him
too
but
he
got
up
in
time
he
rose
unsteady
long
pale
indistinct
like
a
vapour
exhaled
by
the
earth
and
swayed
slightly
misty
and
silent
before
me
while
at
my
back
the
fires
loomed
between
the
trees
and
the
murmur
of
many
voices
issued
from
the
forest
i
had
cut
him
off
cleverly
but
when
actually
confronting
him
i
seemed
to
come
to
my
senses
i
saw
the
danger
in
its
right
proportion
it
was
by
no
means
over
yet
suppose
he
began
to
shout
though
he
could
hardly
stand
there
was
still
plenty
of
vigour
in
his
voice
go
away
hide
yourself
he
said
in
that
profound
tone
it
was
very
awful
i
glanced
back
we
were
within
thirty
yards
from
the
nearest
fire
a
black
figure
stood
up
strode
on
long
black
legs
waving
long
black
arms
across
the
glow
it
had
horns
antelope
horns
i
think
on
its
head
some
sorcerer
some
witch
man
no
doubt
it
looked
fiendlike
enough
do
you
know
what
you
are
doing
i
whispered
perfectly
he
answered
raising
his
voice
for
that
single
word
it
sounded
to
me
far
off
and
yet
loud
like
a
hail
through
a
speaking
trumpet
if
he
makes
a
row
we
are
lost
i
thought
to
myself
this
clearly
was
not
a
case
for
fisticuffs
even
apart
from
the
very
natural
aversion
i
had
to
beat
that
shadow
this
wandering
and
tormented
thing
you
will
be
lost
i
said
utterly
lost
one
gets
sometimes
such
a
flash
of
inspiration
you
know
i
did
say
the
right
thing
though
indeed
he
could
not
have
been
more
irretrievably
lost
than
he
was
at
this
very
moment
when
the
foundations
of
our
intimacy
were
being
laid
to
endure
to
endure
even
to
the
end
even
beyond
i
had
immense
plans
he
muttered
irresolutely
yes
said
i
but
if
you
try
to
shout
i
ll
smash
your
head
with
there
was
not
a
stick
or
a
stone
near
i
will
throttle
you
for
good
i
corrected
myself
i
was
on
the
threshold
of
great
things
he
pleaded
in
a
voice
of
longing
with
a
wistfulness
of
tone
that
made
my
blood
run
cold
and
now
for
this
stupid
scoundrel
your
success
in
europe
is
assured
in
any
case
i
affirmed
steadily
i
did
not
want
to
have
the
throttling
of
him
you
understand
and
indeed
it
would
have
been
very
little
use
for
any
practical
purpose
i
tried
to
break
the
spell
the
heavy
mute
spell
of
the
wilderness
that
seemed
to
draw
him
to
its
pitiless
breast
by
the
awakening
of
forgotten
and
brutal
instincts
by
the
memory
of
gratified
and
monstrous
passions
this
alone
i
was
convinced
had
driven
him
out
to
the
edge
of
the
forest
to
the
bush
towards
the
gleam
of
fires
the
throb
of
drums
the
drone
of
weird
incantations
this
alone
had
beguiled
his
unlawful
soul
beyond
the
bounds
of
permitted
aspirations
and
don
t
you
see
the
terror
of
the
position
was
not
in
being
knocked
on
the
head
though
i
had
a
very
lively
sense
of
that
danger
too
but
in
this
that
i
had
to
deal
with
a
being
to
whom
i
could
not
appeal
in
the
name
of
anything
high
or
low
i
had
even
like
the
niggers
to
invoke
him
himself
his
own
exalted
and
incredible
degradation
there
was
nothing
either
above
or
below
him
and
i
knew
it
he
had
kicked
himself
loose
of
the
earth
confound
the
man
he
had
kicked
the
very
earth
to
pieces
he
was
alone
and
i
before
him
did
not
know
whether
i
stood
on
the
ground
or
floated
in
the
air
i
ve
been
telling
you
what
we
said
repeating
the
phrases
we
pronounced
but
what
s
the
good
they
were
common
everyday
words
the
familiar
vague
sounds
exchanged
on
every
waking
day
of
life
but
what
of
that
they
had
behind
them
to
my
mind
the
terrific
suggestiveness
of
words
heard
in
dreams
of
phrases
spoken
in
nightmares
soul
if
anybody
ever
struggled
with
a
soul
i
am
the
man
and
i
wasn
t
arguing
with
a
lunatic
either
believe
me
or
not
his
intelligence
was
perfectly
clear
concentrated
it
is
true
upon
himself
with
horrible
intensity
yet
clear
and
therein
was
my
only
chance
barring
of
course
the
killing
him
there
and
then
which
wasn
t
so
good
on
account
of
unavoidable
noise
but
his
soul
was
mad
being
alone
in
the
wilderness
it
had
looked
within
itself
and
by
heavens
i
tell
you
it
had
gone
mad
i
had
for
my
sins
i
suppose
to
go
through
the
ordeal
of
looking
into
it
myself
no
eloquence
could
have
been
so
withering
to
one
s
belief
in
mankind
as
his
final
burst
of
sincerity
he
struggled
with
himself
too
i
saw
it
i
heard
it
i
saw
the
inconceivable
mystery
of
a
soul
that
knew
no
restraint
no
faith
and
no
fear
yet
struggling
blindly
with
itself
i
kept
my
head
pretty
well
but
when
i
had
him
at
last
stretched
on
the
couch
i
wiped
my
forehead
while
my
legs
shook
under
me
as
though
i
had
carried
half
a
ton
on
my
back
down
that
hill
and
yet
i
had
only
supported
him
his
bony
arm
clasped
round
my
neck
and
he
was
not
much
heavier
than
a
child
when
next
day
we
left
at
noon
the
crowd
of
whose
presence
behind
the
curtain
of
trees
i
had
been
acutely
conscious
all
the
time
flowed
out
of
the
woods
again
filled
the
clearing
covered
the
slope
with
a
mass
of
naked
breathing
quivering
bronze
bodies
i
steamed
up
a
bit
then
swung
down
stream
and
two
thousand
eyes
followed
the
evolutions
of
the
splashing
thumping
fierce
river
demon
beating
the
water
with
its
terrible
tail
and
breathing
black
smoke
into
the
air
in
front
of
the
first
rank
along
the
river
three
men
plastered
with
bright
red
earth
from
head
to
foot
strutted
to
and
fro
restlessly
when
we
came
abreast
again
they
faced
the
river
stamped
their
feet
nodded
their
horned
heads
swayed
their
scarlet
bodies
they
shook
towards
the
fierce
river
demon
a
bunch
of
black
feathers
a
mangy
skin
with
a
pendent
tail
something
that
looked
a
dried
gourd
they
shouted
periodically
together
strings
of
amazing
words
that
resembled
no
sounds
of
human
language
and
the
deep
murmurs
of
the
crowd
interrupted
suddenly
were
like
the
responses
of
some
satanic
litany
we
had
carried
kurtz
into
the
pilot
house
there
was
more
air
there
lying
on
the
couch
he
stared
through
the
open
shutter
there
was
an
eddy
in
the
mass
of
human
bodies
and
the
woman
with
helmeted
head
and
tawny
cheeks
rushed
out
to
the
very
brink
of
the
stream
she
put
out
her
hands
shouted
something
and
all
that
wild
mob
took
up
the
shout
in
a
roaring
chorus
of
articulated
rapid
breathless
utterance
do
you
understand
this
i
asked
he
kept
on
looking
out
past
me
with
fiery
longing
eyes
with
a
mingled
expression
of
wistfulness
and
hate
he
made
no
answer
but
i
saw
a
smile
a
smile
of
indefinable
meaning
appear
on
his
colourless
lips
that
a
moment
after
twitched
convulsively
do
i
not
he
said
slowly
gasping
as
if
the
words
had
been
torn
out
of
him
by
a
supernatural
power
i
pulled
the
string
of
the
whistle
and
i
did
this
because
i
saw
the
pilgrims
on
deck
getting
out
their
rifles
with
an
air
of
anticipating
a
jolly
lark
at
the
sudden
screech
there
was
a
movement
of
abject
terror
through
that
wedged
mass
of
bodies
don
t
don
t
you
frighten
them
away
cried
some
one
on
deck
disconsolately
i
pulled
the
string
time
after
time
they
broke
and
ran
they
leaped
they
crouched
they
swerved
they
dodged
the
flying
terror
of
the
sound
the
three
red
chaps
had
fallen
flat
face
down
on
the
shore
as
though
they
had
been
shot
dead
only
the
barbarous
and
superb
woman
did
not
so
much
as
flinch
and
stretched
tragically
her
bare
arms
after
us
over
the
sombre
and
glittering
river
and
then
that
imbecile
crowd
down
on
the
deck
started
their
little
fun
and
i
could
see
nothing
more
for
smoke
the
brown
current
ran
swiftly
out
of
the
heart
of
darkness
bearing
us
down
towards
the
sea
with
twice
the
speed
of
our
upward
progress
and
kurtz
s
life
was
running
swiftly
too
ebbing
ebbing
out
of
his
heart
into
the
sea
of
inexorable
time
the
manager
was
very
placid
he
had
no
vital
anxieties
now
he
took
us
both
in
with
a
comprehensive
and
satisfied
glance
the
affair
had
come
off
as
well
as
could
be
wished
i
saw
the
time
approaching
when
i
would
be
left
alone
of
the
party
of
unsound
method
the
pilgrims
looked
upon
me
with
disfavour
i
was
so
to
speak
numbered
with
the
dead
it
is
strange
how
i
accepted
this
unforeseen
partnership
this
choice
of
nightmares
forced
upon
me
in
the
tenebrous
land
invaded
by
these
mean
and
greedy
phantoms
kurtz
discoursed
a
voice
a
voice
it
rang
deep
to
the
very
last
it
survived
his
strength
to
hide
in
the
magnificent
folds
of
eloquence
the
barren
darkness
of
his
heart
oh
he
struggled
he
struggled
the
wastes
of
his
weary
brain
were
haunted
by
shadowy
images
now
images
of
wealth
and
fame
revolving
obsequiously
round
his
unextinguishable
gift
of
noble
and
lofty
expression
my
intended
my
station
my
career
my
ideas
these
were
the
subjects
for
the
occasional
utterances
of
elevated
sentiments
the
shade
of
the
original
kurtz
frequented
the
bedside
of
the
hollow
sham
whose
fate
it
was
to
be
buried
presently
in
the
mould
of
primeval
earth
but
both
the
diabolic
love
and
the
unearthly
hate
of
the
mysteries
it
had
penetrated
fought
for
the
possession
of
that
soul
satiated
with
primitive
emotions
avid
of
lying
fame
of
sham
distinction
of
all
the
appearances
of
success
and
power
sometimes
he
was
contemptibly
childish
he
desired
to
have
kings
meet
him
at
railway
stations
on
his
return
from
some
ghastly
nowhere
where
he
intended
to
accomplish
great
things
you
show
them
you
have
in
you
something
that
is
really
profitable
and
then
there
will
be
no
limits
to
the
recognition
of
your
ability
he
would
say
of
course
you
must
take
care
of
the
motives
right
motives
always
the
long
reaches
that
were
like
one
and
the
same
reach
monotonous
bends
that
were
exactly
alike
slipped
past
the
steamer
with
their
multitude
of
secular
trees
looking
patiently
after
this
grimy
fragment
of
another
world
the
forerunner
of
change
of
conquest
of
trade
of
massacres
of
blessings
i
looked
ahead
piloting
close
the
shutter
said
kurtz
suddenly
one
day
i
can
t
bear
to
look
at
this
i
did
so
there
was
a
silence
oh
but
i
will
wring
your
heart
yet
he
cried
at
the
invisible
wilderness
we
broke
down
as
i
had
expected
and
had
to
lie
up
for
repairs
at
the
head
of
an
island
this
delay
was
the
first
thing
that
shook
kurtz
s
confidence
one
morning
he
gave
me
a
packet
of
papers
and
a
photograph
the
lot
tied
together
with
a
shoe
string
keep
this
for
me
he
said
this
noxious
fool
meaning
the
manager
is
capable
of
prying
into
my
boxes
when
i
am
not
looking
in
the
afternoon
i
saw
him
he
was
lying
on
his
back
with
closed
eyes
and
i
withdrew
quietly
but
i
heard
him
mutter
live
rightly
die
die
i
listened
there
was
nothing
more
was
he
rehearsing
some
speech
in
his
sleep
or
was
it
a
fragment
of
a
phrase
from
some
newspaper
article
he
had
been
writing
for
the
papers
and
meant
to
do
so
again
for
the
furthering
of
my
ideas
it
s
a
duty
his
was
an
impenetrable
darkness
i
looked
at
him
as
you
peer
down
at
a
man
who
is
lying
at
the
bottom
of
a
precipice
where
the
sun
never
shines
but
i
had
not
much
time
to
give
him
because
i
was
helping
the
engine
driver
to
take
to
pieces
the
leaky
cylinders
to
straighten
a
bent
connecting
rod
and
in
other
such
matters
i
lived
in
an
infernal
mess
of
rust
filings
nuts
bolts
spanners
hammers
ratchet
drills
things
i
abominate
because
i
don
t
get
on
with
them
i
tended
the
little
forge
we
fortunately
had
aboard
i
toiled
wearily
in
a
wretched
scrap
heap
unless
i
had
the
shakes
too
bad
to
stand
one
evening
coming
in
with
a
candle
i
was
startled
to
hear
him
say
a
little
tremulously
i
am
lying
here
in
the
dark
waiting
for
death
the
light
was
within
a
foot
of
his
eyes
i
forced
myself
to
murmur
oh
nonsense
and
stood
over
him
as
if
transfixed
anything
approaching
the
change
that
came
over
his
features
i
have
never
seen
before
and
hope
never
to
see
again
oh
i
wasn
t
touched
i
was
fascinated
it
was
as
though
a
veil
had
been
rent
i
saw
on
that
ivory
face
the
expression
of
sombre
pride
of
ruthless
power
of
craven
terror
of
an
intense
and
hopeless
despair
did
he
live
his
life
again
in
every
detail
of
desire
temptation
and
surrender
during
that
supreme
moment
of
complete
knowledge
he
cried
in
a
whisper
at
some
image
at
some
vision
he
cried
out
twice
a
cry
that
was
no
more
than
a
breath
the
horror
the
horror
i
blew
the
candle
out
and
left
the
cabin
the
pilgrims
were
dining
in
the
mess
room
and
i
took
my
place
opposite
the
manager
who
lifted
his
eyes
to
give
me
a
questioning
glance
which
i
successfully
ignored
he
leaned
back
serene
with
that
peculiar
smile
of
his
sealing
the
unexpressed
depths
of
his
meanness
a
continuous
shower
of
small
flies
streamed
upon
the
lamp
upon
the
cloth
upon
our
hands
and
faces
suddenly
the
manager
s
boy
put
his
insolent
black
head
in
the
doorway
and
said
in
a
tone
of
scathing
contempt
mistah
kurtz
he
dead
all
the
pilgrims
rushed
out
to
see
i
remained
and
went
on
with
my
dinner
i
believe
i
was
considered
brutally
callous
however
i
did
not
eat
much
there
was
a
lamp
in
there
light
don
t
you
know
and
outside
it
was
so
beastly
beastly
dark
i
went
no
more
near
the
remarkable
man
who
had
pronounced
a
judgment
upon
the
adventures
of
his
soul
on
this
earth
the
voice
was
gone
what
else
had
been
there
but
i
am
of
course
aware
that
next
day
the
pilgrims
buried
something
in
a
muddy
hole
and
then
they
very
nearly
buried
me
however
as
you
see
i
did
not
go
to
join
kurtz
there
and
then
i
did
not
i
remained
to
dream
the
nightmare
out
to
the
end
and
to
show
my
loyalty
to
kurtz
once
more
destiny
my
destiny
droll
thing
life
is
that
mysterious
arrangement
of
merciless
logic
for
a
futile
purpose
the
most
you
can
hope
from
it
is
some
knowledge
of
yourself
that
comes
too
late
a
crop
of
unextinguishable
regrets
i
have
wrestled
with
death
it
is
the
most
unexciting
contest
you
can
imagine
it
takes
place
in
an
impalpable
greyness
with
nothing
underfoot
with
nothing
around
without
spectators
without
clamour
without
glory
without
the
great
desire
of
victory
without
the
great
fear
of
defeat
in
a
sickly
atmosphere
of
tepid
scepticism
without
much
belief
in
your
own
right
and
still
less
in
that
of
your
adversary
if
such
is
the
form
of
ultimate
wisdom
then
life
is
a
greater
riddle
than
some
of
us
think
it
to
be
i
was
within
a
hair
s
breadth
of
the
last
opportunity
for
pronouncement
and
i
found
with
humiliation
that
probably
i
would
have
nothing
to
say
this
is
the
reason
why
i
affirm
that
kurtz
was
a
remarkable
man
he
had
something
to
say
he
said
it
since
i
had
peeped
over
the
edge
myself
i
understand
better
the
meaning
of
his
stare
that
could
not
see
the
flame
of
the
candle
but
was
wide
enough
to
embrace
the
whole
universe
piercing
enough
to
penetrate
all
the
hearts
that
beat
in
the
darkness
he
had
summed
up
he
had
judged
the
horror
he
was
a
remarkable
man
after
all
this
was
the
expression
of
some
sort
of
belief
it
had
candour
it
had
conviction
it
had
a
vibrating
note
of
revolt
in
its
whisper
it
had
the
appalling
face
of
a
glimpsed
truth
the
strange
commingling
of
desire
and
hate
and
it
is
not
my
own
extremity
i
remember
best
a
vision
of
greyness
without
form
filled
with
physical
pain
and
a
careless
contempt
for
the
evanescence
of
all
things
even
of
this
pain
itself
no
it
is
his
extremity
that
i
seem
to
have
lived
through
true
he
had
made
that
last
stride
he
had
stepped
over
the
edge
while
i
had
been
permitted
to
draw
back
my
hesitating
foot
and
perhaps
in
this
is
the
whole
difference
perhaps
all
the
wisdom
and
all
truth
and
all
sincerity
are
just
compressed
into
that
inappreciable
moment
of
time
in
which
we
step
over
the
threshold
of
the
invisible
perhaps
i
like
to
think
my
summing
up
would
not
have
been
a
word
of
careless
contempt
better
his
cry
much
better
it
was
an
affirmation
a
moral
victory
paid
for
by
innumerable
defeats
by
abominable
terrors
by
abominable
satisfactions
but
it
was
a
victory
that
is
why
i
have
remained
loyal
to
kurtz
to
the
last
and
even
beyond
when
a
long
time
after
i
heard
once
more
not
his
own
voice
but
the
echo
of
his
magnificent
eloquence
thrown
to
me
from
a
soul
as
translucently
pure
as
a
cliff
of
crystal
no
they
did
not
bury
me
though
there
is
a
period
of
time
which
i
remember
mistily
with
a
shuddering
wonder
like
a
passage
through
some
inconceivable
world
that
had
no
hope
in
it
and
no
desire
i
found
myself
back
in
the
sepulchral
city
resenting
the
sight
of
people
hurrying
through
the
streets
to
filch
a
little
money
from
each
other
to
devour
their
infamous
cookery
to
gulp
their
unwholesome
beer
to
dream
their
insignificant
and
silly
dreams
they
trespassed
upon
my
thoughts
they
were
intruders
whose
knowledge
of
life
was
to
me
an
irritating
pretence
because
i
felt
so
sure
they
could
not
possibly
know
the
things
i
knew
their
bearing
which
was
simply
the
bearing
of
commonplace
individuals
going
about
their
business
in
the
assurance
of
perfect
safety
was
offensive
to
me
like
the
outrageous
flauntings
of
folly
in
the
face
of
a
danger
it
is
unable
to
comprehend
i
had
no
particular
desire
to
enlighten
them
but
i
had
some
difficulty
in
restraining
myself
from
laughing
in
their
faces
so
full
of
stupid
importance
i
daresay
i
was
not
very
well
at
that
time
i
tottered
about
the
streets
there
were
various
affairs
to
settle
grinning
bitterly
at
perfectly
respectable
persons
i
admit
my
behaviour
was
inexcusable
but
then
my
temperature
was
seldom
normal
in
these
days
my
dear
aunt
s
endeavours
to
nurse
up
my
strength
seemed
altogether
beside
the
mark
it
was
not
my
strength
that
wanted
nursing
it
was
my
imagination
that
wanted
soothing
i
kept
the
bundle
of
papers
given
me
by
kurtz
not
knowing
exactly
what
to
do
with
it
his
mother
had
died
lately
watched
over
as
i
was
told
by
his
intended
a
clean
shaved
man
with
an
official
manner
and
wearing
gold
rimmed
spectacles
called
on
me
one
day
and
made
inquiries
at
first
circuitous
afterwards
suavely
pressing
about
what
he
was
pleased
to
denominate
certain
documents
i
was
not
surprised
because
i
had
had
two
rows
with
the
manager
on
the
subject
out
there
i
had
refused
to
give
up
the
smallest
scrap
out
of
that
package
and
i
took
the
same
attitude
with
the
spectacled
man
he
became
darkly
menacing
at
last
and
with
much
heat
argued
that
the
company
had
the
right
to
every
bit
of
information
about
its
territories
and
said
he
mr
kurtz
s
knowledge
of
unexplored
regions
must
have
been
necessarily
extensive
and
peculiar
owing
to
his
great
abilities
and
to
the
deplorable
circumstances
in
which
he
had
been
placed
therefore
i
assured
him
mr
kurtz
s
knowledge
however
extensive
did
not
bear
upon
the
problems
of
commerce
or
administration
he
invoked
then
the
name
of
science
it
would
be
an
incalculable
loss
if
etc
etc
i
offered
him
the
report
on
the
suppression
of
savage
customs
with
the
postscriptum
torn
off
he
took
it
up
eagerly
but
ended
by
sniffing
at
it
with
an
air
of
contempt
this
is
not
what
we
had
a
right
to
expect
he
remarked
expect
nothing
else
i
said
there
are
only
private
letters
he
withdrew
upon
some
threat
of
legal
proceedings
and
i
saw
him
no
more
but
another
fellow
calling
himself
kurtz
s
cousin
appeared
two
days
later
and
was
anxious
to
hear
all
the
details
about
his
dear
relative
s
last
moments
incidentally
he
gave
me
to
understand
that
kurtz
had
been
essentially
a
great
musician
there
was
the
making
of
an
immense
success
said
the
man
who
was
an
organist
i
believe
with
lank
grey
hair
flowing
over
a
greasy
coat
collar
i
had
no
reason
to
doubt
his
statement
and
to
this
day
i
am
unable
to
say
what
was
kurtz
s
profession
whether
he
ever
had
any
which
was
the
greatest
of
his
talents
i
had
taken
him
for
a
painter
who
wrote
for
the
papers
or
else
for
a
journalist
who
could
paint
but
even
the
cousin
who
took
snuff
during
the
interview
could
not
tell
me
what
he
had
been
exactly
he
was
a
universal
genius
on
that
point
i
agreed
with
the
old
chap
who
thereupon
blew
his
nose
noisily
into
a
large
cotton
handkerchief
and
withdrew
in
senile
agitation
bearing
off
some
family
letters
and
memoranda
without
importance
ultimately
a
journalist
anxious
to
know
something
of
the
fate
of
his
dear
colleague
turned
up
this
visitor
informed
me
kurtz
s
proper
sphere
ought
to
have
been
politics
on
the
popular
side
he
had
furry
straight
eyebrows
bristly
hair
cropped
short
an
eyeglass
on
a
broad
ribbon
and
becoming
expansive
confessed
his
opinion
that
kurtz
really
couldn
t
write
a
bit
but
heavens
how
that
man
could
talk
he
electrified
large
meetings
he
had
faith
don
t
you
see
he
had
the
faith
he
could
get
himself
to
believe
anything
anything
he
would
have
been
a
splendid
leader
of
an
extreme
party
what
party
i
asked
any
party
answered
the
other
he
was
an
an
extremist
did
i
not
think
so
i
assented
did
i
know
he
asked
with
a
sudden
flash
of
curiosity
what
it
was
that
had
induced
him
to
go
out
there
yes
said
i
and
forthwith
handed
him
the
famous
report
for
publication
if
he
thought
fit
he
glanced
through
it
hurriedly
mumbling
all
the
time
judged
it
would
do
and
took
himself
off
with
this
plunder
thus
i
was
left
at
last
with
a
slim
packet
of
letters
and
the
girl
s
portrait
she
struck
me
as
beautiful
i
mean
she
had
a
beautiful
expression
i
know
that
the
sunlight
can
be
made
to
lie
too
yet
one
felt
that
no
manipulation
of
light
and
pose
could
have
conveyed
the
delicate
shade
of
truthfulness
upon
those
features
she
seemed
ready
to
listen
without
mental
reservation
without
suspicion
without
a
thought
for
herself
i
concluded
i
would
go
and
give
her
back
her
portrait
and
those
letters
myself
curiosity
yes
and
also
some
other
feeling
perhaps
all
that
had
been
kurtz
s
had
passed
out
of
my
hands
his
soul
his
body
his
station
his
plans
his
ivory
his
career
there
remained
only
his
memory
and
his
intended
and
i
wanted
to
give
that
up
too
to
the
past
in
a
way
to
surrender
personally
all
that
remained
of
him
with
me
to
that
oblivion
which
is
the
last
word
of
our
common
fate
i
don
t
defend
myself
i
had
no
clear
perception
of
what
it
was
i
really
wanted
perhaps
it
was
an
impulse
of
unconscious
loyalty
or
the
fulfilment
of
one
of
those
ironic
necessities
that
lurk
in
the
facts
of
human
existence
i
don
t
know
i
can
t
tell
but
i
went
i
thought
his
memory
was
like
the
other
memories
of
the
dead
that
accumulate
in
every
man
s
life
a
vague
impress
on
the
brain
of
shadows
that
had
fallen
on
it
in
their
swift
and
final
passage
but
before
the
high
and
ponderous
door
between
the
tall
houses
of
a
street
as
still
and
decorous
as
a
well
kept
alley
in
a
cemetery
i
had
a
vision
of
him
on
the
stretcher
opening
his
mouth
voraciously
as
if
to
devour
all
the
earth
with
all
its
mankind
he
lived
then
before
me
he
lived
as
much
as
he
had
ever
lived
a
shadow
insatiable
of
splendid
appearances
of
frightful
realities
a
shadow
darker
than
the
shadow
of
the
night
and
draped
nobly
in
the
folds
of
a
gorgeous
eloquence
the
vision
seemed
to
enter
the
house
with
me
the
stretcher
the
phantom
bearers
the
wild
crowd
of
obedient
worshippers
the
gloom
of
the
forests
the
glitter
of
the
reach
between
the
murky
bends
the
beat
of
the
drum
regular
and
muffled
like
the
beating
of
a
heart
the
heart
of
a
conquering
darkness
it
was
a
moment
of
triumph
for
the
wilderness
an
invading
and
vengeful
rush
which
it
seemed
to
me
i
would
have
to
keep
back
alone
for
the
salvation
of
another
soul
and
the
memory
of
what
i
had
heard
him
say
afar
there
with
the
horned
shapes
stirring
at
my
back
in
the
glow
of
fires
within
the
patient
woods
those
broken
phrases
came
back
to
me
were
heard
again
in
their
ominous
and
terrifying
simplicity
i
remembered
his
abject
pleading
his
abject
threats
the
colossal
scale
of
his
vile
desires
the
meanness
the
torment
the
tempestuous
anguish
of
his
soul
and
later
on
i
seemed
to
see
his
collected
languid
manner
when
he
said
one
day
this
lot
of
ivory
now
is
really
mine
the
company
did
not
pay
for
it
i
collected
it
myself
at
a
very
great
personal
risk
i
am
afraid
they
will
try
to
claim
it
as
theirs
though
h
m
it
is
a
difficult
case
what
do
you
think
i
ought
to
do
resist
eh
i
want
no
more
than
justice
he
wanted
no
more
than
justice
no
more
than
justice
i
rang
the
bell
before
a
mahogany
door
on
the
first
floor
and
while
i
waited
he
seemed
to
stare
at
me
out
of
the
glassy
panel
stare
with
that
wide
and
immense
stare
embracing
condemning
loathing
all
the
universe
i
seemed
to
hear
the
whispered
cry
the
horror
the
horror
the
dusk
was
falling
i
had
to
wait
in
a
lofty
drawing
room
with
three
long
windows
from
floor
to
ceiling
that
were
like
three
luminous
and
bedraped
columns
the
bent
gilt
legs
and
backs
of
the
furniture
shone
in
indistinct
curves
the
tall
marble
fireplace
had
a
cold
and
monumental
whiteness
a
grand
piano
stood
massively
in
a
corner
with
dark
gleams
on
the
flat
surfaces
like
a
sombre
and
polished
sarcophagus
a
high
door
opened
closed
i
rose
she
came
forward
all
in
black
with
a
pale
head
floating
towards
me
in
the
dusk
she
was
in
mourning
it
was
more
than
a
year
since
his
death
more
than
a
year
since
the
news
came
she
seemed
as
though
she
would
remember
and
mourn
forever
she
took
both
my
hands
in
hers
and
murmured
i
had
heard
you
were
coming
i
noticed
she
was
not
very
young
i
mean
not
girlish
she
had
a
mature
capacity
for
fidelity
for
belief
for
suffering
the
room
seemed
to
have
grown
darker
as
if
all
the
sad
light
of
the
cloudy
evening
had
taken
refuge
on
her
forehead
this
fair
hair
this
pale
visage
this
pure
brow
seemed
surrounded
by
an
ashy
halo
from
which
the
dark
eyes
looked
out
at
me
their
glance
was
guileless
profound
confident
and
trustful
she
carried
her
sorrowful
head
as
though
she
were
proud
of
that
sorrow
as
though
she
would
say
i
i
alone
know
how
to
mourn
for
him
as
he
deserves
but
while
we
were
still
shaking
hands
such
a
look
of
awful
desolation
came
upon
her
face
that
i
perceived
she
was
one
of
those
creatures
that
are
not
the
playthings
of
time
for
her
he
had
died
only
yesterday
and
by
jove
the
impression
was
so
powerful
that
for
me
too
he
seemed
to
have
died
only
yesterday
nay
this
very
minute
i
saw
her
and
him
in
the
same
instant
of
time
his
death
and
her
sorrow
i
saw
her
sorrow
in
the
very
moment
of
his
death
do
you
understand
i
saw
them
together
i
heard
them
together
she
had
said
with
a
deep
catch
of
the
breath
i
have
survived
while
my
strained
ears
seemed
to
hear
distinctly
mingled
with
her
tone
of
despairing
regret
the
summing
up
whisper
of
his
eternal
condemnation
i
asked
myself
what
i
was
doing
there
with
a
sensation
of
panic
in
my
heart
as
though
i
had
blundered
into
a
place
of
cruel
and
absurd
mysteries
not
fit
for
a
human
being
to
behold
she
motioned
me
to
a
chair
we
sat
down
i
laid
the
packet
gently
on
the
little
table
and
she
put
her
hand
over
it
you
knew
him
well
she
murmured
after
a
moment
of
mourning
silence
intimacy
grows
quickly
out
there
i
said
i
knew
him
as
well
as
it
is
possible
for
one
man
to
know
another
and
you
admired
him
she
said
it
was
impossible
to
know
him
and
not
to
admire
him
was
it
he
was
a
remarkable
man
i
said
unsteadily
then
before
the
appealing
fixity
of
her
gaze
that
seemed
to
watch
for
more
words
on
my
lips
i
went
on
it
was
impossible
not
to
love
him
she
finished
eagerly
silencing
me
into
an
appalled
dumbness
how
true
how
true
but
when
you
think
that
no
one
knew
him
so
well
as
i
i
had
all
his
noble
confidence
i
knew
him
best
you
knew
him
best
i
repeated
and
perhaps
she
did
but
with
every
word
spoken
the
room
was
growing
darker
and
only
her
forehead
smooth
and
white
remained
illumined
by
the
inextinguishable
light
of
belief
and
love
you
were
his
friend
she
went
on
his
friend
she
repeated
a
little
louder
you
must
have
been
if
he
had
given
you
this
and
sent
you
to
me
i
feel
i
can
speak
to
you
and
oh
i
must
speak
i
want
you
you
who
have
heard
his
last
words
to
know
i
have
been
worthy
of
him
it
is
not
pride
yes
i
am
proud
to
know
i
understood
him
better
than
any
one
on
earth
he
told
me
so
himself
and
since
his
mother
died
i
have
had
no
one
no
one
to
to
i
listened
the
darkness
deepened
i
was
not
even
sure
whether
he
had
given
me
the
right
bundle
i
rather
suspect
he
wanted
me
to
take
care
of
another
batch
of
his
papers
which
after
his
death
i
saw
the
manager
examining
under
the
lamp
and
the
girl
talked
easing
her
pain
in
the
certitude
of
my
sympathy
she
talked
as
thirsty
men
drink
i
had
heard
that
her
engagement
with
kurtz
had
been
disapproved
by
her
people
he
wasn
t
rich
enough
or
something
and
indeed
i
don
t
know
whether
he
had
not
been
a
pauper
all
his
life
he
had
given
me
some
reason
to
infer
that
it
was
his
impatience
of
comparative
poverty
that
drove
him
out
there
who
was
not
his
friend
who
had
heard
him
speak
once
she
was
saying
he
drew
men
towards
him
by
what
was
best
in
them
she
looked
at
me
with
intensity
it
is
the
gift
of
the
great
she
went
on
and
the
sound
of
her
low
voice
seemed
to
have
the
accompaniment
of
all
the
other
sounds
full
of
mystery
desolation
and
sorrow
i
had
ever
heard
the
ripple
of
the
river
the
soughing
of
the
trees
swayed
by
the
wind
the
murmurs
of
the
crowds
the
faint
ring
of
incomprehensible
words
cried
from
afar
the
whisper
of
a
voice
speaking
from
beyond
the
threshold
of
an
eternal
darkness
but
you
have
heard
him
you
know
she
cried
yes
i
know
i
said
with
something
like
despair
in
my
heart
but
bowing
my
head
before
the
faith
that
was
in
her
before
that
great
and
saving
illusion
that
shone
with
an
unearthly
glow
in
the
darkness
in
the
triumphant
darkness
from
which
i
could
not
have
defended
her
from
which
i
could
not
even
defend
myself
what
a
loss
to
me
to
us
she
corrected
herself
with
beautiful
generosity
then
added
in
a
murmur
to
the
world
by
the
last
gleams
of
twilight
i
could
see
the
glitter
of
her
eyes
full
of
tears
of
tears
that
would
not
fall
i
have
been
very
happy
very
fortunate
very
proud
she
went
on
too
fortunate
too
happy
for
a
little
while
and
now
i
am
unhappy
for
for
life
she
stood
up
her
fair
hair
seemed
to
catch
all
the
remaining
light
in
a
glimmer
of
gold
i
rose
too
and
of
all
this
she
went
on
mournfully
of
all
his
promise
and
of
all
his
greatness
of
his
generous
mind
of
his
noble
heart
nothing
remains
nothing
but
a
memory
you
and
i
we
shall
always
remember
him
i
said
hastily
no
she
cried
it
is
impossible
that
all
this
should
be
lost
that
such
a
life
should
be
sacrificed
to
leave
nothing
but
sorrow
you
know
what
vast
plans
he
had
i
knew
of
them
too
i
could
not
perhaps
understand
but
others
knew
of
them
something
must
remain
his
words
at
least
have
not
died
his
words
will
remain
i
said
and
his
example
she
whispered
to
herself
men
looked
up
to
him
his
goodness
shone
in
every
act
his
example
true
i
said
his
example
too
yes
his
example
i
forgot
that
but
i
do
not
i
cannot
i
cannot
believe
not
yet
i
cannot
believe
that
i
shall
never
see
him
again
that
nobody
will
see
him
again
never
never
never
she
put
out
her
arms
as
if
after
a
retreating
figure
stretching
them
back
and
with
clasped
pale
hands
across
the
fading
and
narrow
sheen
of
the
window
never
see
him
i
saw
him
clearly
enough
then
i
shall
see
this
eloquent
phantom
as
long
as
i
live
and
i
shall
see
her
too
a
tragic
and
familiar
shade
resembling
in
this
gesture
another
one
tragic
also
and
bedecked
with
powerless
charms
stretching
bare
brown
arms
over
the
glitter
of
the
infernal
stream
the
stream
of
darkness
she
said
suddenly
very
low
he
died
as
he
lived
his
end
said
i
with
dull
anger
stirring
in
me
was
in
every
way
worthy
of
his
life
and
i
was
not
with
him
she
murmured
my
anger
subsided
before
a
feeling
of
infinite
pity
everything
that
could
be
done
i
mumbled
ah
but
i
believed
in
him
more
than
any
one
on
earth
more
than
his
own
mother
more
than
himself
he
needed
me
me
i
would
have
treasured
every
sigh
every
word
every
sign
every
glance
i
felt
like
a
chill
grip
on
my
chest
don
t
i
said
in
a
muffled
voice
forgive
me
i
i
have
mourned
so
long
in
silence
in
silence
you
were
with
him
to
the
last
i
think
of
his
loneliness
nobody
near
to
understand
him
as
i
would
have
understood
perhaps
no
one
to
hear
to
the
very
end
i
said
shakily
i
heard
his
very
last
words
i
stopped
in
a
fright
repeat
them
she
murmured
in
a
heart
broken
tone
i
want
i
want
something
something
to
to
live
with
i
was
on
the
point
of
crying
at
her
don
t
you
hear
them
the
dusk
was
repeating
them
in
a
persistent
whisper
all
around
us
in
a
whisper
that
seemed
to
swell
menacingly
like
the
first
whisper
of
a
rising
wind
the
horror
the
horror
his
last
word
to
live
with
she
insisted
don
t
you
understand
i
loved
him
i
loved
him
i
loved
him
i
pulled
myself
together
and
spoke
slowly
the
last
word
he
pronounced
was
your
name
i
heard
a
light
sigh
and
then
my
heart
stood
still
stopped
dead
short
by
an
exulting
and
terrible
cry
by
the
cry
of
inconceivable
triumph
and
of
unspeakable
pain
i
knew
it
i
was
sure
she
knew
she
was
sure
i
heard
her
weeping
she
had
hidden
her
face
in
her
hands
it
seemed
to
me
that
the
house
would
collapse
before
i
could
escape
that
the
heavens
would
fall
upon
my
head
but
nothing
happened
the
heavens
do
not
fall
for
such
a
trifle
would
they
have
fallen
i
wonder
if
i
had
rendered
kurtz
that
justice
which
was
his
due
hadn
t
he
said
he
wanted
only
justice
but
i
couldn
t
i
could
not
tell
her
it
would
have
been
too
dark
too
dark
altogether
marlow
ceased
and
sat
apart
indistinct
and
silent
in
the
pose
of
a
meditating
buddha
nobody
moved
for
a
time
we
have
lost
the
first
of
the
ebb
said
the
director
suddenly
i
raised
my
head
the
offing
was
barred
by
a
black
bank
of
clouds
and
the
tranquil
waterway
leading
to
the
uttermost
ends
of
the
earth
flowed
sombre
under
an
overcast
sky
seemed
to
lead
into
the
heart
of
an
immense
darkness