Youfanciedyouhadseenthings——butthesealwason。
　　Whenannoyedatmeal-timesbytheconstantquarrelsofthewhitemenaboutprecedence，heorderedanim-
　　menseroundtabletobemade，forwhichaspecialhousehadtobebuilt。Thiswasthestation’smess-room。Wherehesatwasthefirstplace——therestwerenowhere。Onefeltthistobehisunalterableconviction。Hewasneithercivilnoruncivil。Hewasquiet。Heallowedhis’boy’
　　——anoverfedyoungnegrofromthecoast——totreatthewhitemen，underhisveryeyes，withprovokinginsolence。
　　"Hebegantospeakassoonashesawme。Ihadbeenverylongontheroad。Hecouldnotwait。Hadtostartwithoutme。Theup-riverstationshadtoberelieved。Therehadbeensomanydelaysalreadythathedidnotknowwhowasdeadandwhowasalive，andhowtheygoton——andsoon，andsoon。Hepaidnoattentiontomyexplanations，and，playingwithastickofsealing-wax，repeatedseveraltimesthatthesituationwas’verygrave，verygrave。’Therewererumorsthataveryimportantstationwasinjeopardy，anditschief，Mr。Kurtz，wasill。Hopeditwasnottrue。Mr。Kurtzwas……Ifeltwearyandirritable。HangKurtz，I
　　thought。IinterruptedhimbysayingIhadheardofMr。Kurtzonthecoast。’Ah！Sotheytalkofhimdownthere，’hemurmuredtohimself。Thenhebeganagain，assuringmeMr。Kurtzwasthebestagenthehad，anexceptionalman，ofthegreatestimportancetotheCompany;thereforeIcouldunderstandhisanxiety。
　　Hewas，hesaid，’very，veryuneasy。’Certainlyhefidgetonhischairagooddeal，exclaimed，’Ah，Mr。
　　Kurtz！’brokethestickofsealing-waxandseemeddumb-
　　foundedbytheaccident。Nextthinghewantedtoknow’howlongitwouldtaketo’……Iinterruptedhimagain。Beinghungry，youknow，andkeptonmyfeettoo，Iwasgettingsavage。’HowcouldItell，’Isaid。
　　’Ihadn’tevenseenthewreckyet——somemonths，nodoubt。’Allthistalkseemedtomesofutile。’Somemonths，’hesaid。’Well，letussaythreemonthsbeforewecanmakeastart。Yes。Thatoughttodotheaffair。’
　　Iflungoutofhishut（helivedallaloneinaclayhutwithasortofveranda）mutteringtomyselfmyopinionofhim。Hewasachatteringidiot。AfterwardsItookitbackwhenitwasborneinuponmestartlinglywithwhatextremenicetyhehadestimatedthetimerequisiteforthe’affair。’
　　"Iwenttoworkthenextday，turning，sotospeak，mybackonthatstation。InthatwayonlyitseemedtomeIcouldkeepmyholdontheredeemingfactsoflife。Still，onemustlookaboutsometimes;andthenI
　　sawthisstation，thesemenstrollingaimlesslyaboutinthesunshineoftheyard。Iaskedmyselfsometimeswhatitallmeant。Theywanderedhereandtherewiththeirabsurdlongstavesintheirhands，likealotoffaithlesspilgrimsbewitchedinsidearottenfence。Theword’ivory’rangintheair，waswhispered，wassighed。Youwouldthinktheywereprayingtoit。Ataintofimbecilerapacityblewthroughitall，likeawhifffromsomecorpse。ByJove！I’veneverseenanythingsounrealinmylife。Andoutside，thesilentwildernesssurround-
　　ingthisclearedspeckontheearthstruckmeassome-
　　thinggreatandinvincible，likeevilortruth，waitingpatientlyforthepassingawayofthisfantasticin-
　　vasion。
　　"Oh，thesemonths！Well，nevermind。Variousthingshappened。Oneeveningagrassshedfullofcalico，cottonprints，beads，andIdon’tknowwhatelse，burstintoablazesosuddenlythatyouwouldhavethoughttheearthhadopenedtoletanavengingfireconsumeallthattrash。
　　Iwassmokingmypipequietlybymydismantledsteamer，andsawthemallcuttingcapersinthelight，withtheirarmsliftedhigh，whenthestoutmanwithmustachescametearingdowntotheriver，atinpailinhishand，assuredmethateverybodywas’behavingsplendidly，splendidly，dippedaboutaquartofwaterandtorebackagain。Inoticedtherewasaholeinthebottomofhispail。
　　"Istrolledup。Therewasnohurry。Youseethethinghadgoneofflikeaboxofmatches。Ithadbeenhopelessfromtheveryfirst。Theflamehadleapedhigh，driveneverybodyback，lightedupeverything——andcol-
　　lapsed。Theshedwasalreadyaheapofembersglowingfiercely。Aniggerwasbeingbeatennearby。Theysaidhehadcausedthefireinsomeway;bethatasitmay，hewasscreechingmosthorribly。Isawhim，lateron，forseveraldays，sittinginabitofshadelookingverysickandtryingtorecoverhimself：afterwardshearoseandwentout——andthewildernesswithoutasoundtookhimintoitsbosomagain。AsIapproachedtheglowfromthedarkIfoundmyselfatthebackoftwomen，talking。IheardthenameofKurtzpronounced，thenthewords，’takeadvantageofthisunfortunateac-
　　cident。’Oneofthemenwasthemanager。Iwishedhimagoodevening。’Didyoueverseeanythinglikeit——eh？itisincredible，’hesaid，andwalkedoff。Theothermanremained。Hewasafirst-classagent，young，gentlemanly，abitreserved，withaforkedlittlebeardandahookednose。Hewasstand-offishwiththeotheragents，andtheyontheirsidesaidhewasthemanager’sspyuponthem。Astome，Ihadhardlyeverspokentohimbefore。Wegotintotalk，andby-and-bywestrolledawayfromthehissingruins。Thenheaskedmetohisroom，whichwasinthemainbuildingofthestation。
　　Hestruckamatch，andIperceivedthatthisyoungaristocrathadnotonlyasilver-mounteddressing-casebutalsoawholecandlealltohimself。Justatthattimethemanagerwastheonlymansupposedtohaveanyrighttocandles。Nativematscoveredtheclaywalls;
　　acollectionofspears，assegais，shields，kniveswashungupintrophies。Thebusinessintrustedtothisfellowwasthemakingofbricks——soIhadbeeninformed;buttherewasn’tafragmentofabrickanywhereinthesta-
　　tion，andhehadbeentheremorethanayear——waiting。
　　Itseemshecouldnotmakebrickswithoutsomething，I
　　don’tknowwhat——strawmaybe。Anyways，itcouldnotbefoundthere，andasitwasnotlikelytobesentfromEurope，itdidnotappearcleartomewhathewaswait-
　　ingfor。Anactofspecialcreationperhaps。However，theywereallwaiting——allthesixteenortwentypilgrimsofthem——forsomething;anduponmyworditdidnotseemanuncongenialoccupation，fromthewaytheytookit，thoughtheonlythingthatevercametothemwasdisease——asfarasIcouldsee。Theybeguiledthetimebybackbitingandintriguingagainsteachotherinafoolishkindofway。Therewasanairofplottingaboutthatstation，butnothingcameofit，ofcourse。Itwasasunrealaseverythingelse——asthephilanthropicpre-
　　tenseofthewholeconcern，astheirtalk，astheirgov-
　　ernment，astheirshowofwork。Theonlyrealfeelingwasadesiretogetappointedtoatrading-postwhereivorywastobehad，sothattheycouldearnpercentages。
　　Theyintriguedandslanderedandhatedeachotheronlyonthataccount，——butastoeffectuallyliftingalittlefinger——oh，no。Byheavens！thereissomethingafterallintheworldallowingonemantostealahorsewhileanothermustnotlookatahalter。Stealahorsestraightout。Verywell。Hehasdoneit。Perhapshecanride。
　　Butthereisawayoflookingatahalterthatwouldprovokethemostcharitableofsaintsintoakick。
　　"Ihadnoideawhyhewantedtobesociable，butaswechattedinthereitsuddenlyoccurredtomethefel-
　　lowwastryingtogetatsomething——infact，pumpingme。HealludedconstantlytoEurope，tothepeopleI
　　wassupposedtoknowthere——puttingleadingquestionsastomyacquaintancesinthesepulchralcity，andsoon。
　　Hislittleeyesglitteredlikemicadiscs——withcuriosity，——thoughhetriedtokeepupabitofsuperciliousness。
　　AtfirstIwasastonished，butverysoonIbecameawfullycurioustoseewhathewouldfindoutfromme。Icouldn’tpossiblyimaginewhatIhadinmetomakeitworthhiswhile。Itwasveryprettytoseehowhebaffledhim-
　　self，forintruthmybodywasfullofchills，andmyheadhadnothinginitbutthatwretchedsteamboatbusi-
　　ness。Itwasevidenthetookmeforaperfectlyshame-
　　lessprevaricator。Atlasthegotangry，andtoconcealamovementoffuriousannoyance，heyawned。Irose。
　　ThenInoticedasmallsketchinoils，onapanel，repre-
　　sentingawoman，drapedandblindfolded，carryingalightedtorch。Thebackgroundwassomber——almostblack。Themovementofthewomanwasstately，andtheeffectofthetorchlightonthefacewassinister。
　　"Itarrestedme，andhestoodbycivilly，holdingahalf-pintchampagnebottle（medicalcomforts）withthecandlestuckinit。TomyquestionhesaidMr。Kurtzhadpaintedthis——inthisverystationmorethanayearago——whilewaitingformeanstogotohistrading-post。
　　’Tellme，pray，’saidI，’whoisthisMr。Kurtz？’
　　"’ThechiefoftheInnerStation，’heansweredinashorttone，lookingaway。’Muchobliged，’Isaid，laugh-
　　ing。’AndyouarethebrickmakeroftheCentralSta-
　　tion。Everyoneknowsthat。’Hewassilentforawhile。
　　’Heisaprodigy，’hesaidatlast。’Heisanemissaryofpity，andscience，andprogress，anddevilknowswhatelse。Wewant，’hebegantodeclaimsuddenly，’fortheguidanceofthecauseintrustedtousbyEurope，sotospeak，higherintelligence，widesympathies，asingle-
　　nessofpurpose。’’Whosaysthat？’Iasked。’Lotsofthem，’hereplied。’Someevenwritethat;andsoHE
　　comeshere，aspecialbeing，asyououghttoknow。’’WhyoughtItoknow？’Iinterrupted，reallysurprised。Hepaidnoattention。’Yes。To-dayheischiefofthebeststation，nextyearhewillbeassistant-manager，twoyearsmoreand……butIdaresayyouknowwhathewillbeintwoyears’time。Youareofthenewgang——
　　thegangofvirtue。Thesamepeoplewhosenthimspeciallyalsorecommendedyou。Oh，don’tsayno。I’vemyowneyestotrust。’Lightdawneduponme。Mydearaunt’sinfluentialacquaintanceswereproducinganunexpectedeffectuponthatyoungman。Inearlyburstintoalaugh。’DoyoureadtheCompany’sconfidentialcorrespondence？’Iasked。Hehadn’tawordtosay。Itwasgreatfun。’WhenMr。Kurtz，’Icontinuedseverely，’isGeneralManager，youwon’thavetheopportunity。’
　　"Heblewthecandleoutsuddenly，andwewentout-
　　side。Themoonhadrisen。Blackfiguresstrolledaboutlistlessly，pouringwaterontheglow，whenceproceededasoundofhissing;steamascendedinthemoonlight，thebeatenniggergroanedsomewhere。’Whatarowthebrutemakes！’saidtheindefatigablemanwiththemus-
　　taches，appearingnearus。’Servehimright。Trans-
　　gression——punishment——bang！Pitiless，pitiless。That’stheonlyway。Thiswillpreventallconflagrationsforthefuture。Iwasjusttellingthemanager……’Henoticedmycompanion，andbecamecrestfallenallatonce。
　　’Notinbedyet，’hesaid，withakindofservilehearti-
　　ness;’it’ssonatural。Ha！Danger-agitation。’Hevanished。Iwentontotheriver-side，andtheotherfol-
　　lowedme。Iheardascathingmurmuratmyear，’Heapofmuffs——goto。’Thepilgrimscouldbeseeninknotsgesticulating，discussing。Severalhadstilltheirstavesintheirhands。Iverilybelievetheytookthesestickstobedwiththem。Beyondthefencetheforeststoodupspectrallyinthemoonlight，andthroughthedimstir，throughthefaintsoundsofthatlamentablecourtyard，thesilenceofthelandwenthometoone’sveryheart，——
　　itsmystery，itsgreatness，theamazingrealityofitscon-
　　cealedlife。Thehurtniggermoanedfeeblysomewherenearby，andthenfetchedadeepsighthatmadememendmypaceawayfromthere。Ifeltahandintro-
　　ducingitselfundermyarm。’Mydearsir，’saidthefellow，’Idon’twanttobemisunderstood，andespeciallybyyou，whowillseeMr。KurtzlongbeforeIcanhavethatpleasure。Iwouldn’tlikehimtogetafalseideaofmydisposition……’
　　"Ilethimrunon，thispapier-macheMephistopheles，anditseemedtomethatifItriedIcouldpokemyfore-
　　fingerthroughhim，andwouldfindnothinginsidebutalittleloosedirt，maybe。He，don’tyousee，hadbeenplanningtobeassistant-managerby-and-byunderthepresentman，andIcouldseethatthecomingofthatKurtzhadupsetthembothnotalittle。Hetalkedpre-
　　cipitately，andIdidnottrytostophim。Ihadmyshouldersagainstthewreckofmysteamer，hauledupontheslopelikeacarcassofsomebigriveranimal。Thesmellofmud，ofprimevalmud，byJove！wasinmynostrils，thehighstillnessofprimevalforestwasbeforemyeyes;therewereshinypatchesontheblackcreek。
　　Themoonhadspreadovereverythingathinlayerofsilver——overtherankgrass，overthemud，uponthewallofmattedvegetationstandinghigherthanthewallofatemple，overthegreatriverIcouldseethroughasombergapglittering，glittering，asitflowedbroadlybywithoutamurmur。Allthiswasgreat，expectant，mute，whilethemanjabberedabouthimself。Iwon-
　　deredwhetherthestillnessonthefaceoftheimmensitylookingatustwoweremeantasanappealorasamenace。Whatwerewewhohadstrayedinhere？Couldwehandlethatdumbthing，orwouldithandleus？I
　　felthowbig，howconfoundedlybig，wasthatthingthatcouldn’ttalk，andperhapswasdeafaswell。Whatwasinthere？Icouldseealittleivorycomingoutfromthere，andIhadheardMr。Kurtzwasinthere。Ihadheardenoughaboutittoo——Godknows！Yetsomehowitdidn’tbringanyimagewithit——nomorethanifI
　　hadbeentoldanangelorafiendwasinthere。Ibe-
　　lieveditinthesamewayoneofyoumightbelievethereareinhabitantsintheplanetMars。IknewonceaScotchsailmakerwhowascertain，deadsure，therewerepeopleinMars。Ifyouaskedhimforsomeideahowtheylookedandbehaved，hewouldgetshyandmuttersome-
　　thingabout’walkingonall-fours。’Ifyouasmuchassmiled，hewould——thoughamanofsixty——offertofightyou。IwouldnothavegonesofarastofightforKurtz，butIwentforhimnearenoughtoalie。YouknowIhate，detest，andcan’tbearalie，notbecauseIamstraighterthantherestofus，butsimplybecauseitappallsme。Thereisataintofdeath，aflavorofmortalityinlies，——whichisexactlywhatIhateanddetestintheworld——whatIwanttoforget。Itmakesmemiserableandsick，likebitingsomethingrottenwoulddo。Temperament，Isuppose。Well，IwentnearenoughtoitbylettingtheyoungfooltherebelieveanythinghelikedtoimagineastomyinfluenceinEurope。I
　　becameinaninstantasmuchofapretenseastherestofthebewitchedpilgrims。ThissimplybecauseIhadanotionitsomehowwouldbeofhelptothatKurtzwhomatthetimeIdidnotsee——youunderstand。Hewasjustawordforme。Ididnotseethemaninthenameanymorethanyoudo。Doyouseehim？Doyouseethestory？Doyouseeanything？ItseemstomeIamtryingtotellyouadream——makingavainat-
　　tempt，becausenorelationofadreamcanconveythedream-sensation，thatcomminglingofabsurdity，sur-
　　prise，andbewildermentinatremorofstrugglingrevolt，thatnotionofbeingcapturedbytheincrediblewhichisoftheveryessenceofdreams……"
　　Hewassilentforawhile。
　　"……No，itisimpossible;itisimpossibletoconveythelife-sensationofanygivenepochofone’sexistence，——thatwhichmakesitstruth，itsmeaning——itssubtleandpenetratingessence。Itisimpossible。Welive，aswedream——alone……"
　　Hepausedagainasifreflecting，thenadded——
　　"OfcourseinthisyoufellowsseemorethanIcouldthen。Youseeme，whomyouknow……"
　　Ithadbecomesopitchdarkthatwelistenerscouldhardlyseeoneanother。Foralongtimealreadyhe，sittingapart，hadbeennomoretousthanavoice。Therewasnotawordfromanybody。Theothersmighthavebeenasleep，butIwasawake。Ilistened，Ilistenedonthewatchforthesentence，fortheword，thatwouldgivemetheclewtothefaintuneasinessinspiredbythisnarra-
　　tivethatseemedtoshapeitselfwithouthumanlipsintheheavynight-airoftheriver。
　　"……Yes——Ilethimrunon，"Marlowbeganagain，"andthinkwhathepleasedaboutthepowersthatwerebehindme。Idid！Andtherewasnothingbehindme！
　　Therewasnothingbutthatwretched，old，mangledsteamboatIwasleaningagainst，whilehetalkedfluentlyabout’thenecessityforeverymantogeton。’’Andwhenonecomesouthere，youconceive，itisnottogazeatthemoon。’Mr。Kurtzwasa’universalgenius，’butevenageniuswouldfinditeasiertoworkwith’adequatetools——intelligentmen。’Hedidnotmakebricks——why，therewasaphysicalimpossibilityintheway——asIwaswellaware;andifhedidsecretarialworkfortheman-
　　ager，itwasbecause’nosensiblemanrejectswantonlytheconfidenceofhissuperiors。’DidIseeit？Isawit。
　　WhatmoredidIwant？WhatIreallywantedwasrivets，byheaven！Rivets。Togetonwiththework——tostopthehole。RivetsIwanted。Therewerecasesofthemdownatthecoast——cases——piledup——burst——split！
　　Youkickedalooserivetateverysecondstepinthatstationyardonthehillside。Rivetshadrolledintothegroveofdeath。Youcouldfillyourpocketswithrivetsforthetroubleofstoopingdown——andtherewasn’tonerivettobefoundwhereitwaswanted。Wehadplatesthatwoulddo，butnothingtofastenthemwith。Andeveryweekthemessenger，alonenegro，letter-bagonshoulderandstaffinhand，leftourstationforthecoast。
　　Andseveraltimesaweekacoastcaravancameinwithtradegoods，——ghastlyglazedcalicothatmadeyoushudderonlytolookatit，glassbeadsvalueaboutapennyaquart，confoundedspottedcottonhandkerchiefs。
　　Andnorivets。Threecarrierscouldhavebroughtallthatwaswantedtosetthatsteamboatafloat。
　　"Hewasbecomingconfidentialnow，butIfancymyunresponsiveattitudemusthaveexasperatedhimatlast，forhejudgeditnecessarytoinformmehefearedneitherGodnordevil，letaloneanymereman。IsaidIcouldseethatverywell，butwhatIwantedwasacertainquantityofrivets——andrivetswerewhatreallyMr。
　　Kurtzwanted，ifhehadonlyknownit。Nowletterswenttothecoasteveryweek……’Mydearsir，’hecried，’Iwritefromdictation。’Idemandedrivets。Therewasaway——foranintelligentman。Hechangedhismanner;becameverycold，andsuddenlybegantotalkaboutahippopotamus;wonderedwhethersleepingonboardthesteamer（Istucktomysalvagenightandday）Iwasn’tdisturbed。Therewasanoldhippothathadthebadhabitofgettingoutonthebankandroam-
　　ingatnightoverthestationgrounds。Thepilgrimsusedtoturnoutinabodyandemptyeveryrifletheycouldlayhandsonathim。Someevenhadsatupo’
　　nightsforhim。Allthisenergywaswasted，though。
　　’Thatanimalhasacharmedlife，’hesaid;’butyoucansaythisonlyofbrutesinthiscountry。Noman——youapprehendme？——nomanherebearsacharmedlife。’Hestoodthereforamomentinthemoonlightwithhisdeli-
　　catehookednosesetalittleaskew，andhismicaeyesglitteringwithoutawink，then，withacurtGoodnight，hestrodeoff。Icouldseehewasdisturbedandconsid-
　　erablypuzzled，whichmademefeelmorehopefulthanIhadbeenfordays。Itwasagreatcomforttoturnfromthatchaptomyinfluentialfriend，thebattered，twisted，ruined，tin-potsteamboat。Iclamberedonboard。SherangundermyfeetlikeanemptyHuntley&Palmerbiscuit-tinkickedalongagutter;shewasnothingsosolidinmake，andratherlessprettyinshape，butIhadexpendedenoughhardworkonhertomakemeloveher。Noinfluentialfriendwouldhaveservedmebetter。Shehadgivenmeachancetocomeoutabit——tofindoutwhatIcoulddo。No，Idon’tlikework。
　　Ihadratherlazeaboutandthinkofallthefinethingsthatcanbedone。Idon’tlikework——nomandoes——butIlikewhatisinthework，——thechancetofindyourself。Yourownreality——foryourself，notforothers——whatnoothermancaneverknow。Theycanonlyseethemereshow，andnevercantellwhatitreallymeans。
　　"Iwasnotsurprisedtoseesomebodysittingaft，onthedeck，withhislegsdanglingoverthemud。YouseeIratherchummedwiththefewmechanicstherewereinthatstation，whomtheotherpilgrimsnaturallydespised——onaccountoftheirimperfectmanners，Isuppose。
　　Thiswastheforeman——aboiler-makerbytrade——agoodworker。Hewasalank，bony，yellow-facedman，withbigintenseeyes。Hisaspectwasworried，andhisheadwasasbaldasthepalmofmyhand;buthishairinfallingseemedtohavestucktohischin，andhadpros-
　　peredinthenewlocality，forhisbeardhungdowntohiswaist。Hewasawidowerwithsixyoungchildren（hehadlefttheminchargeofasisterofhistocomeoutthere），andthepassionofhislifewaspigeon-flying。
　　Hewasanenthusiastandaconnoisseur。Hewouldraveaboutpigeons。Afterworkhoursheusedsometimestocomeoverfromhishutforatalkabouthischildrenandhispigeons;atwork，whenhehadtocrawlinthemudunderthebottomofthesteamboat，hewouldtieupthatbeardofhisinakindofwhiteserviettehebroughtforthepurpose。Ithadloopstogooverhisears。Intheeveninghecouldbeseensquattedonthebankrinsingthatwrapperinthecreekwithgreatcare，thenspreadingitsolemnlyonabushtodry。
　　"Islappedhimonthebackandshouted’Weshallhaverivets！’Hescrambledtohisfeetexclaiming’No！
　　Rivets！’asthoughhecouldn’tbelievehisears。Theninalowvoice，’You……eh？’Idon’tknowwhywebehavedlikelunatics。Iputmyfingertothesideofmynoseandnoddedmysteriously。’Goodforyou！’hecried，snappedhisfingersabovehishead，liftingonefoot。Itriedajig。Wecaperedontheirondeck。
　　A
　　frightfulclattercameoutofthathulk，andthevirginforestontheotherbankofthecreeksentitbackinathunderingrolluponthesleepingstation。Itmusthavemadesomeofthepilgrimssitupintheirhovels。A
　　darkfigureobscuredthelighteddoorwayoftheman-
　　ager’shut，vanished，then，asecondorsoafter，thedoorwayitselfvanishedtoo。Westopped，andthesilencedrivenawaybythestampingofourfeetflowedbackagainfromtherecessesoftheland。Thegreatwallofvegetation，anexuberantandentangledmassoftrunks，branches，leaves，boughs，festoons，motionlessinthemoonlight，waslikeariotinginvasionofsoundlesslife，arollingwaveofplants，piledup，crested，readytotoppleoverthecreek，tosweepeverylittlemanofusoutofhislittleexistence。Anditmovednot。Adead-
　　enedburstofmightysplashesandsnortsreachedusfromafar，asthoughanichthyosaurushadbeentakingabathofglitterinthegreatriver。’Afterall，’saidtheboiler-makerinareasonabletone，’whyshouldn’twegettherivets？’Whynot，indeed！Ididnotknowofanyreasonwhyweshouldn’t。’They’llcomeinthreeweeks，’
　　Isaidconfidently。
　　"Buttheydidn’t。Insteadofrivetstherecameaninvasion，aninfliction，avisitation。Itcameinsectionsduringthenextthreeweeks，eachsectionheadedbyadonkeycarryingawhitemaninnewclothesandtanshoes，bowingfromthatelevationrightandlefttotheimpressedpilgrims。Aquarrelsomebandoffootsoresulkyniggerstrodontheheelsofthedonkeys;alotoftents，camp-stools，tinboxes，whitecases，brownbaleswouldbeshotdowninthecourtyard，andtheairofmysterywoulddeepenalittleoverthemuddleofthestation。Fivesuchinstallmentscame，withtheirabsurdairofdisorderlyflightwiththelootofinnumerableout-
　　fitshopsandprovisionstores，that，onewouldthink，theywerelugging，afteraraid，intothewildernessforequit-
　　abledivision。Itwasaninextricablemessofthingsdecentinthemselvesbutthathumanfollymadelooklikethespoilsofthieving。
　　"thisdevotedbandcalleditselftheEldoradoEx-
　　ploringExpedition，andIbelievetheyweresworntosecrecy。Theirtalk，however，wasthetalkofsordidbuccaneers：itwasrecklesswithouthardihood，greedywithoutaudacity，andcruelwithoutcourage;therewasnotanatomofforesightorofseriousintentioninthewholebatchofthem，andtheydidnotseemawarethesethingsarewantedfortheworkoftheworld。Toteartreasureoutofthebowelsofthelandwastheirdesire，withnomoremoralpurposeatthebackofitthanthereisinburglarsbreakingintoasafe。Whopaidtheex-
　　pensesofthenobleenterpriseIdon’tknow;buttheuncleofourmanagerwasleaderofthatlot。
　　"Inexteriorheresembledabutcherinapoorneigh-
　　borhood，andhiseyeshadalookofsleepycunning。Hecarriedhisfatpaunchwithostentationonhisshortlegs，andduringthetimehisganginfestedthestationspoketonoonebuthisnephew。Youcouldseethesetworoam-
　　ingaboutalldaylongwiththeirheadsclosetogetherinaneverlastingconfab。
　　"Ihadgivenupworryingmyselfabouttherivets。
　　One’scapacityforthatkindoffollyismorelimitedthanyouwouldsuppose。IsaidHang！——andletthingsslide。Ihadplentyoftimeformeditation，andnowandthenIwouldgivesomethoughttoKurtz。Iwasn’tveryinterestedinhim。No。Still，Iwascurioustoseewhetherthisman，whohadcomeoutequippedwithmoralideasofsomesort，wouldclimbtothetopafterall，andhowhewouldsetabouthisworkwhenthere。"
　　part2
　　PartTwo"OneeveningasIwaslyingflatonthedeckofmysteamboat，Iheardvoicesapproaching——andtherewerethenephewandtheunclestrollingalongthebank。I
　　laidmyheadonmyarmagain，andhadnearlylostmyselfinadoze，whensomebodysaidinmyear，asitwere：’Iamasharmlessasalittlechild，butIdon’tliketobedictatedto。AmIthemanager——oramInot？I
　　wasorderedtosendhimthere。It’sincredible。’……
　　Ibecameawarethatthetwowerestandingontheshorealongsidetheforepartofthesteamboat，justbelowmyhead。Ididnotmove;itdidnotoccurtometomove：I
　　wassleepy。’ItISunpleasant，’gruntedtheuncle。’HehasaskedtheAdministrationtobesentthere，’saidtheother，’withtheideaofshowingwhathecoulddo;andIwasinstructedaccordingly。Lookattheinfluencethatmanmusthave。Isitnotfrightful？’Theybothagreeditwasfrightful，thenmadeseveralbizarreremarks：
　　’Makerainandfineweather——oneman——theCouncil——
　　bythenose’——bitsofabsurdsentencesthatgotthebetterofmydrowsiness，sothatIhadprettynearthewholeofmywitsaboutmewhentheunclesaid，’Theclimatemaydoawaywiththisdifficultyforyou。Ishealonethere？’’Yes，’answeredthemanager;’hesenthisassistantdowntheriverwithanotetomeintheseterms："Clearthispoordeviloutofthecountry，anddon’tbothersendingmoreofthatsort。Ihadratherbealonethanhavethekindofmenyoucandisposeofwithme。"Itwasmorethanayearago。Canyouimaginesuchimpudence！’’Anythingsincethen？’
　　askedtheother，hoarsely。’Ivory，’jerkedthenephew;
　　’lotsofit——primesort——lots——mostannoying，fromhim。’’Andwiththat？’questionedtheheavyrumble。
　　’Invoice，’wasthereplyfiredout，sotospeak。Thensilence。TheyhadbeentalkingaboutKurtz。
　　"Iwasbroadawakebythistime，but，lyingperfectlyatease，remainedstill，havingnoinducementtochangemyposition。’Howdidthativorycomeallthisway？’
　　growledtheelderman，whoseemedveryvexed。TheotherexplainedthatithadcomewithafleetofcanoesinchargeofanEnglishhalf-casteclerkKurtzhadwithhim;thatKurtzhadapparentlyintendedtoreturnhim-
　　self，thestationbeingbythattimebareofgoodsandstores，butaftercomingthreehundredmiles，hadsud-
　　denlydecidedtogoback，whichhestartedtodoaloneinasmalldug-outwithfourpaddlers，leavingthehalf-
　　castetocontinuedowntheriverwiththeivory。Thetwofellowsthereseemedastoundedatanybodyattemptingsuchathing。Theywereatalossforanadequatemo-
　　tive。Astome，IseemedtoseeKurtzforthefirsttime。
　　Itwasadistinctglimpse：thedug-out，fourpaddlingsavages，andthelonewhitemanturninghisbacksud-
　　denlyontheheadquarters，onrelief，onthoughtsofhome——perhaps;settinghisfacetowardsthedepthsofthewilderness，towardshisemptyanddesolatestation。
　　Ididnotknowthemotive。Perhapshewasjustsimplyafinefellowwhostucktohisworkforitsownsake。Hisname，youunderstand，hadnotbeenpronouncedonce。
　　Hewas’thatman。’Thehalf-caste，who，asfarasI
　　couldsee，hadconductedadifficulttripwithgreatpru-
　　denceandpluck，wasinvariablyalludedtoas’thatscoundrel。’The’scoundrel’hadreportedthatthe’man’hadbeenveryill——hadrecoveredimperfectly……Thetwobelowmemovedawaythenafewpaces，andstrolledbackandforthatsomelittledistance。I
　　heard：’Militarypost——doctor——twohundredmiles——
　　quitealonenow——unavoidabledelays——ninemonths——nonews——strangerumors。’Theyapproachedagain，justasthemanagerwassaying，’Noone，asfarasIknow，unlessaspeciesofwanderingtrader——apestilentialfel-
　　low，snappingivoryfromthenatives。’Whowasittheyweretalkingaboutnow？IgatheredinsnatchesthatthiswassomemansupposedtobeinKurtz’sdistrict，andofwhomthemanagerdidnotapprove。’Wewillnotbefreefromunfaircompetitiontilloneofthesefellowsishangedforanexample，’hesaid。’Certainly，’gruntedtheother;’gethimhanged！Whynot？Anything——
　　anythingcanbedoneinthiscountry。That’swhatI
　　say;nobodyhere，youunderstand，HERE，canendangeryourposition。Andwhy？Youstandtheclimate——yououtlastthemall。ThedangerisinEurope;buttherebeforeIleftItookcareto——’Theymovedoffandwhispered，thentheirvoicesroseagain。’Theextraor-
　　dinaryseriesofdelaysisnotmyfault。Ididmypossible。’Thefatmansighed，’Verysad。’’Andthepestiferousabsurdityofhistalk，’continuedtheother;
　　’hebotheredmeenoughwhenhewashere。"Eachstationshouldbelikeabeaconontheroadtowardsbetterthings，acenterfortradeofcourse，butalsoforhuman-
　　izing，improving，instructing。"Conceiveyou——thatass！
　　Andhewantstobemanager！No，it’s——’Herehegotchokedbyexcessiveindignation，andIliftedmyheadtheleastbit。Iwassurprisedtoseehowneartheywere——rightunderme。Icouldhavespatupontheirhats。Theywerelookingontheground，absorbedinthought。Themanagerwasswitchinghislegwithaslendertwig：hissagaciousrelativeliftedhishead。’Youhavebeenwellsinceyoucameoutthistime？’heasked。
　　Theothergaveastart。’Who？I？Oh！Likeacharm——likeacharm。Buttherest——oh，mygoodness！Allsick。Theydiesoquick，too，thatIhaven’tthetimetosendthemoutofthecountry——it’sincredible！’’H’m。
　　Justso，’gruntedtheuncle。’Ah！myboy，trusttothis——Isay，trusttothis。’Isawhimextendhisshortflipperofanarmforagesturethattookintheforest，thecreek，themud，theriver，——seemedtobeckonwithadis-
　　honoringflourishbeforethesunlitfaceofthelandatreacherousappealtothelurkingdeath，tothehiddenevil，totheprofounddarknessofitsheart。ItwassostartlingthatIleapedtomyfeetandlookedbackattheedgeoftheforest，asthoughIhadexpectedananswerofsomesorttothatblackdisplayofconfidence。
　　Youknowthefoolishnotionsthatcometoonesome-
　　times。Thehighstillnessconfrontedthesetwofigureswithitsominouspatience，waitingforthepassingawayofafantasticinvasion。
　　"Theysworealoudtogether——outofsheerfright，I
　　believe——thenpretendingnottoknowanythingofmyexistence，turnedbacktothestation。Thesunwaslow;
　　andleaningforwardsidebyside，theyseemedtobetuggingpainfullyuphilltheirtworidiculousshadowsofunequallength，thattrailedbehindthemslowlyoverthetallgrasswithoutbendingasingleblade。
　　"InafewdaystheEldoradoExpeditionwentintothepatientwilderness，thatcloseduponitastheseaclosesoveradiver。Longafterwardsthenewscamethatallthedonkeysweredead。Iknownothingastothefateofthelessvaluableanimals。They，nodoubt，liketherestofus，foundwhattheydeserved。Ididnotinquire。I
　　wasthenratherexcitedattheprospectofmeetingKurtzverysoon。WhenIsayverysoonImeanitcompara-
　　tively。ItwasjusttwomonthsfromthedayweleftthecreekwhenwecametothebankbelowKurtz’ssta-
　　tion。
　　"Goingupthatriverwasliketravelingbacktotheearliestbeginningsoftheworld，whenvegetationriotedontheearthandthebigtreeswerekings。Anemptystream，agreatsilence，animpenetrableforest。Theairwaswarm，thick，heavy，sluggish。Therewasnojoyinthebrillianceofsunshine。Thelongstretchesofthewaterwayranon，deserted，intothegloomofover-
　　shadoweddistances。Onsilverysandbankshipposandalligatorssunnedthemselvessidebyside。Thebroaden-
　　ingwatersflowedthroughamobofwoodedislands;youlostyourwayonthatriverasyouwouldinadesert，andbuttedalldaylongagainstshoals，tryingtofindthechannel，tillyouthoughtyourselfbewitchedandcutoffforeverfromeverythingyouhadknownonce——somewhere——faraway——inanotherexistenceperhaps。Thereweremomentswhenone’spastcamebacktoone，asitwillsometimeswhenyouhavenotamomenttosparetoyourself;butitcameintheshapeofanunrestfulandnoisydream，rememberedwithwonderamongsttheoverwhelmingrealitiesofthisstrangeworldofplants，andwater，andsilence。Andthisstillnessoflifedidnotintheleastresembleapeace。Itwasthestillnessofanimplacableforcebroodingoveraninscrutableinten-
　　tion。Itlookedatyouwithavengefulaspect。Igotusedtoitafterwards;Ididnotseeitanymore;Ihadnotime。Ihadtokeepguessingatthechannel;Ihadtodiscern，mostlybyinspiration，thesignsofhiddenbanks;Iwatchedforsunkenstones;Iwaslearningtoclapmyteethsmartlybeforemyheartflewout，whenIshavedbyaflukesomeinfernalslyoldsnagthatwouldhaverippedthelifeoutofthetin-potsteamboatanddrownedallthepilgrims;Ihadtokeepalook-outforthesignsofdeadwoodwecouldcutupinthenightfornextday’ssteaming。Whenyouhavetoattendtothingsofthatsort，tothemereincidentsofthesur-
　　face，thereality——thereality，Itellyou——fades。Theinnertruthishidden——luckily，luckily。ButIfeltitallthesame;Ifeltoftenitsmysteriousstillnesswatchingmeatmymonkeytricks，justasitwatchesyoufellowsperformingonyourrespectivetight-ropesfor——whatisit？half-a-crownatumble——"
　　"Trytobecivil，Marlow，"growledavoice，andI
　　knewtherewasatleastonelistenerawakebesidesmy-
　　self。
　　"Ibegyourpardon。Iforgottheheartachewhichmakesuptherestoftheprice。Andindeedwhatdoesthepricematter，ifthetrickbewelldone？Youdoyourtricksverywell。AndIdidn’tdobadlyeither，sinceImanagednottosinkthatsteamboatonmyfirsttrip。It’sawondertomeyet。Imagineablindfoldedmansettodriveavanoverabadroad。Isweatedandshiveredoverthatbusinessconsiderably，Icantellyou。
　　Afterall，foraseaman，toscrapethebottomofthethingthat’ssupposedtofloatallthetimeunderhiscareistheunpardonablesin。Noonemayknowofit，butyouneverforgetthethump——eh？Ablowontheveryheart。
　　Yourememberit，youdreamofit，youwakeupatnightandthinkofit——yearsafter——andgohotandcoldallover。Idon’tpretendtosaythatsteamboatfloatedallthetime。Morethanonceshehadtowadeforabit，withtwentycannibalssplashingaroundandpushing。
　　Wehadenlistedsomeofthesechapsonthewayforacrew。Finefellows——cannibals——intheirplace。Theyweremenonecouldworkwith，andIamgratefultothem。And，afterall，theydidnoteachotherbeforemyface：theyhadbroughtalongaprovisionofhippo-
　　meatwhichwentrotten，andmadethemysteryofthewildernessstinkinmynostrils。Phoo！Icansniffitnow。Ihadthemanageronboardandthreeorfourpilgrimswiththeirstaves——allcomplete。Sometimeswecameuponastationclosebythebank，clingingtotheskirtsoftheunknown，andthewhitemenrushingoutofatumble-downhovel，withgreatgesturesofjoyandsurpriseandwelcome，seemedverystrange，——hadtheap-
　　pearanceofbeingheldtherecaptivebyaspell。Thewordivorywouldringintheairforawhile——andonwewentagainintothesilence，alongemptyreaches，roundthestillbends，betweenthehighwallsofourwindingway，reverberatinginhollowclapstheponderousbeatofthestern-wheel。Trees，trees，millionsoftrees，massive，immense，runninguphigh;andattheirfoot，huggingthebankagainstthestream，creptthelittlebegrimedsteamboat，likeasluggishbeetlecrawlingonthefloorofaloftyportico。Itmadeyoufeelverysmall，verylost，andyetitwasnotaltogetherdepressingthatfeel-
　　ing。Afterall，ifyouweresmall，thegrimybeetlecrawledon——whichwasjustwhatyouwantedittodo。
　　WherethepilgrimsimagineditcrawledtoIdon’tknow。
　　Tosomeplacewheretheyexpectedtogetsomething，I
　　bet！FormeitcrawledtowardKurtz——exclusively;butwhenthesteam-pipesstartedleakingwecrawledveryslow。Thereachesopenedbeforeusandclosedbehind，asiftheforesthadsteppedleisurelyacrossthewatertobarthewayforourreturn。Wepenetrateddeeperanddeeperintotheheartofdarkness。Itwasveryquietthere。Atnightsometimestherollofdrumsbehindthecurtainoftreeswouldrunuptheriverandremainsustainedfaintly，asifhoveringintheairhighoverourheads，tillthefirstbreakofday。Whetheritmeantwar，peace，orprayerwecouldnottell。Thedawnswereheraldedbythedescentofachillstillness;thewood-
　　cuttersslept，theirfiresburnedlow;thesnappingofatwigwouldmakeyoustart。Wewerewanderersonaprehistoricearth，onanearththatworetheaspectofanunknownplanet。Wecouldhavefanciedourselvesthefirstofmentakingpossessionofanaccursedin-
　　heritance，tobesubduedatthecostofprofoundanguishandofexcessivetoil。Butsuddenly，aswestruggledroundabend，therewouldbeaglimpseofrushwalls，ofpeakedgrass-roofs，aburstofyells，awhirlofblacklimbs，amassofhandsclapping，offeetstamping，ofbodiesswaying，ofeyesrolling，underthedroopofheavyandmotionlessfoliage。Thesteamertoiledalongslowlyontheedgeofablackandincomprehensiblefrenzy。Theprehistoricmanwascursingus，prayingtous，wel-
　　comingus——whocouldtell？Wewerecutofffromthecomprehensionofoursurroundings;weglidedpastlikephantoms，wonderingandsecretlyappalled，assanemenwouldbebeforeanenthusiasticoutbreakinamadhouse。
　　Wecouldnotunderstand，becauseweweretoofarandcouldnotremember，becauseweweretravelinginthenightoffirstages，ofthoseagesthataregone，leavinghardlyasign——andnomemories。
　　"Theearthseemedunearthly。Weareaccustomedtolookupontheshackledformofaconqueredmonster，butthere——thereyoucouldlookatathingmonstrousandfree。Itwasunearthly，andthemenwere——No，theywerenotinhuman。Well，youknow，thatwastheworstofit——thissuspicionoftheirnotbeinginhuman。Itwouldcomeslowlytoone。Theyhowled，andleaped，andspun，andmadehorridfaces;butwhatthrilledyouwasjustthethoughtoftheirhumanity——likeyours——thethoughtofyourremotekinshipwiththiswildandpas-
　　sionateuproar。Ugly。Yes，itwasuglyenough;butifyouweremanenoughyouwouldadmittoyourselfthattherewasinyoujustthefaintesttraceofare-
　　sponsetotheterriblefranknessofthatnoise，adimsuspicionoftherebeingameaninginitwhichyou——
　　yousoremotefromthenightoffirstages——couldcom-
　　prehend。Andwhynot？Themindofmaniscapableofanything——becauseeverythingisinit，allthepastaswellasallthefuture。Whatwasthereafterall？
　　Joy，fear，sorrow，devotion，valor，rage——whocantell？
　　——buttruth——truthstrippedofitscloakoftime。Letthefoolgapeandshudder——themanknows，andcanlookonwithoutawink。Buthemustatleastbeasmuchofamanastheseontheshore。Hemustmeetthattruthwithhisowntruestuff——withhisowninbornstrength。Principles？Principleswon’tdo。Acquisi-
　　tions，clothes，prettyrags——ragsthatwouldflyoffatthefirstgoodshake。No;youwantadeliberatebelief。
　　Anappealtomeinthisfiendishrow——isthere？Verywell;Ihear;Iadmit，butIhaveavoicetoo，andforgoodorevilmineisthespeechthatcannotbesilenced。
　　Ofcourse，afool，whatwithsheerfrightandfinesenti-
　　ments，isalwayssafe。Who’sthatgrunting？YouwonderIdidn’tgoashoreforahowlandadance？Well，no——Ididn’t。Finesentiments，yousay？Finesenti-
　　ments，behanged！Ihadnotime。Ihadtomessaboutwithwhite-leadandstripsofwoolenblankethelpingtoputbandagesonthoseleakysteam-pipes——Itellyou。
　　Ihadtowatchthesteering，andcircumventthosesnags，andgetthetin-potalongbyhookorbycrook。Therewassurface-truthenoughinthesethingstosaveawiserman。AndbetweenwhilesIhadtolookafterthesavagewhowasfireman。Hewasanimprovedspecimen;hecouldfireupaverticalboiler。Hewastherebelowme，and，uponmyword，tolookathimwasasedifyingasseeingadoginaparodyofbreechesandafeatherhat，walkingonhishind-legs。Afewmonthsoftraininghaddoneforthatreallyfinechap。Hesquintedatthesteam-gaugeandatthewater-gaugewithanevidenteffortofintrepidity——andhehadfiledteethtoo，thepoordevil，andthewoolofhispateshavedintoqueerpatterns，andthreeornamentalscarsoneachofhischeeks。Heoughttohavebeenclappinghishandsandstampinghisfeetonthebank，insteadofwhichhewashardatwork，athralltostrangewitchcraft，fullofimprovingknowledge。Hewasusefulbecausehehadbeeninstructed;andwhatheknewwasthis——thatshouldthewaterinthattransparentthingdisappear，theevilspiritinsidetheboilerwouldgetangrythroughthegreatnessofhisthirst，andtakeaterriblevengeance。
　　Sohesweatedandfiredupandwatchedtheglassfear-
　　fully（withanimpromptucharm，madeofrags，tiedtohisarm，andapieceofpolishedbone，asbigasawatch，stuckflatwaysthroughhislowerlip），whilethewoodedbanksslippedpastusslowly，theshortnoisewasleftbehind，theinterminablemilesofsilence——andwecrepton，towardsKurtz。Butthesnagswerethick，thewaterwastreacherousandshallow，theboilerseemedindeedtohaveasulkydevilinit，andthusneitherthatfire-
　　mannorIhadanytimetopeerintoourcreepythoughts。
　　"SomefiftymilesbelowtheInnerStationwecameuponahutofreeds，aninclinedandmelancholypole，withtheunrecognizabletattersofwhathadbeenaflagofsomesortflyingfromit，andaneatlystackedwood-
　　pile。Thiswasunexpected。Wecametothebank，andonthestackoffirewoodfoundaflatpieceofboardwithsomefadedpencil-writingonit。Whendeciphereditsaid：’Woodforyou。Hurryup。Approachcautiously。’
　　Therewasasignature，butitwasillegible——notKurtz——amuchlongerword。Hurryup。Where？Uptheriver？’Approachcautiously。’Wehadnotdoneso。
　　Butthewarningcouldnothavebeenmeantfortheplacewhereitcouldbeonlyfoundafterapproach。Some-
　　thingwaswrongabove。Butwhat——andhowmuch？
　　Thatwasthequestion。Wecommentedadverselyupontheimbecilityofthattelegraphicstyle。Thebusharoundsaidnothing，andwouldnotletuslookveryfar，either。
　　Atorncurtainofredtwillhunginthedoorwayofthehut，andflappedsadlyinourfaces。Thedwellingwasdismantled;butwecouldseeawhitemanhadlivedtherenotverylongago。Thereremainedarudetable——aplankontwoposts;aheapofrubbishreposedinadarkcorner，andbythedoorIpickedupabook。Ithadlostitscovers，andthepageshadbeenthumbedintoastateofextremelydirtysoftness;butthebackhadbeenlovinglystitchedafreshwithwhitecottonthread，whichlookedcleanyet。Itwasanextraordinaryfind。Itstitlewas，’AnInquiryintosomePointsofSeamanship，’byamanTower，Towson——somesuchname——MasterinhisMajesty’sNavy。Thematterlookeddrearyreadingenough，withillustrativediagramsandrepulsivetablesoffigures，andthecopywassixtyyearsold。Ihandledthisamazingantiquitywiththegreatestpossibletenderness，lestitshoulddissolveinmyhands。Within，TowsonorTowserwasinquiringearnestlyintothebreakingstrainofships’chainsandtackle，andothersuchmatters。Notaveryenthrallingbook;butatthefirstglanceyoucouldseethereasinglenessofintention，anhonestcon-
　　cernfortherightwayofgoingtowork，whichmadethesehumblepages，thoughtoutsomanyyearsago，luminouswithanotherthanaprofessionallight。Thesimpleoldsailor，withhistalkofchainsandpurchases，mademeforgetthejungleandthepilgrimsinadelicioussensationofhavingcomeuponsomethingunmistakablyreal。Suchabookbeingtherewaswonderfulenough;
　　butstillmoreastoundingwerethenotespenciledinthemargin，andplainlyreferringtothetext。Icouldn’tbelievemyeyes！Theywereincipher！Yes，itlookedlikecipher。Fancyamanluggingwithhimabookofthatdescriptionintothisnowhereandstudyingit——
　　andmakingnotes——incipheratthat！Itwasanex-
　　travagantmystery。
　　"Ihadbeendimlyawareforsometimeofaworryingnoise，andwhenIliftedmyeyesIsawthewood-pilewasgone，andthemanager，aidedbyallthepilgrims，wasshoutingatmefromtheriver-side。Islippedthebookintomypocket。Iassureyoutoleaveoffreadingwasliketearingmyselfawayfromtheshelterofanoldandsolidfriendship。
　　"Istartedthelameengineahead。’Itmustbethismiserabletrader——thisintruder，’exclaimedthemanager，lookingbackmalevolentlyattheplacewehadleft。’HemustbeEnglish，’Isaid。’Itwillnotsavehimfromgettingintotroubleifheisnotcareful，’mutteredthemanagerdarkly。Iobservedwithassumedinnocencethatnomanwassafefromtroubleinthisworld。
　　"Thecurrentwasmorerapidnow，thesteamerseemedatherlastgasp，thestern-wheelfloppedlanguidly，andIcaughtmyselflisteningontiptoeforthenextbeatofthefloat，forinsobertruthIexpectedthewretchedthingtogiveupeverymoment。Itwaslikewatchingthelastflickersofalife。Butstillwecrawled。SometimesI
　　wouldpickoutatreealittlewayaheadtomeasureourprogresstowardsKurtzby，butIlostitinvariablybe-
　　forewegotabreast。Tokeeptheeyessolongononethingwastoomuchforhumanpatience。Themanagerdisplayedabeautifulresignation。IfrettedandfumedandtooktoarguingwithmyselfwhetherornoIwouldtalkopenlywithKurtz;butbeforeIcouldcometoanyconclusionitoccurredtomethatmyspeechormysilence，indeedanyactionofmine，wouldbeamerefutility。
　　Whatdiditmatterwhatanyonekneworignored？Whatdiditmatterwhowasmanager？Onegetssometimessuchaflashofinsight。Theessentialsofthisaffairlaydeepunderthesurface，beyondmyreach，andbeyondmypowerofmeddling。
　　"TowardstheeveningoftheseconddaywejudgedourselvesabouteightmilesfromKurtz’sstation。I
　　wantedtopushon;butthemanagerlookedgrave，andtoldmethenavigationuptherewassodangerousthatitwouldbeadvisable，thesunbeingverylowalready，towaitwhereweweretillnextmorning。Moreover，hepointedoutthatifthewarningtoapproachcautiouslyweretobefollowed，wemustapproachindaylight——
　　notatdusk，orinthedark。Thiswassensibleenough。
　　Eightmilesmeantnearlythreehours’steamingforus，andIcouldalsoseesuspiciousripplesattheupperendofthereach。Nevertheless，Iwasannoyedbeyondex-
　　pressionatthedelay，andmostunreasonablytoo，sinceonenightmorecouldnotmattermuchaftersomanymonths。Aswehadplentyofwood，andcautionwastheword，Ibroughtupinthemiddleofthestream。
　　Thereachwasnarrow，straight，withhighsideslikearailwaycutting。Theduskcameglidingintoitlongbeforethesunhadset。Thecurrentransmoothandswift，butadumbimmobilitysatonthebanks。Thelivingtrees，lashedtogetherbythecreepersandeverylivingbushoftheundergrowth，mighthavebeenchangedintostone，eventotheslenderesttwig，tothelightestleaf。Itwasnotsleep——itseemedunnatural，likeastateoftrance。Notthefaintestsoundofanykindcouldbeheard。Youlookedonamazed，andbegantosuspectyourselfofbeingdeaf——thenthenightcamesuddenly，andstruckyoublindaswell。Aboutthreeinthemorningsomelargefishleaped，andtheloudsplashmademejumpasthoughagunhadbeenfired。
　　Whenthesunrosetherewasawhitefog，verywarmandclammy，andmoreblindingthanthenight。Itdidnotshiftordrive;itwasjustthere，standingallroundyoulikesomethingsolid。Ateightornine，perhaps，itliftedasashutterlifts。Wehadaglimpseofthetower-
　　ingmultitudeoftrees，oftheimmensemattedjungle，withtheblazinglittleballofthesunhangingoverit——
　　allperfectlystill——andthenthewhiteshuttercamedownagain，smoothly，asifslidingingreasedgrooves。I
　　orderedthechain，whichwehadbeguntoheavein，tobepaidoutagain。Beforeitstoppedrunningwithamuffledrattle，acry，averyloudcry，asofinfinitedesolation，soaredslowlyintheopaqueair。Itceased。
　　Acomplainingclamor，modulatedinsavagediscords，filledourears。Thesheerunexpectednessofitmademyhairstirundermycap。Idon’tknowhowitstrucktheothers：tomeitseemedasthoughthemistitselfhadscreamed，sosuddenly，andapparentlyfromallsidesatonce，didthistumultuousandmournfuluproararise。Itculminatedinahurriedoutbreakofalmostintolerablyexcessiveshrieking，whichstoppedshort，leav-
　　ingusstiffenedinavarietyofsillyattitudes，andob-
　　stinatelylisteningtothenearlyasappallingandex-
　　cessivesilence。’GoodGod！Whatisthemeaning——？’
　　stammeredatmyelbowoneofthepilgrims，——alittlefatman，withsandyhairandredwhiskers，whoworeside-springboots，andpinkpyjamastuckedintohissocks。Twoothersremainedopen-mouthedawholemin-
　　ute，thendashedintothelittlecabin，torushoutin-
　　continentlyandstanddartingscaredglances，withWin-
　　chestersat’ready’intheirhands。Whatwecouldseewasjustthesteamerwewereon，heroutlinesblurredasthoughshehadbeenonthepointofdissolving，andamistystripofwater，perhapstwofeetbroad，aroundher——andthatwasall。Therestoftheworldwasno-
　　where，asfarasoureyesandearswereconcerned。Justnowhere。Gone，disappeared;sweptoffwithoutleavingawhisperorashadowbehind。
　　"Iwentforward，andorderedthechaintobehauledinshort，soastobereadytotriptheanchorandmovethesteamboatatonceifnecessary。’Willtheyattack？’
　　whisperedanawedvoice。’Wewillallbebutcheredinthisfog，’murmuredanother。Thefacestwitchedwiththestrain，thehandstrembledslightly，theeyesforgottowink。Itwasverycurioustoseethecontrastofex-
　　pressionsofthewhitemenandoftheblackfellowsofourcrew，whowereasmuchstrangerstothatpartoftheriveraswe，thoughtheirhomeswereonlyeighthundredmilesaway。Thewhites，ofcoursegreatlydiscomposed，hadbesidesacuriouslookofbeingpainfullyshockedbysuchanoutrageousrow。Theothershadanalert，naturallyinterestedexpression;buttheirfaceswerees-
　　sentiallyquiet，eventhoseoftheoneortwowhogrinnedastheyhauledatthechain。Severalexchangedshort，gruntingphrases，whichseemedtosettlethemattertotheirsatisfaction。Theirheadman，ayoung，broad-
　　chestedblack，severelydrapedindark-bluefringedcloths，withfiercenostrilsandhishairalldoneupart-
　　fullyinoilyringlets，stoodnearme。’Aha！’Isaid，justforgoodfellowship’ssake。’Catch’im，’hesnapped，withabloodshotwideningofhiseyesandaflashofsharpteeth——’catch’im。Give’imtous。’’Toyou，eh？’Iasked;’whatwouldyoudowiththem？’’Eat’im！’hesaidcurtly，and，leaninghiselbowontherail，lookedoutintothefoginadignifiedandprofoundlypensiveattitude。Iwouldnodoubthavebeenproperlyhorrified，haditnotoccurredtomethatheandhischapsmustbeveryhungry：thattheymusthavebeengrowingincreasinglyhungryforatleastthismonthpast。Theyhadbeenengagedforsixmonths（Idon’tthinkasingleoneofthemhadanyclearideaoftime，asweattheendofcountlessageshave。Theystillbe-
　　longedtothebeginningsoftime——hadnoinheritedex-