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-