Сердце тьмы

           Thereforehewhackedtheoldniggermercilessly,whileabigcrowdofhispeoplewatchedhim,thunderstruck,tillsomeman—Iwastoldthechief’sson—indesperationathearingtheoldchapyell,madeatentativejabwithaspearatthewhiteman—andofcourseitwentquiteeasybetweentheshoulder-blades.Thenthewholepopulationclearedintotheforest,expectingallkindsofcalamitiestohappen,while,ontheotherhand,thesteamerFreslevencommandedleftalsoinabadpanic,inchargeoftheengineer,Ibelieve.AfterwardsnobodyseemedtotroublemuchaboutFresleven’sremains,tillIgotoutandsteppedintohisshoes.Icouldn’tletitrest,though;butwhenanopportunityofferedatlasttomeetmypredecessor,thegrassgrowingthroughhisribswastallenoughtohidehisbones.Theywereallthere.Thesupernaturalbeinghadnotbeentouchedafterhefell.Andthevillagewasdeserted,thehutsgapedblack,rotting,allaskewwithinthefallenenclosures.Acalamityhadcometoit,sureenough.Thepeoplehadvanished.Madterrorhadscatteredthem,men,women,andchildren,throughthebush,andtheyhadneverreturned.WhatbecameofthehensIdon’tknoweither.Ishouldthinkthecauseofprogressgotthem,anyhow.However,throughthisgloriousaffairIgotmyappointment,beforeIhadfairlybeguntohopeforit.

           "Iflewaroundlikemadtogetready,andbeforeforty-eighthoursIwascrossingtheChanneltoshowmyselftomyemployers,andsignthecontract.