Сердце тьмы

           Alotofpeople,mostlyblackandnaked,movedaboutlikeants.Ajettyprojectedintotheriver.Ablindingsunlightdrownedallthisattimesinasuddenrecrudescenceofglare.‘There’syourCompany’sstation,’saidtheSwede,pointingtothreewoodenbarrack-likestructuresontherockyslope.‘Iwillsendyourthingsup.Fourboxesdidyousay?So.Farewell.’

           "Icameuponaboilerwallowinginthegrass,thenfoundapathleadingupthehill.Itturnedasidefortheboulders,andalsoforanundersizedrailway-trucklyingthereonitsbackwithitswheelsintheair.Onewasoff.Thethinglookedasdeadasthecarcassofsomeanimal.Icameuponmorepiecesofdecayingmachinery,astackofrustyrails.Totheleftaclumpoftreesmadeashadyspot,wheredarkthingsseemedtostirfeebly.Iblinked,thepathwassteep.Ahorntootedtotheright,andIsawtheblackpeoplerun.Aheavyanddulldetonationshooktheground,apuffofsmokecameoutofthecliff,andthatwasall.Nochangeappearedonthefaceoftherock.Theywerebuildingarailway.Thecliffwasnotinthewayoranything;butthisobjectlessblastingwasalltheworkgoingon.

           "Aslightclinkingbehindmemademeturnmyhead.Sixblackmenadvancedinafile,toilingupthepath.Theywalkederectandslow,balancingsmallbasketsfullofearthontheirheads,andtheclinkkepttimewiththeirfootsteps.Blackragswerewoundroundtheirloins,andtheshortendsbehindwaggledtoandfroliketails.