Серце темряви

           Acquisitions,clothes,prettyrags—ragsthatwouldflyoffatthefirstgoodshake.No;youwantadeliberatebelief.Anappealtomeinthisfiendishrow—isthere?Verywell;Ihear;Iadmit,butIhaveavoice,too,andforgoodorevilmineisthespeechthatcannotbesilenced.Ofcourse,afool,whatwithsheerfrightandfinesentiments,isalwayssafe.Who’sthatgrunting?YouwonderIdidn’tgoashoreforahowlandadance?Well,no—Ididn’t.Finesentiments,yousay?Finesentiments,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—andhehadfiledteeth,too,thepoordevil,andthewoolofhispateshavedintoqueerpatterns,andthreeornamentalscarsoneachofhischeeks.