第67章

AdayorsoafterwehadgottoworkuponthequapIfoundmyselfsosleeplessandmiserablethattheshipbecameunendurable。

JustbeforetherushofsunriseIborrowedPollack’sgun，walkeddowntheplanks，clamberedoverthequapheapsandprowledalongthebeach。Iwentperhapsamileandahalfthatdayandsomedistancebeyondtheruinsoftheoldstation。Ibecameinterestedinthedesolationaboutme，andfoundwhenIreturnedthatIwasabletosleepfornearlyanhour。Itwasdelightfultohavebeenaloneforsolong，——nocaptain，noPollack，noone。

AccordinglyIrepeatedthisexpeditionthenextmorningandthenextuntilitbecameacustomwithme。Therewaslittleformetodooncethediggingandwheelingwasorganised，andsotheseprowlingsofminegrewlongerandlonger，andpresentlyIbegantotakefoodwithme。

Ipushedthesewalksfarbeyondtheareadesolatedbythequap。

Ontheedgesofthatwasfirstazoneofstuntedvegetation，thenasortofswampyjunglethatwasdifficulttopenetrate，andthenthebeginningsoftheforest，asceneofhugetreestemsandtangledcreeperropesandrootsmingledwithoozymud。HereI

usedtoloafinastatebetweenbotanisingandreverie——alwaysveryanxioustoknowwhatwasupaboveinthesunlight——andhereitwasImurderedaman。

Itwasthemostunmeaningandpurposelessmurderimaginable。

EvenasIwritedownitswell-rememberedparticularstherecomesagainthesenseofitsstrangeness，itspointlessness，itsincompatibilitywithanyoftheneatanddefinitetheoriespeopleholdaboutlifeandthemeaningoftheworld。IdidthisthingandIwanttotellofmydoingit，butwhyIdiditandparticularlywhyIshouldbeheldresponsibleforitIcannotexplain。

ThatmorningIhadcomeuponatrackintheforest，andithadoccurredtomeasadisagreeableideathatthiswasahumanpathway。Ididn’twanttocomeuponanyhumanbeings。ThelessourexpeditionsawoftheAfricanpopulationthebetterforitsprospects。Thusfarwehadbeensingularlyfreefromnativepestering。SoIturnedbackandwasmakingmywayovermudandrootsanddeadfrondsandpetalsscatteredfromthegreenworldabovewhenabruptlyIsawmyvictim。

Ibecameawareofhimperhapsfortyfeetoffstandingquitestillandregardingme。

Hewasn’tbyanymeansaprettyfigure。Hewasveryblackandnakedexceptforadirtyloin-cloth，hislegswereill-shapedandhistoesspreadwideandtheupperedgeofhisclothandagirdleofstringcuthisclumsyabdomenintofolds。Hisforeheadwaslow，hisnoseveryflatandhislowerlipswollenandpurplish-red。Hishairwasshortandfuzzy，andabouthisneckwasastringandalittlepurseofskin。Hecarriedamusket，andapowder-flaskwasstuckinhisgirdle。Itwasacuriousconfrontation。ThereopposedtohimstoodI，alittlesoiled，perhaps，butstillaratherelaboratelycivilisedhumanbeing，born，bredandtrainedinavaguetradition。Inmyhandwasanunaccustomedgun。Andeachofuswasessentiallyateeming，vividbrain，tenselyexcitedbytheencounter，quiteunawareoftheother’smentalcontentorwhattodowithhim。

Hesteppedbackapaceorso，stumbledandturnedtorun。

“Stop。”Icried；“stop，youfool！”andstartedtorunafterhim，shoutingsuchthingsin