Page 132 - HEART OF DARKNESS

Heart of Darkness

some excuse. What’s to stop them? There’s a military post
three hundred miles from here.’ ‘Well, upon my word,’
said I, ‘perhaps you had better go if you have any friends
amongst the savages near by.’ ‘Plenty,’ he said. ‘They are

simple people—and I want nothing, you know.’ He stood
biting his lip, then: ‘I don’t want any harm to happen to
these whites here, but of course I was thinking of Mr.
Kurtz’s reputation—but you are a brother seaman and—’
‘All right,’ said I, after a time. ‘Mr. Kurtz’s reputation is
safe with me.’ I did not know how truly I spoke.
‘He informed me, lowering his voice, that it was Kurtz
who had ordered the attack to be made on the steamer.
‘He hated sometimes the idea of being taken away—and
then again…. But I don’t understand these matters. I am a
simple man. He thought it would scare you away—that
you would give it up, thinking him dead. I could not stop
him. Oh, I had an awful time of it this last month.’ ‘Very
well,’ I said. ‘He is all right now.’ ‘Ye-e-es,’ he muttered,
not very convinced apparently. ‘Thanks,’ said I; ‘I shall
keep my eyes open.’ ‘But quiet-eh?’ he urged anxiously.
‘It would be awful for his reputation if anybody here—’ I
promised a complete discretion with great gravity. ‘I have
a canoe and three black fellows waiting not very far. I am
off. Could you give me a few Martini-Henry cartridges?’ I

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