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，shoutingsuchthingsinEnglish。ButIwasnomatchforhimovertherootsandmud。
Ihadapreposterousidea。“Hemustn’tgetawayandtellthem！”
AndwiththatinstantlyIbroughtbothfeettogether，raisedmygun，aimedquitecoolly，drewthetriggercarefullyandshothimneatlyintheback。
Isaw，andsawwithaleapofpureexaltation，thesmashofmybulletbetweenhisshoulderblades。“Gothim。”saidI，droppingmygunanddownhefloppedanddiedwithoutagroan。“ByJove！”
Icriedwithnoteofsurprise，“I’vekilledhim！”Ilookedaboutmeandthenwentforwardcautiously，inamoodbetweencuriosityandastonishment，tolookatthismanwhosesoulIhadflungsounceremoniouslyoutofourcommonworld。Iwenttohim，notasonegoestosomethingonehasmadeordone，butasoneapproachessomethingfound。
Hewasfrightfullysmashedoutinfront；hemusthavediedintheinstant。Istoopedandraisedhimbyhisshoulderandrealisedthat。Idroppedhim，andstoodaboutandpeeredaboutmethroughthetrees。“Myword！”Isaid。Hewastheseconddeadhumanbeing——apart，Imean，fromsurgicalpropertiesandmummiesandcommonshowsofthatsort——thatIhaveeverseen。Istoodoverhimwondering，wonderingbeyondmeasure。
Apracticalideacameintothatconfusion。Hadanyoneheardthegun？
Ireloaded。
AfteratimeIfeltsecurer，andgavemymindagaintothedeadI
hadkilled。WhatmustIdo？
ItoccurredtomethatperhapsIoughttoburyhim。Atanyrate，Ioughttohidehim。Ireflectedcoolly，andthenputmygunwithineasyreachanddraggedhimbythearmtowardsaplacewherethemudseemedsoft，andthrusthimin。Hispowder-flaskslippedfromhisloin-cloth，andIwentbacktogetit。ThenI
pressedhimdownwiththebuttofmyrifle。
Afterwardsthisallseemedtomemosthorrible，butatthetimeitwasentirelyamatter-of-facttransaction。Ilookedroundforanyothervisibleevidenceofhisfate，lookedroundasonedoeswhenonepacksone’sportmanteauinanhotelbedroom。
WhenIgotmybearings，andcarefullyreturnedtowardstheship。
Ihadthemoodofgraveconcentrationofaboywhohaslapsedintopoaching。AndthebusinessonlybegantoassumeproperproportionsformeasIgotneartheship，toseemanyotherkindofthingthanthekillingofabirdorrabbit。
Inthenight，however，ittookonenormousandportentousforms。“ByGod！”Icriedsuddenly，startingwideawake；“butitwasmurder！”
Ilayafterthatwideawake，staringatmymemories。Insomeoddwaythesevisionsmixedupwithmydreamofinmyuncleinhisdespair。Theblackbodywhichsawnowdamagedandpartlyburied，butwhich，nevertheless，Inolongerfeltwasdeadbutacutelyaliveandperceiving，Imixedupwiththeochreousslashundermyuncle’sface。Itriedtodismissthishorribleobsessionfrommymind，butitprevailedoverallmyefforts。
Thenextdaywasutterlyblackwithmysenseofthatuglycreature’sbody。Iamtheleastsuperstitiousofmen，butitdrewme。ItdrewmebackintothosethicketstotheveryplacewhereIhadhiddenhim。
Someevilanddetestablebeasthadbeenathim，andhelaydisinterred。
MethodicallyIburiedhisswollenandmangledcarcassagain，andreturnedtotheshipforanothernightofdreams。NextdayforallthemorningIresistedtheimpulsetogotohim，andplayednapwithPollackwithmysecretgnawingatme，andintheeveningstartedtogoandwasnearbenighted。InevertoldasoulofthemofthisthingIhaddone。
NextdayIwentearly，andhehadgone，andtherewerehumanfootmarksanduglystainsroundthemuddyholefromwhichhehadbeendragged。
Ireturnedtotheship，disconcertedandperplexed。Thatdayitwasthemencameaft，withblisteredhandsandfaces，andsulleneyes。Whentheyproclaimed，throughEdwards，theirspokesman，“We’vehadenoughofthis，andwemeanit。”Iansweredveryreadily，“SohaveI。Let’sgo。”
Wewerenonetoosoon。Peoplehadbeenreconnoitringus，thetelegraphhadbeenatwork，andwewerenotfourhoursatseabeforeweranagainstthegunboatthathadbeensentdownthecoasttolookforusandthatwouldhavecaughtusbehindtheislandlikeabeastinatrap。Itwasanightofdrivingcloudthatgaveintermittentgleamsofmoonlight；thewindandseawerestrongandwewererollingalongthroughadriftofrailsandmist。Suddenlytheworldwaswhitewithmoonshine。Thegunboatcameoutasalongdarkshapewallowingonthewatertotheeast。
ShesightedtheMaudMaryatonce，andfiredsomesortofpopguntoarrestus。
Themateturnedtome。
“ShallItellthecaptain？”
“Thecaptainbedamned“saidI，andwelethimsleepthroughtwohoursofchasetillarainstormswallowedusup。Thenwechangedourcourseandsailedrightacrossthem，andbymorningonlyhersmokewasshowing。
WewereclearofAfrica——andwiththebootyaboardIdidnotseewhatstoodbetweenusandhome。
ForthefirsttimesinceIhadfallensickintheThamesmyspiritsrose。Iwassea-sickandphysicallydisgusted，ofcourse，butIfeltkindlyinspiteofmyqualms。SofarasI
couldcalculatethenthesituationwassaved。IsawmyselfreturningtriumphantlyintotheThames，andnothingonearthtopreventoldCapern’sPerfectFilamentgoingonthemarketinfortnight。Ihadthemonopolyofelectriclampsbeneathmyfeet。
Iwasreleasedfromthespellofthatbloodstainedblackbodyallmixedupwithgrey-blackmud。IwasgoingbacktobathsanddecentfoodandaeronauticsandBeatrice。IwasgoingbacktoBeatriceandmyreallifeagain——outofthiswellintowhichI
hadfallen。Itwouldhaveneededsomethingmorethansea-sicknessandquapfevertopreventmyspiritsrising。
ItoldthecaptainthatIagreedwithhimthattheBritishwerethescumofEurope，thewestwarddriftofallthepeople，adisgustingrabble，andIlostthreepoundsbyattenuatedretailtoPollackatha’pennynapandeuchre。
Andthenyouknow，aswegotoutintotheAtlanticthissideofCapeVerde，theshipbegantogotopieces。Idon’tpretendforonemomenttounderstandwhathappened。ButIthinkGreiffenhagen’srecentworkontheeffectsofradiumuponligneoustissuedoesrathercarryoutmyideathatemanationsfromquaphaverapidrottingeffectuponwoodyfibre。
Fromthefirsttherehadbeenadifferentfeelabouttheship，andasthebigwindsandwavesbegantostrainhershecommencedleaking。Soonshewasleaking——notatanyparticularpoint，buteverywhere。Shedidnotspringaleak，Imean，butwatercameinfirstofallnearthedecayingedgesofherplanks，andthenthroughthem。
