The steamer had sunk two days before. I asked myself what I was to do there, now my boat was lost. As a matter of fact, I had plenty to do in fishing it out of the river. That and the repairs took some months.
My first interview with the manager was curious. He did not ask me to sit down after my twenty mile walk that morning. He inspired neither love nor fear, nor even respect. He had no learning and no intelligence.
His position had come to him perhaps become he was never ill….He could keep the routine going- that s all .
He began to speak as son as he saw me. I had beem very long on the road. He could not wait. The up river stations had to be relieved. There had been so many delays , al ready that he did not know who was dead and who was alive.
He paid no attention to my explanatons and repeated several times that the situation was very grave, very grave.
There were rumors that a very important station was in jeopardy and its chief. Mr Kurtz was ill. the best agent he had, an exceptinal man of the greatest importance to the Company. He gave me there months to have everything ready to depart.
I went to work the next day. I saw this station, these men strolling about in the sunshine of the yard.
I asked myself sometimes what it all meant-
The wandered here and and there with their absurd long staves in their hands.
You should think they were praying to it. By Jove !
I ve never seen anything to unreal in my life.
During these months variuos things happened. One evening a Grass shed full of calico burst into a blaze suddenly.
They said he had caused the five in some way. I saw him, later on, on the several days, sitting in a bit of shade looking very stick and trying to recover.
Then he left no the wilderness to never come back.
