led; the slide of her scuttle hatch was closed and
padlocked. Powell was gone. He had walked off into that dark, still
marsh somewhere. I had not seen a single house anywhere near; there did
not seem to be any human habitation for miles; and now as darkness fell
denser over the land I couldn't see the glimmer of a single light.
However, I supposed that there must be some village or hamlet not very
far away; or only one of these mysterious little inns one comes upon
sometimes in most unexpected and lonely places.

"The stillness was oppressive. I went back to my boat, made some coffee
over a spirit-lamp, devoured a few biscuits, and stretched myself aft,
to smoke and gaze at the stars. The earth was a mere shadow, formless
and silent, and empty, till a bullock turned up from somewhere, quite
shadowy too. He came smartly to the very edge of the bank as though he
meant to step on board, stretched his muzzle right over my boat, blew
heavily once, and walked off contemptuously into the darkness from which
he had come. I had not expected a call from a bullock, though a
moment's thought would have shown me that there must be lots of cattle
and sheep on that marsh. Then everything became still as before. I
might have imagined myself arrived on a desert island. In fact, as I
reclined smoking a sense of absolute loneliness grew on me. And just as
it had become intense, very abruptly and without any preliminary sound I
heard firm, quick footsteps on the little wharf. Somebody coming along
the cart-track had just stepped at a swinging gait on to the planks.
That somebody could only have been Mr Powell. Suddenly he stopped
short, having made out that there were two masts alongside the bank
where he had left only one. Then he came on silent on the grass. When
I spoke to him he was astonished.

"Who would have thought of seeing you here!" he exclaimed, after
returning my good evening.

"I told him I had run in for company. It was rigorously true.

"You knew I was here?" he exclaimed.

"Of course," I said. "I tell you I came in for company."

"He is a really good fellow," went on Marlow. "And his capacity for
astonishment is quickly exhausted, it seems. It was in the most
matter-of-fact manner that he said, `Come on board of me, then; I have
here enough supper for two.' He was holding a bulky parcel in the crook
of his arm. I did not wait to be asked twice, as you may guess. His
cutter has a very neat little