Nostromo - A Tale of the Seaboard.pdf - Planet eBook

Barrios and his officers had done wonders with the recruitsin a short time. Those Indios, only caught the other day, hadgone swinging past in double quick time, like bersaglieri;they looked well fed, too, and had whole uniforms. ‘Uniforms!’he repeated with a half-smile of pity. A look of grimretrospect stole over his piercing, steady eyes. It had beenotherwise in his time when men fought against tyranny, inthe forests of Brazil, or on the plains of Uruguay, starvingon half-raw beef without salt, half naked, with often only aknife tied to a stick for a weapon. ‘And yet we used to prevailagainst the oppressor,’ he concluded, proudly.His animation fell; the slight gesture of his hand expresseddiscouragement; but he added that he had askedone of the sergeants to show him the new rifle. There wasno such weapon in his fighting days; and if Barrios couldnot—‘Yes, yes,’ broke in Don Jose, almost trembling with eagerness.‘We are safe. The good Senor Viola is a man ofexperience. Extremely deadly—is it not so? You have accomplishedyour mission admirably, my dear Martin.’Decoud, lolling back moodily, contemplated old Viola.‘Ah! Yes. A man of experience. But who are you for, really,in your heart?’Mrs. Gould leaned over to the children. Linda hadbrought out a glass of water on a tray, with extreme care;Giselle presented her with a bunch of flowers gathered hastily.‘For the people,’ declared old Viola, sternly.‘We are all for the people—in the end.’