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

man or beast,’ said the girl, passing her hand gently over hersister’s hair.‘But he lets people call him so,’ remarked Decoud.‘Not in this house,’ retorted the child.‘Ah! well, I shall call him the Capataz then.’Decoud gave up the point, and after writing steadily fora while turned round again.‘When do you expect him back?’ he asked.‘After he brought you here he rode off to fetch the SenorDoctor from the town for mother. He will be back soon.’‘He stands a good chance of getting shot somewhere onthe road,’ Decoud murmured to himself audibly; and Lindadeclared in her high-pitched voice—‘Nobody would dare to fire a shot at Gian’ Battista.’‘You believe that,’ asked Decoud, ‘do you?’‘I know it,’ said the child, with conviction. ‘There is noone in this place brave enough to attack Gian’ Battista.’‘It doesn’t require much bravery to pull a trigger behinda bush,’ muttered Decoud to himself. ‘Fortunately, the nightis dark, or there would be but little chance of saving the silverof the mine.’He turned again to his pocket-book, glanced backthrough the pages, and again started his pencil.‘That was the position yesterday, after the Minerva withthe fugitive President had gone out of harbour, and the riotershad been driven back into the side lanes of the town. I saton the steps of the cathedral with Nostromo, after sendingout the cable message for the information of a more or lessattentive world. Strangely enough, though the offices of the