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

thinned considerably towards the morning though therewere no signs of daylight as yet.The cargo-lighter, relieved of its precious burden, rockedfeebly, half-afloat, with her fore-foot on the sand. A longrope stretched away like a black cotton thread across thestrip of white beach to the grapnel Nostromo had carriedashore and hooked to the stem of a tree-like shrub in thevery opening of the ravine.There was nothing for Decoud but to remain on the island.He received from Nostromo’s hands whatever food theforesight of Captain Mitchell had put on board the lighterand deposited it temporarily in the little dinghy which ontheir arrival they had hauled up out of sight amongst thebushes. It was to be left with him. The island was to be ahiding-place, not a prison; he could pull out to a passingship. The O.S.N. Company’s mail boats passed close to theislands when going into Sulaco from the north. But the Minerva,carrying off the ex-president, had taken the news upnorth of the disturbances in Sulaco. It was possible that thenext steamer down would get instructions to miss the portaltogether since the town, as far as the Minerva’s officersknew, was for the time being in the hands of the rabble. Thiswould mean that there would be no steamer for a month,as far as the mail service went; but Decoud had to take hischance of that. The island was his only shelter from the proscriptionhanging over his head. The Capataz was, of course,going back. The unloaded lighter leaked much less, and hethought that she would keep afloat as far as the harbour.He passed to Decoud, standing knee-deep alongside,