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

CHAPTER FOURALL the morning Nostromo had kept his eye from afaron the Casa Viola, even in the thick of the hottestscrimmage near the Custom House. ‘If I see smoke risingover there,’ he thought to himself, ‘they are lost.’ Directlythe mob had broken he pressed with a small band of Italianworkmen in that direction, which, indeed, was the shortestline towards the town. That part of the rabble he was pursuingseemed to think of making a stand under the house;a volley fired by his followers from behind an aloe hedgemade the rascals fly. In a gap chopped out for the rails ofthe harbour branch line Nostromo appeared, mounted onhis silver-grey mare. He shouted, sent after them one shotfrom his revolver, and galloped up to the cafe window. Hehad an idea that old Giorgio would choose that part of thehouse for a refuge.His voice had penetrated to them, sounding breathlesslyhurried: ‘Hola! Vecchio! O, Vecchio! Is it all well with youin there?’‘You see—‘ murmured old Viola to his wife. Signora Teresawas silent now. Outside Nostromo laughed.‘I can hear the padrona is not dead.’‘You have done your best to kill me with fear,’ cried SignoraTeresa. She wanted to say something more, but hervoice failed her.