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

armed Europe would not have protected Captain Mitchellfrom insults and ill-usage, so well as the quick reflection ofSotillo that this was an Englishman who would most likelyturn obstinate under bad treatment, and become quite unmanageable.At all events, the colonel smoothed the scowlon his brow.‘What! The excellent Senor Mitchell!’ he cried, in affecteddismay. The pretended anger of his swift advance and of hisshout, ‘Release the caballero at once,’ was so effective thatthe astounded soldiers positively sprang away from theirprisoner. Thus suddenly deprived of forcible support, CaptainMitchell reeled as though about to fall. Sotillo took himfamiliarly under the arm, led him to a chair, waved his handat the room. ‘Go out, all of you,’ he commanded.When they had been left alone he stood looking down,irresolute and silent, watching till Captain Mitchell had recoveredhis power of speech.Here in his very grasp was one of the men concerned inthe removal of the silver. Sotillo’s temperament was of thatsort that he experienced an ardent desire to beat him; justas formerly when negotiating with difficulty a loan fromthe cautious Anzani, his fingers always itched to take theshopkeeper by the throat. As to Captain Mitchell, the suddenness,unexpectedness, and general inconceivableness ofthis experience had confused his thoughts. Moreover, hewas physically out of breath.‘I’ve been knocked down three times between this andthe wharf,’ he gasped out at last. ‘Somebody shall be madeto pay for this.’ He had certainly stumbled more than once,