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

had been leaning in the doorway trembling visibly, ventureagain within. The soldiers, picking up from the floor the riflesthey had dropped to grapple with the prisoner, filed outof the room. The officers remained leaning on their swordsand looking on.‘The watch! the watch!’ raved the colonel, pacing to andfro like a tiger in a cage. ‘Give me that man’s watch.’It was true, that when searched for arms in the halldownstairs, before being taken into Sotillo’s presence, CaptainMitchell had been relieved of his watch and chain; butat the colonel’s clamour it was produced quickly enough, acorporal bringing it up, carried carefully in the palms of hisjoined hands. Sotillo snatched it, and pushed the clenchedfist from which it dangled close to Captain Mitchell’s face.‘Now then! You arrogant Englishman! You dare to callthe soldiers of the army thieves! Behold your watch.’He flourished his fist as if aiming blows at the prisoner’snose. Captain Mitchell, helpless as a swathed infant, lookedanxiously at the sixty-guinea gold half-chronometer, presentedto him years ago by a Committee of Underwriters forsaving a ship from total loss by fire. Sotillo, too, seemed toperceive its valuable appearance. He became silent suddenly,stepped aside to the table, and began a careful examinationin the light of the candles. He had never seen anything sofine. His officers closed in and craned their necks behindhis back.He became so interested that for an instant he forgot hisprecious prisoner. There is always something childish inthe rapacity of the passionate, clear-minded, Southern rac-