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

you, Mitchell,’ he said, emphatically, ‘who are the thief, notmy soldiers!’ He pointed at his prisoner a forefinger with along, almond-shaped nail. ‘Where is the silver of the SanTome mine? I ask you, Mitchell, where is the silver that wasdeposited in this Custom House? Answer me that! You stoleit. You were a party to stealing it. It was stolen from the Government.Aha! you think I do not know what I say; but I amup to your foreign tricks. It is gone, the silver! No? Gone inone of your lanchas, you miserable man! How dared you?’This time he produced his effect. ‘How on earth couldSotillo know that?’ thought Mitchell. His head, the onlypart of his body that could move, betrayed his surprise bya sudden jerk.‘Ha! you tremble,’ Sotillo shouted, suddenly. ‘It is a conspiracy.It is a crime against the State. Did you not knowthat the silver belongs to the Republic till the Governmentclaims are satisfied? Where is it? Where have you hidden it,you miserable thief?’At this question Captain Mitchell’s sinking spirits revived.In whatever incomprehensible manner Sotillo hadalready got his information about the lighter, he had notcaptured it. That was clear. In his outraged heart, CaptainMitchell had resolved that nothing would induce him to saya word while he remained so disgracefully bound, but hisdesire to help the escape of the silver made him depart fromthis resolution. His wits were very much at work. He detectedin Sotillo a certain air of doubt, of irresolution.‘That man,’ he said to himself, ‘is not certain of what headvances.’ For all his pomposity in social intercourse, Cap-