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

was sitting at the foot of the bed, looking at his wife’s face,and did not seem to hear what I said; but after I had pulledthe sheet over her head, he got up and followed us downstairsquietly, in a sort of thoughtful way. They marched usoff along the road, leaving the door open and the candleburning. The chief engineer strode on without a word, but Ilooked back once or twice at the feeble gleam. After we hadgone some considerable distance, the Garibaldino, who waswalking by my side, suddenly said, ‘I have buried many menon battlefields on this continent. The priests talk of consecratedground! Bah! All the earth made by God is holy; butthe sea, which knows nothing of kings and priests and tyrants,is the holiest of all. Doctor! I should like to bury herin the sea. No mummeries, candles, incense, no holy watermumbled over by priests. The spirit of liberty is upon thewaters.’ … Amazing old man. He was saying all this in anundertone as if talking to himself.’‘Yes, yes,’ interrupted Captain Mitchell, impatiently. ‘Poorold chap! But have you any idea how that ruffian Sotillo obtainedhis information? He did not get hold of any of ourCargadores who helped with the truck, did he? But no, it isimpossible! These were picked men we’ve had in our boatsfor these five years, and I paid them myself specially for thejob, with instructions to keep out of the way for twenty-fourhours at least. I saw them with my own eyes march on withthe Italians to the railway yards. The chief promised to givethem rations as long as they wanted to remain there.’‘Well,’ said the doctor, slowly, ‘I can tell you that you maysay good-bye for ever to your best lighter, and to the Capa-