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

and the bullet-speckled walls of the houses opposite lightlyveiled by a sunny haze of dust. The word ‘PORVENIR’ inimmense black capitals, alternating with broken windows,stared at him across the vast space; and he thought withdelight of the hour of vengeance, because he was very sureof laying his hands upon Decoud. On his left hand, Gamacho,big and hot, wiping his hairy wet face, uncovered a setof yellow fangs in a grin of stupid hilarity. On his right, SenorFuentes, small and lean, looked on with compressedlips. The crowd stared literally open-mouthed, lost in eagerstillness, as though they had expected the great guerrillero,the famous Pedrito, to begin scattering at once some sortof visible largesse. What he began was a speech. He beganit with the shouted word ‘Citizens!’ which reached eventhose in the middle of the Plaza. Afterwards the greater partof the citizens remained fascinated by the orator’s actionalone, his tip-toeing, the arms flung above his head withthe fists clenched, a hand laid flat upon the heart, the silvergleam of rolling eyes, the sweeping, pointing, embracinggestures, a hand laid familiarly on Gamacho’s shoulder; ahand waved formally towards the little black-coated personof Senor Fuentes, advocate and politician and a true friendof the people. The vivas of those nearest to the orator burstingout suddenly propagated themselves irregularly to theconfines of the crowd, like flames running over dry grass,and expired in the opening of the streets. In the intervals,over the swarming Plaza brooded a heavy silence, in whichthe mouth of the orator went on opening and shutting, anddetached phrases—‘The happiness of the people,’ ‘Sons of