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

Don Pepe, in a mild and humorous voice, informed FatherRoman that Pedrito Montero, by the hand of SenorFuentes, had asked him on what terms he would surrenderthe mine in proper working order to a legally constitutedcommission of patriotic citizens, escorted by a small militaryforce. The priest cast his eyes up to heaven. However,Don Pepe continued, the mozo who brought the letter saidthat Don Carlos Gould was alive, and so far unmolested.Father Roman expressed in a few words his thankfulnessat hearing of the Senor Administrador’s safety.The hour of oration had gone by in the silvery ringingof a bell in the little belfry. The belt of forest closing the entranceof the valley stood like a screen between the low sunand the street of the village. At the other end of the rockygorge, between the walls of basalt and granite, a forest-cladmountain, hiding all the range from the San Tome dwellers,rose steeply, lighted up and leafy to the very top. Three smallrosy clouds hung motionless overhead in the great depth ofblue. Knots of people sat in the street between the wattledhuts. Before the casa of the alcalde, the foremen of the nightshift,already assembled to lead their men, squatted on theground in a circle of leather skull-caps, and, bowing theirbronze backs, were passing round the gourd of mate. Themozo from the town, having fastened his horse to a woodenpost before the door, was telling them the news of Sulacoas the blackened gourd of the decoction passed from handto hand. The grave alcalde himself, in a white waistclothand a flowered chintz gown with sleeves, open wide uponhis naked stout person with an effect of a gaudy bathing