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

any future treacheries of that scoundrel. The others stared,shifting from foot to foot, and whispering short remarks toeach other.Sotillo buckled on his sword and gave curt, peremptoryorders to hasten the retirement decided upon in the afternoon.Sinister, impressive, his sombrero pulled right downupon his eyebrows, he marched first through the door insuch disorder of mind that he forgot utterly to provide forDr. Monygham’s possible return. As the officers trooped outafter him, one or two looked back hastily at the late SenorHirsch, merchant from Esmeralda, left swinging rigidly atrest, alone with the two burning candles. In the emptinessof the room the burly shadow of head and shoulders on thewall had an air of life.Below, the troops fell in silently and moved off by companieswithout drum or trumpet. The old scarecrow majorcommanded the rearguard; but the party he left behindwith orders to fire the Custom House (and ‘burn the carcassof the treacherous Jew where it hung’) failed somehowin their haste to set the staircase properly alight. The bodyof the late Senor Hirsch dwelt alone for a time in the dismalsolitude of the unfinished building, resounding weirdlywith sudden slams and clicks of doors and latches, withrustling scurries of torn papers, and the tremulous sighsthat at each gust of wind passed under the high roof. Thelight of the two candles burning before the perpendicularand breathless immobility of the late Senor Hirsch threw agleam afar over land and water, like a signal in the night. Heremained to startle Nostromo by his presence, and to puz-