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

no divers, but he has a ship, boats, ropes, chains, sailors—ofa sort. Let him fish for the silver. Let him set his fools todrag backwards and forwards and crossways while he sitsand watches till his eyes drop out of his head.’‘Really, this is an admirable idea,’ muttered the doctor.‘Si. You tell him that, and see whether he will not believeyou! He will spend days in rage and torment—and still hewill believe. He will have no thought for anything else. Hewill not give up till he is driven off—why, he may even forgetto kill you. He will neither eat nor sleep. He—‘‘The very thing! The very thing!’ the doctor repeated inan excited whisper. ‘Capataz, I begin to believe that you area great genius in your way.’Nostromo had paused; then began again in a changedtone, sombre, speaking to himself as though he had forgottenthe doctor’s existence.‘There is something in a treasure that fastens upon aman’s mind. He will pray and blaspheme and still persevere,and will curse the day he ever heard of it, and will let hislast hour come upon him unawares, still believing that hemissed it only by a foot. He will see it every time he closeshis eyes. He will never forget it till he is dead—and eventhen——Doctor, did you ever hear of the miserable gringoson Azuera, that cannot die? Ha! ha! Sailors like myself.There is no getting away from a treasure that once fastensupon your mind.’‘You are a devil of a man, Capataz. It is the most plausiblething.’Nostromo pressed his arm.