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

of his safe. It was even for that specific crime that the deputyGamacho, commanding the Nationals, a bloodthirsty andsavage brute, was executed publicly by garrotte upon thesentence of a court-martial ordered by Barrios. Anzani’snephews converted the business into a company. All thatside of the Plaza had been burnt; used to be colonnaded before.A terrible fire, by the light of which I saw the last of thefighting, the llaneros flying, the Nationals throwing theirarms down, and the miners of San Tome, all Indians fromthe Sierra, rolling by like a torrent to the sound of pipes andcymbals, green flags flying, a wild mass of men in whiteponchos and green hats, on foot, on mules, on donkeys.Such a sight, sir, will never be seen again. The miners, sir,had marched upon the town, Don Pepe leading on his blackhorse, and their very wives in the rear on burros, screamingencouragement, sir, and beating tambourines. I rememberone of these women had a green parrot seated on hershoulder, as calm as a bird of stone. They had just savedtheir Senor Administrador; for Barrios, though he orderedthe assault at once, at night, too, would have been too late.Pedrito Montero had Don Carlos led out to be shot—likehis uncle many years ago—and then, as Barrios said afterwards,‘Sulaco would not have been worth fighting for.’Sulaco without the Concession was nothing; and there weretons and tons of dynamite distributed all over the mountainwith detonators arranged, and an old priest, Father Roman,standing by to annihilate the San Tome mine at the firstnews of failure. Don Carlos had made up his mind not toleave it behind, and he had the right men to see to it, too.’