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

yet without tremor; and the effect of that physical conditiongave to his movements an unhesitating, deliberate dignity.He acted as if accomplishing some sort of rite. He descendedinto the gully; for the fascination of all that silver, withits potential power, survived alone outside of himself. Hepicked up the belt with the revolver, that was lying there,and buckled it round his waist. The cord of silence couldnever snap on the island. It must let him fall and sink intothe sea, he thought. And sink! He was looking at the looseearth covering the treasure. In the sea! His aspect was thatof a somnambulist. He lowered himself down on his kneesslowly and went on grubbing with his fingers with industriouspatience till he uncovered one of the boxes. Without apause, as if doing some work done many times before, heslit it open and took four ingots, which he put in his pockets.He covered up the exposed box again and step by step cameout of the gully. The bushes closed after him with a swish.It was on the third day of his solitude that he haddragged the dinghy near the water with an idea of rowingaway somewhere, but had desisted partly at the whisper oflingering hope that Nostromo would return, partly fromconviction of utter uselessness of all effort. Now she wantedonly a slight shove to be set afloat. He had eaten a little everyday after the first, and had some muscular strength leftyet. Taking up the oars slowly, he pulled away from the cliffof the Great Isabel, that stood behind him warm with sunshine,as if with the heat of life, bathed in a rich light fromhead to foot as if in a radiance of hope and joy. He pulledstraight towards the setting sun. When the gulf had grown