Ностромо
Chapter 2
Veryearly,atthebeginningofthetrouble,Hernandez,thebandit,hadproposed(throughtheagencyofanoldpriestofavillageinthewilds)todelivertwoofthemtotheRibieristauthoritiesinTonoro.TheyhadcometoofferhimafreepardonandtherankofcolonelfromGeneralMonteroinconsiderationofjoiningtherebelarmywithhismountedband.Nonoticewastakenatthetimeoftheproposal.Itwasjoined,asanevidenceofgoodfaith,toapetitionprayingtheSulacoAssemblyforpermissiontoenlist,withallhisfollowers,intheforcesbeingthenraisedinSulacoforthedefenceoftheFive-YearMandateofregeneration.Thepetition,likeeverythingelse,hadfounditswayintoDonJose’shands.HehadshowedtoMrs.Gouldthesepagesofdirty-greyishroughpaper(perhapslootedinsomevillagestore),coveredwiththecrabbed,illiteratehandwritingoftheoldpadre,carriedofffromhishutbythesideofamud-walledchurchtobethesecretaryofthedreadedSalteador.TheyhadbothbentinthelamplightoftheGoulddrawing-roomoverthedocumentcontainingthefierceandyethumbleappealofthemanagainsttheblindandstupidbarbarityturninganhonestrancherointoabandit.Apostscriptoftheprieststatedthat,butforbeingdeprivedofhislibertyfortendays,hehadbeentreatedwithhumanityandtherespectduetohissacredcalling.Hehadbeen,itappears,confessingandabsolvingthechiefandmostoftheband,andheguaranteedthesincerityoftheirgooddisposition.
