Ностромо
Chapter 8
Suchamanwassafe.InsilencehehelpedtheCapataztogetthegrapnelonboard.Nostromoclearedtheshelvingshorewithonepushoftheheavyoar,andDecoudfoundhimselfsolitaryonthebeachlikeamaninadream.Asuddendesiretohearahumanvoiceoncemoreseizeduponhisheart.Thelighterwashardlydistinguishablefromtheblackwateruponwhichshefloated.
“WhatdoyouthinkhasbecomeofHirsch?”heshouted.
“Knockedoverboardanddrowned,”criedNostromo’svoiceconfidentlyoutoftheblackwastesofskyandseaaroundtheislet.“Keepcloseintheravine,senor.Ishalltrytocomeouttoyouinanightortwo.”
AslightswishingrustleshowedthatNostromowassettingthesail.Itfilledallatoncewithasoundasofasinglelouddrum-tap.Decoudwentbacktotheravine.Nostromo,atthetiller,lookedbackfromtimetotimeatthevanishingmassoftheGreatIsabel,which,littlebylittle,mergedintotheuniformtextureofthenight.Atlast,whenheturnedhisheadagain,hesawnothingbutasmoothdarkness,likeasolidwall.
Thenhe,too,experiencedthatfeelingofsolitudewhichhadweighedheavilyonDecoudafterthelighterhadslippedofftheshore.Butwhilethemanontheislandwasoppressedbyabizarresenseofunrealityaffectingtheverygrounduponwhichhewalked,themindoftheCapatazoftheCargadoresturnedalertlytotheproblemoffutureconduct.
