Ностромо

           Itwasasiftheworldwerecomingtoanend.

           Thelongbuildingwassurroundedbytroops,whichwerealreadypilingarmsbycompaniesandpreparingtopassthenightlyingonthegroundintheirponchoswiththeirsacksundertheirheads.Corporalsmovedwithswinginglanternspostingsentriesallroundthewallswherevertherewasadoororanopening.Sotillowastakinghismeasurestoprotecthisconquestasifithadindeedcontainedthetreasure.Hisdesiretomakehisfortuneatoneaudaciousstrokeofgeniushadovermasteredhisreasoningfaculties.Hewouldnotbelieveinthepossibilityoffailure;themerehintofsuchathingmadehisbrainreelwithrage.Everycircumstancepointingtoitappearedincredible.ThestatementofHirsch,whichwassoabsolutelyfataltohishopes,couldbynomeansbeadmitted.Itistrue,too,thatHirsch’sstoryhadbeentoldsoincoherently,withsuchexcessivesignsofdistraction,thatitreallylookedimprobable.Itwasextremelydifficult,asthesayingis,tomakeheadortailofit.Onthebridgeofthesteamer,directlyafterhisrescue,Sotilloandhisofficers,intheirimpatienceandexcitement,wouldnotgivethewretchedmantimetocollectsuchfewwitsasremainedtohim.Heoughttohavebeenquieted,soothed,andreassured,whereashehadbeenroughlyhandled,cuffed,shaken,andaddressedinmenacingtones.