Ностромо
Chapter 5
Beforeall,PedritoMontero,taughtbyhisEuropeanexperience,meanttoacquireaseriousfortuneforhimself.Withthisobjectinviewheobtainedfromhisbrother,ontheverymorrowofthesuccessfulbattle,thepermissiontopushonoverthemountainsandtakepossessionofSulaco.Sulacowasthelandoffutureprosperity,thechosenlandofmaterialprogress,theonlyprovinceintheRepublicofinteresttoEuropeancapitalists.PedritoMontero,followingtheexampleoftheDucdeMorny,meanttohavehisshareofthisprosperity.Thisiswhathemeantliterally.Nowhisbrotherwasmasterofthecountry,whetherasPresident,Dictator,orevenasEmperor—whynotasanEmperor?—hemeanttodemandashareineveryenterprise—inrailways,inmines,insugarestates,incottonmills,inlandcompanies,ineachandeveryundertaking—asthepriceofhisprotection.Thedesiretobeonthespotearlywastherealcauseofthecelebratedrideoverthemountainswithsometwohundredllaneros,anenterpriseofwhichthedangershadnotappearedatfirstclearlytohisimpatience.Comingfromaseriesofvictories,itseemedtohimthataMonterohadonlytoappeartobemasterofthesituation.Thisillusionhadbetrayedhimintoarashnessofwhichhewasbecomingaware.Asherodeattheheadofhisllanerosheregrettedthatthereweresofewofthem.Theenthusiasmofthepopulacereassuredhim.
