Ностромо

           Hebeganitwiththeshoutedword“Citizens!”whichreachedeventhoseinthemiddleofthePlaza.Afterwardsthegreaterpartofthecitizensremainedfascinatedbytheorator’sactionalone,histip-toeing,thearmsflungabovehisheadwiththefistsclenched,ahandlaidflatupontheheart,thesilvergleamofrollingeyes,thesweeping,pointing,embracinggestures,ahandlaidfamiliarlyonGamacho’sshoulder;ahandwavedformallytowardsthelittleblack-coatedpersonofSenorFuentes,advocateandpoliticianandatruefriendofthepeople.Thevivasofthosenearesttotheoratorburstingoutsuddenlypropagatedthemselvesirregularlytotheconfinesofthecrowd,likeflamesrunningoverdrygrass,andexpiredintheopeningofthestreets.Intheintervals,overtheswarmingPlazabroodedaheavysilence,inwhichthemouthoftheoratorwentonopeningandshutting,anddetachedphrases—“Thehappinessofthepeople,”“Sonsofthecountry,”“Theentireworld,elmundoentiero”—reachedeventhepackedstepsofthecathedralwithafeebleclearring,thinasthebuzzingofamosquito.Buttheoratorstruckhisbreast;heseemedtoprancebetweenhistwosupporters.Itwasthesupremeeffortofhisperoration.ThenthetwosmallerfiguresdisappearedfromthepublicgazeandtheenormousGamacho,leftalone,advanced,raisinghishathighabovehishead.Thenhecoveredhimselfproudlyandyelledout,“Ciudadanos!”AdullroargreetedSenorGamacho,ex-pedlaroftheCampo,CommandanteoftheNationalGuards.