Ностромо
Chapter 8
Hehadforgottenthedogs.Heswervedsharply,andplungedintothepalm-grove,asintoawildernessofcolumnsinanimmensehall,whosedenseobscurityseemedtowhisperandrustlefaintlyhighabovehishead.Hetraversedit,enteredaravine,andclimbedtothetopofasteepridgefreeoftreesandbushes.
Fromthere,openandvagueinthestarlight,hesawtheplainbetweenthetownandtheharbour.Inthewoodsabovesomenight-birdmadeastrangedrummingnoise.Belowbeyondthepalmariaonthebeach,theIndian’sdogscontinuedtobarkuproariously.Hewonderedwhathadupsetthemsomuch,and,peeringdownfromhiselevation,wassurprisedtodetectunaccountablemovementsofthegroundbelow,asifseveraloblongpiecesoftheplainhadbeeninmotion.Thosedark,shiftingpatches,alternatelycatchingandeludingtheeye,alteredtheirplacealwaysawayfromtheharbour,withasuggestionofconsecutiveorderandpurpose.Alightdawneduponhim.Itwasacolumnofinfantryonanightmarchtowardsthehigherbrokencountryatthefootofthehills.Buthewastoomuchinthedarkabouteverythingforwonderandspeculation.
Theplainhadresumeditsshadowyimmobility.Hedescendedtheridgeandfoundhimselfintheopensolitude,betweentheharbourandthetown.Itsspaciousness,extendedindefinitelybyaneffectofobscurity,renderedmoresensiblehisprofoundisolation.Hispacebecameslower.Noonewaitedforhim;noonethoughtofhim;nooneexpectedorwishedhisreturn.
