Chapter 8

           THOSEofuswhombusinessorcuriositytooktoSulacointheseyearsbeforethefirstadventoftherailwaycanrememberthesteadyingeffectoftheSanTomemineuponthelifeofthatremoteprovince.Theoutwardappearanceshadnotchangedthenastheyhavechangedsince,asIamtold,withcablecarsrunningalongthestreetsoftheConstitution,andcarriageroadsfarintothecountry,toRinconandothervillages,wheretheforeignmerchantsandtheRicosgenerallyhavetheirmodernvillas,andavastrailwaygoodsyardbytheharbour,whichhasaquay-side,alongrangeofwarehouses,andquiteserious,organizedlabourtroublesofitsown.

           Nobodyhadeverheardoflabourtroublesthen.TheCargadoresoftheportformed,indeed,anunrulybrotherhoodofallsortsofscum,withapatronsaintoftheirown.Theywentonstrikeregularly(everybull-fightday),aformoftroublethatevenNostromoattheheightofhisprestigecouldnevercopewithefficiently;butthemorningaftereachfiesta,beforetheIndianmarket-womenhadopenedtheirmatparasolsontheplaza,whenthesnowsofHiguerotagleamedpaleoverthetownonayetblacksky,theappearanceofaphantom-likehorsemanmountedonasilver-greymaresolvedtheproblemoflabourwithoutfail.Hissteedpacedthelanesoftheslumsandtheweed-grownenclosureswithintheoldramparts,betweentheblack,lightlessclusterofhuts,likecow-byres,likedog-kennels.