Ностромо

           Aplainmancouldcarryonhislittlebusinessnowinthecountry,andeventhinkofenlargingit—withsafety.Wasitnotso?HeseemedtobegCharlesGouldforaconfirmatoryword,agruntofassent,asimplenodeven.

           Hecouldgetnothing.Hisalarmincreased,andinthepauseshewoulddarthiseyeshereandthere;then,lothtogiveup,hewouldbranchoffintofeelingallusiontothedangersofhisjourney.TheaudaciousHernandez,leavinghisusualhaunts,hadcrossedtheCampoofSulaco,andwasknowntobelurkingintheravinesofthecoastrange.Yesterday,whendistantonlyafewhoursfromSulaco,thehidemerchantandhisservantshadseenthreemenontheroadarrestedsuspiciously,withtheirhorses’headstogether.Twooftheserodeoffatonceanddisappearedinashallowquebradatotheleft.“Westopped,”continuedthemanfromEsmeralda,“andItriedtohidebehindasmallbush.Butnoneofmymozoswouldgoforwardtofindoutwhatitmeant,andthethirdhorsemanseemedtobewaitingforustocomeup.Itwasnouse.Wehadbeenseen.Sowerodeslowlyon,trembling.Heletuspass—amanonagreyhorsewithhishatdownonhiseyes—withoutawordofgreeting;butby-and-byweheardhimgallopingafterus.Wefacedabout,butthatdidnotseemtointimidatehim.Herodeupatspeed,andtouchingmyfootwiththetoeofhisboot,askedmeforacigar,withablood-curdlinglaugh.Hedidnotseemarmed,butwhenheputhishandbacktoreachforthematchesIsawanenormousrevolverstrappedtohiswaist.