Ностромо
Chapter 3
HetoldCharlesGouldthathehadbeenarancheroinoneofthelowervalleys,farsouth,aneighbourofHernandezintheolddays,andgodfathertohiseldestboy;oneofthosewhojoinedhiminhisresistancetotherecruitingraidwhichwasthebeginningofalltheirmisfortunes.Itwashethat,whenhiscompadrehadbeencarriedoff,hadburiedhiswifeandchildren,murderedbythesoldiers.
“Si,senor,”hemuttered,hoarsely,“Iandtwoorthreeothers,theluckyonesleftatliberty,buriedthemallinonegraveneartheashesoftheirranch,underthetreethathadshadeditsroof.”
Itwastohim,too,thatHernandezcameafterhehaddeserted,threeyearsafterwards.Hehadstillhisuniformonwiththesergeant’sstripesonthesleeve,andthebloodofhiscoloneluponhishandsandbreast.Threetroopersfollowedhim,ofthosewhohadstartedinpursuitbuthadriddenonforliberty.AndhetoldCharlesGouldhowheandafewfriends,seeingthosesoldiers,layinambushbehindsomerocksreadytopullthetriggeronthem,whenherecognizedhiscompadreandjumpedupfromcover,shoutinghisname,becauseheknewthatHernandezcouldnothavebeencomingbackonanerrandofinjusticeandoppression.Thosethreesoldiers,togetherwiththepartywholaybehindtherocks,hadformedthenucleusofthefamousband,andhe,thenarrator,hadbeenthefavouritelieutenantofHernandezformany,manyyears.
