Ностромо
Chapter 5
“Theyreceivedmeasiftheyhadknownmeforyears,”hesaid.“Thelittleladyiskindnesspersonified.Istayedwiththemforamonth.Hehelpedmetoorganizethesurveyingparties.HispracticalownershipoftheSanTomesilverminegiveshimaspecialposition.Heseemstohavetheearofeveryprovincialauthorityapparently,and,asIsaid,hecanwindallthehidalgosoftheprovinceroundhislittlefinger.Ifyoufollowhisadvicethedifficultieswillfallaway,becausehewantstherailway.Ofcourse,youmustbecarefulinwhatyousay.He’sEnglish,andbesideshemustbeimmenselywealthy.TheHolroydhouseisinwithhiminthatmine,soyoumayimagine—”
Heinterruptedhimselfas,frombeforeoneofthelittlefiresburningoutsidethelowwallofthecorral,arosethefigureofamanwrappedinaponchouptotheneck.Thesaddlewhichhehadbeenusingforapillowmadeadarkpatchonthegroundagainsttheredglowofembers.
“IshallseeHolroydhimselfonmywaybackthroughtheStates,”saidSirJohn.“I’veascertainedthathe,too,wantstherailway.”
Themanwho,perhapsdisturbedbytheproximityofthevoices,hadarisenfromtheground,struckamatchtolightacigarette.Theflameshowedabronzed,black-whiskeredface,apairofeyesgazingstraight;then,rearranginghiswrappings,hesankfulllengthandlaidhisheadagainonthesaddle
