Page 130 - nostromo-a-tale-of-the-seaboard

had been fitted out; a price had been put upon his head;
even attempts had been made, treacherously of course, to
open negotiations with him, without in the slightest way
affecting the even tenor of his career. At last, in true Costa-
guana fashion, the Fiscal of Tonoro, who was ambitious of
the glory of having reduced the famous Hernandez, offered
him a sum of money and a safe conduct out of the country
for the betrayal of his band. But Hernandez evidently was
not of the stuff of which the distinguished military politi-
cians and conspirators of Costaguana are made. This clever
but common device (which frequently works like a charm
in putting down revolutions) failed with the chief of vulgar
Salteadores. It promised well for the Fiscal at first, but end-
ed very badly for the squadron of lanceros posted (by the
Fiscal’s directions) in a fold of the ground into which Her-
nandez had promised to lead his unsuspecting followers
They came, indeed, at the appointed time, but creeping on
their hands and knees through the bush, and only let their
presence be known by a general discharge of firearms, which
emptied many saddles. The troopers who escaped came rid-
ing very hard into Tonoro. It is said that their commanding
officer (who, being better mounted, rode far ahead of the
rest) afterwards got into a state of despairing intoxication
and beat the ambitious Fiscal severely with the flat of his
sabre in the presence of his wife and daughters, for bring-
ing this disgrace upon the National Army. The highest civil
official of Tonoro, falling to the ground in a swoon, was fur-
ther kicked all over the body and rowelled with sharp spurs
about the neck and face because of the great sensitiveness

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