Page 131 - nostromo-a-tale-of-the-seaboard

of his military colleague. This gossip of the inland Campo,
so characteristic of the rulers of the country with its story
of oppression, inefficiency, fatuous methods, treachery, and
savage brutality, was perfectly known to Mrs. Gould. That
it should be accepted with no indignant comment by people
of intelligence, refinement, and character as something in-
herent in the nature of things was one of the symptoms of
degradation that had the power to exasperate her almost to
the verge of despair. Still looking at the ingot of silver, she
shook her head at Don Pepe’s remark—
‘If it had not been for the lawless tyranny of your Gov-
ernment, Don Pepe, many an outlaw now with Hernandez
would be living peaceably and happy by the honest work of
his hands.’
‘Senora,’ cried Don Pepe, with enthusiasm, ‘it is true! It
is as if God had given you the power to look into the very
breasts of people. You have seen them working round you,
Dona Emilia—meek as lambs, patient like their own bur-
ros, brave like lions. I have led them to the very muzzles of
guns—I, who stand here before you, senora—in the time of
Paez, who was full of generosity, and in courage only ap-
proached by the uncle of Don Carlos here, as far as I know.
No wonder there are bandits in the Campo when there are
none but thieves, swindlers, and sanguinary macaques
to rule us in Sta. Marta. However, all the same, a bandit
is a bandit, and we shall have a dozen good straight Win-
chesters to ride with the silver down to Sulaco.’
Mrs. Gould’s ride with the first silver escort to Sulaco
was the closing episode of what she called ‘my camp life’ be-

1 0 Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard