Page 304 - nostromo-a-tale-of-the-seaboard

the sensations awaked by what he had been told. The voice
of the Capataz was heard again:
‘Now, Don Martin, let us take up the sweeps and try to
find the Isabels. It is either that or sinking the lighter if the
day overtakes us. We must not forget that the steamer from
Esmeralda with the soldiers may be coming along. We will
pull straight on now. I have discovered a bit of a candle here,
and we must take the risk of a small light to make a course
by the boat compass. There is not enough wind to blow it
out—may the curse of Heaven fall upon this blind gulf!’
A small flame appeared burning quite straight. It
showed fragmentarily the stout ribs and planking in the
hollow, empty part of the lighter. Decoud could see Nos-
tromo standing up to pull. He saw him as high as the red
sash on his waist, with a gleam of a white-handled revolver
and the wooden haft of a long knife protruding on his left
side. Decoud nerved himself for the effort of rowing. Cer-
tainly there was not enough wind to blow the candle out,
but its flame swayed a little to the slow movement of the
heavy boat. It was so big that with their utmost efforts they
could not move it quicker than about a mile an hour. This
was sufficient, however, to sweep them amongst the Isabels
long before daylight came. There was a good six hours of
darkness before them, and the distance from the harbour to
the Great Isabel did not exceed two miles. Decoud put this
heavy toil to the account of the Capataz’s impatience. Some-
times they paused, and then strained their ears to hear the
boat from Esmeralda. In this perfect quietness a steamer
moving would have been heard from far off. As to seeing

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