Page 374 - nostromo-a-tale-of-the-seaboard

es, wanting in the misty idealism of the Northerners, who
at the smallest encouragement dream of nothing less than
the conquest of the earth. Sotillo was fond of jewels, gold
trinkets, of personal adornment. After a moment he turned
about, and with a commanding gesture made all his officers
fall back. He laid down the watch on the table, then, negli-
gently, pushed his hat over it.
‘Ha!’ he began, going up very close to the chair. ‘You dare
call my valiant soldiers of the Esmeralda regiment, thieves.
You dare! What impudence! You foreigners come here to
rob our country of its wealth. You never have enough! Your
audacity knows no bounds.’
He looked towards the officers, amongst whom there
was an approving murmur. The older major was moved to
declare—
‘Si, mi colonel. They are all traitors.’
‘I shall say nothing,’ continued Sotillo, fixing the mo-
tionless and powerless Mitchell with an angry but uneasy
stare. ‘I shall say nothing of your treacherous attempt to get
possession of my revolver to shoot me while I was trying to
treat you with consideration you did not deserve. You have
forfeited your life. Your only hope is in my clemency.’
He watched for the effect of his words, but there was no
obvious sign of fear on Captain Mitchell’s face. His white
hair was full of dust, which covered also the rest of his help-
less person. As if he had heard nothing, he twitched an
eyebrow to get rid of a bit of straw which hung amongst
the hairs.
Sotillo advanced one leg and put his arms akimbo. ‘It is