Page 396 - nostromo-a-tale-of-the-seaboard

saw the irony of it. Father Corbelan must have found mes-
sengers to send into the town, for early on the second day
of the disturbances there were rumours of Hernandez be-
ing on the road to Los Hatos ready to receive those who
would put themselves under his protection. A strange-look-
ing horseman, elderly and audacious, had appeared in the
town, riding slowly while his eyes examined the fronts of
the houses, as though he had never seen such high build-
ings before. Before the cathedral he had dismounted, and,
kneeling in the middle of the Plaza, his bridle over his arm
and his hat lying in front of him on the ground, had bowed
his head, crossing himself and beating his breast for some
little time. Remounting his horse, with a fearless but not
unfriendly look round the little gathering formed about his
public devotions, he had asked for the Casa Avellanos. A
score of hands were extended in answer, with fingers point-
ing up the Calle de la Constitucion.
The horseman had gone on with only a glance of casual
curiosity upwards to the windows of the Amarilla Club at
the corner. His stentorian voice shouted periodically in the
empty street, ‘Which is the Casa Avellanos?’ till an answer
came from the scared porter, and he disappeared under the
gate. The letter he was bringing, written by Father Corbelan
with a pencil by the camp-fire of Hernandez, was addressed
to Don Jose, of whose critical state the priest was not aware.
Antonia read it, and, after consulting Charles Gould, sent
it on for the information of the gentlemen garrisoning the
Amarilla Club. For herself, her mind was made up; she
would rejoin her uncle; she would entrust the last day—the