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fulness for an imbecile whim of some sort. ‘I tell you you
shall not. I would rather——‘
He stopped at loss for words, feeling fagged out, power-
less, holding on to Nostromo’s sleeve, absolutely for support
after his run.
‘I am betrayed!’ muttered the Capataz to himself; and
the doctor, who overheard the last word, made an effort to
speak calmly.
‘That is exactly what would happen to you. You would be
betrayed.’
He thought with a sickening dread that the man was so
well known that he could not escape recognition. The house
of the Senor Administrador was beset by spies, no doubt.
And even the very servants of the casa were not to be trust-
ed. ‘Reflect, Capataz,’ he said, impressively…. ‘What are you
laughing at?’
‘I am laughing to think that if somebody that did not
approve of my presence in town, for instance—you under-
stand, senor doctor—if somebody were to give me up to
Pedrito, it would not be beyond my power to make friends
even with him. It is true. What do you think of that?’
‘You are a man of infinite resource, Capataz,’ said Dr.
Monygham, dismally. ‘I recognize that. But the town is full
of talk about you; and those few Cargadores that are not
in hiding with the railway people have been shouting ‘Viva
Montero’ on the Plaza all day.’
‘My poor Cargadores!’ muttered Nostromo. ‘Betrayed!
Betrayed!’
‘I understand that on the wharf you were pretty free in

1 Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard