Page 532 - nostromo-a-tale-of-the-seaboard

of his safe. It was even for that specific crime that the deputy
Gamacho, commanding the Nationals, a bloodthirsty and
savage brute, was executed publicly by garrotte upon the
sentence of a court-martial ordered by Barrios. Anzani’s
nephews converted the business into a company. All that
side of the Plaza had been burnt; used to be colonnaded be-
fore. A terrible fire, by the light of which I saw the last of the
fighting, the llaneros flying, the Nationals throwing their
arms down, and the miners of San Tome, all Indians from
the Sierra, rolling by like a torrent to the sound of pipes and
cymbals, green flags flying, a wild mass of men in white
ponchos and green hats, on foot, on mules, on donkeys.
Such a sight, sir, will never be seen again. The miners, sir,
had marched upon the town, Don Pepe leading on his black
horse, and their very wives in the rear on burros, screaming
encouragement, sir, and beating tambourines. I remem-
ber one of these women had a green parrot seated on her
shoulder, as calm as a bird of stone. They had just saved
their Senor Administrador; for Barrios, though he ordered
the assault at once, at night, too, would have been too late.
Pedrito Montero had Don Carlos led out to be shot—like
his uncle many years ago—and then, as Barrios said af-
terwards, ‘Sulaco would not have been worth fighting for.’
Sulaco without the Concession was nothing; and there were
tons and tons of dynamite distributed all over the mountain
with detonators arranged, and an old priest, Father Roman,
standing by to annihilate the San Tome mine at the first
news of failure. Don Carlos had made up his mind not to
leave it behind, and he had the right men to see to it, too.’

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