Page:Nostromo (1904).djvu/391

 any resistance. Nothing we two could say availed with the officer, so I volunteered to go up with a couple of soldiers and fetch down old Viola. He was sitting at the foot of the bed looking at his wife's face and did not seem to hear what I said; but after I had pulled the sheet over her head he got up and followed us down-stairs quietly, in a sort of thoughtful way. They marched us off along the road, leaving the door open and the candle burning. The chief engineer strode on without a word, but I looked back once or twice at the feeble gleam. After we had gone some considerable distance the Garibaldino, who was walking by my side, suddenly said: 'I have buried many men on battlefields on this continent. The priests talk of consecrated ground! Bah! All the earth made by God is holy; but the sea, which knows nothing of kings and priests and tyrants, is the holiest of all. Doctor, I should like to bury her in the sea. No mummeries, candles, incense, no holy-water mumbled over by priests. The spirit of liberty is upon the waters.'. . . Amazing old man. He was saying all this in an undertone, as if talking to himself."

"Yes, yes," interrupted Captain Mitchell, impatiently. "Poor old chap! But have you any idea how that ruffian Sotillo obtained his information? He did not get hold of any of our cargadores who helped with the truck, did he? But no, it is impossible! These were picked men we've had in our boats for five years, and I paid them myself specially for the job, with instructions to keep out of the way for twenty-four hours at least. I saw them with my own march off with the Italians to the railway-yards.