Nostromo : A Tale of the Seaboard
the mercy of the first imbecile ruffian, who may blow out his brains in a fit of temper or for some prospect of an immediate big haul. The tale of killing the goose with the golden eggs has not been evolved for nothing out of the wisdom of mankind. It is a story that will never grow old. That is why Charles Gould in his deep, dumb way has countenanced the Ribierist mandate, the first public act that promised him safety on other than venal grounds. Ribierism has failed, as everything merely rational fails in this country. But Gould remains logieal in wishing to save this big lot of silver. Decoud's plan of a counter-revolution may be practicable or not, it may have a chance or it may not have a chance. With all my experience of this revolutionary continent I can hardly yet look at their methods seriously. Decoud has been reading to us his draught of a proclamation and talking very well for two hours about his plan of action. He had arguments which should have appeared solid enough if we, members of old, stable political and national organizations, were not startled by the mere idea of a new state evolved, like this, out of the head of a scofling young man fleeing for his life, with a proclamation in his pocket, to a rough, jeering, half-bred swashbuckler who in this part of the world is called a general. It sounds like a comic fairy-tale and , behold! it may come off, because it is true to the very spirit of the country."
"Is the silver gone off, then?" asked the doctor, moodily.
The chief engineer pulled out his watch.
"By Captain Mitchell's reckoning, and he ought to know, it has been gone long enough now to be some
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