Ностромо
Chapter 2
UnderprovidenceweowedourpreservationtomyCapatazdeCargadores,astheycalledhiminthetown,amanwho,whenIdiscoveredhisvalue,sir,wasjustthebos’nofanItalianship,abigGenoeseship,oneofthefewEuropeanshipsthatevercametoSulacowithageneralcargobeforethebuildingoftheNationalCentral.Heleftheronaccountofsomeveryrespectablefriendshemadehere,hisowncountrymen,butalso,Isuppose,tobetterhimself.Sir,Iamaprettygoodjudgeofcharacter.Iengagedhimtobetheforemanofourlightermen,andcaretakerofourjetty.That’sallthathewas.ButwithouthimSenorRibierawouldhavebeenadeadman.ThisNostromo,sir,amanabsolutelyabovereproach,becametheterrorofallthethievesinthetown.Wewereinfested,infested,overrun,sir,hereatthattimebyladronesandmatreros,thievesandmurderersfromthewholeprovince.OnthisoccasiontheyhadbeenflockingintoSulacoforaweekpast.Theyhadscentedtheend,sir.Fiftypercent.ofthatmurderingmobwereprofessionalbanditsfromtheCampo,sir,buttherewasn’tonethathadn’theardofNostromo.Astothetownleperos,sir,thesightofhisblackwhiskersandwhiteteethwasenoughforthem.Theyquailedbeforehim,sir.That’swhattheforceofcharacterwilldoforyou.”
ItcouldverywellbesaidthatitwasNostromoalonewhosavedthelivesofthesegentlemen.