Ностромо
Chapter 1
Onthesecondeveninganuprightspiralofsmoke(itcouldonlyhavebeenfromtheircamp-fire)wasseenforthefirsttimewithinmemoryofmanstandingupfaintlyupontheskyabovearazor-backedridgeonthestonyhead.Thecrewofacoastingschooner,lyingbecalmedthreemilesofftheshore,staredatitwithamazementtilldark.Anegrofisherman,livinginalonelyhutinalittlebaynearby,hadseenthestartandwasonthelookoutforsomesign.Hecalledtohiswifejustasthesunwasabouttoset.Theyhadwatchedthestrangeportentwithenvy,incredulity,andawe.
Theimpiousadventurersgavenoothersign.Thesailors,theIndian,andthestolenburrowereneverseenagain.Astothemozo,aSulacoman—hiswifepaidforsomemasses,andthepoorfour-footedbeast,beingwithoutsin,hadbeenprobablypermittedtodie;butthetwogringos,spectralandalive,arebelievedtobedwellingtothisdayamongsttherocks,underthefatalspelloftheirsuccess.Theirsoulscannottearthemselvesawayfromtheirbodiesmountingguardoverthediscoveredtreasure.Theyarenowrichandhungryandthirsty—astrangetheoryoftenaciousgringoghostssufferingintheirstarvedandparchedfleshofdefiantheretics,whereaChristianwouldhaverenouncedandbeenreleased.
