Joseph Conrad: Nostromo

PART SECOND: THE ISABELS 8. CHAPTER EIGHT (continued)

The cargo-lighter, relieved of its precious burden, rocked
feebly, half-afloat, with her fore-foot on the sand. A long rope
stretched away like a black cotton thread across the strip of
white beach to the grapnel Nostromo had carried ashore and hooked
to the stem of a tree-like shrub in the very opening of the
ravine.

There was nothing for Decoud but to remain on the island. He
received from Nostromo's hands whatever food the foresight of
Captain Mitchell had put on board the lighter and deposited it
temporarily in the little dinghy which on their arrival they had
hauled up out of sight amongst the bushes. It was to be left with
him. The island was to be a hiding-place, not a prison; he could
pull out to a passing ship. The O.S.N. Company's mail boats
passed close to the islands when going into Sulaco from the
north. But the Minerva, carrying off the ex-president, had taken
the news up north of the disturbances in Sulaco. It was possible
that the next steamer down would get instructions to miss the
port altogether since the town, as far as the Minerva's officers
knew, was for the time being in the hands of the rabble. This
would mean that there would be no steamer for a month, as far as
the mail service went; but Decoud had to take his chance of that.
The island was his only shelter from the proscription hanging
over his head. The Capataz was, of course, going back. The
unloaded lighter leaked much less, and he thought that she would
keep afloat as far as the harbour.

He passed to Decoud, standing knee-deep alongside, one of the two
spades which belonged to the equipment of each lighter for use
when ballasting ships. By working with it carefully as soon as
there was daylight enough to see, Decoud could loosen a mass of
earth and stones overhanging the cavity in which they had
deposited the treasure, so that it would look as if it had fallen
naturally. It would cover up not only the cavity, but even all
traces of their work, the footsteps, the displaced stones, and
even the broken bushes.