Joseph Conrad: Nostromo

PART THIRD: THE LIGHTHOUSE 2. CHAPTER TWO (continued)

"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 these 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 eyes march on with the Italians to the railway yards.
The chief promised to give them rations as long as they wanted to
remain there."

"Well," said the doctor, slowly, "I can tell you that you may say
good-bye for ever to your best lighter, and to the Capataz of
Cargadores."

At this, Captain Mitchell scrambled up to his feet in the excess
of his excitement. The doctor, without giving him time to
exclaim, stated briefly the part played by Hirsch during the
night.

Captain Mitchell was overcome. "Drowned!" he muttered, in a
bewildered and appalled whisper. "Drowned!" Afterwards he kept
still, apparently listening, but too absorbed in the news of the
catastrophe to follow the doctor's narrative with attention.

The doctor had taken up an attitude of perfect ignorance, till at
last Sotillo was induced to have Hirsch brought in to repeat the
whole story, which was got out of him again with the greatest
difficulty, because every moment he would break out into
lamentations. At last, Hirsch was led away, looking more dead
than alive, and shut up in one of the upstairs rooms to be close
at hand. Then the doctor, keeping up his character of a man not
admitted to the inner councils of the San Tome Administration,
remarked that the story sounded incredible. Of course, he said,
he couldn't tell what had been the action of the Europeans, as he
had been exclusively occupied with his own work in looking after
the wounded, and also in attending Don Jose Avellanos. He had
succeeded in assuming so well a tone of impartial indifference,
that Sotillo seemed to be completely deceived. Till then a show
of regular inquiry had been kept up; one of the officers sitting
at the table wrote down the questions and the answers, the
others, lounging about the room, listened attentively, puffing at
their long cigars and keeping their eyes on the doctor. But at
that point Sotillo ordered everybody out.