登陆注册
5215600000016

第16章

In the transparent air of the high altitudes everything seemed very near, steeped in a clear stillness as in an imponderable liquid; and with his ear ready to catch the first sound of the expected diligencia the engineer-in-chief, at the door of a hut of rough stones, had contemplated the changing hues on the enormous side of the mountain, thinking that in this sight, as in a piece of inspired music, there could be found together the utmost delicacy of shaded expression and a stupendous magnificence of effect.

Sir John arrived too late to hear the magnificent and inaudible strain sung by the sunset amongst the high peaks of the Sierra. It had sung itself out into the breathless pause of deep dusk before, climbing down the fore wheel of the diligencia with stiff limbs, he shook hands with the engineer.

They gave him his dinner in a stone hut like a cubical boulder, with no door or windows in its two openings; a bright fire of sticks (brought on muleback from the first valley below) burning outside sent in a wavering glare; and two candles in tin candlesticks--lighted, it was explained to him, in his honour--stood on a sort of rough camp table, at which he sat on the right hand of the chief. He knew how to be amiable; and the young men of the engineering staff, for whom the surveying of the railway track had the glamour of the first steps on the path of life, sat there, too, listening modestly, with their smooth faces tanned by the weather, and very pleased to witness so much affability in so great a man.

Afterwards, late at night, pacing to and fro outside, he had a long talk with his chief engineer. He knew him well of old. This was not the first undertaking in which their gifts, as elementally different as fire and water, had worked in conjunction. From the contact of these two personalities, who had not the same vision of the world, there was generated a power for the world's service--a subtle force that could set in motion mighty machines, men's muscles, and awaken also in human breasts an unbounded devotion to the task. Of the young fellows at the table, to whom the survey of the track was like the tracing of the path of life, more than one would be called to meet death before the work was done. But the work would be done:

the force would be almost as strong as a faith. Not quite, however. In the silence of the sleeping camp upon the moonlit plateau forming the top of the pass like the floor of a vast arena surrounded by the basalt walls of precipices, two strolling figures in thick ulsters stood still, and the voice of the engineer pronounced distinctly the words:

`We can't move mountains!'

Sir John, raising his head to follow the pointing gesture, felt the full force of the words. The white Higuerota soared out of the shadows of rock and earth like a frozen bubble under the moon. All was still, till near by, behind the wall of a corral for the camp animals, built roughly of loose stones in the form of a circle, a pack mule stamped his forefoot and blew heavily twice.

The engineer-in-chief had used the phrase in answer to the chairman's tentative suggestion that the tracing of the line could, perhaps, be altered in deference to the prejudices of the Sulaco landowners. The chief engineer believed that the obstinacy of men was the lesser obstacle. Moreover, to combat that they had the great influence of Charles Gould, whereas tunnelling under Higuerota would have been a colossal undertaking.

`Ah, yes! Gould. What sort of a man is he?'

Sir John had heard much of Charles Gould in Sta Marta, and wanted to know more. The engineer-in-chief assured him that the administrator of the San Tome silver mine had an immense influence over all these Spanish Dons. He had also one of the best houses in Sulaco, and the Gould hospitality was beyond all praise.

`They received me as if they had known me for years,' he said. `The little lady is kindness personified. I stayed with them for a month. He helped me to organize the surveying parties. His practical ownership of the San Tome silver mine gives him a special position. He seems to have the ear of every provincial authority apparently, and, as I said, he can wind all the hidalgos of the province round his little finger. If you follow his advice the difficulties will fall away, because he wants the railway. Of course, you must be careful in what you say. He's English, and besides he must be immensely wealthy. The Holroyd house is in with him in that mine, so you may imagine--'

He interrupted himself as, from before one of the little fires burning outside the low wall of the corral, arose the figure of a man wrapped in a poncho up to the neck. The saddle which he had been using for a pillow made a dark patch on the ground against the red glow of embers.

`I shall see Holroyd himself on my way back through the States,' said Sir John. `I've ascertained that he, too, wants the railway.'

The man who, perhaps disturbed by the proximity of the voices, had arisen from the ground, struck a match to light a cigarette. The flame showed a bronzed, black-whiskered face, a pair of eyes gazing straight; then, rearranging his wrappings, he sank full length and laid his head again on the saddle.

`That's our camp-master, whom I must send back to Sulaco now we are going to carry our survey into the Sta Marta Valley,' said the engineer.

`A most useful fellow, lent me by Captain Mitchell of the O.S.N. Company.

It was very good of Mitchell. Charles Gould told me I couldn't do better than take advantage of the offer. He seems to know how to rule all these muleteers and peons. We had not the slightest trouble with our people.

He shall escort your diligencia right into Sulaco with some of our railway peons. The road is bad. To have him at hand may save you an upset or two. He promised me to take care of your person all the way down as if you were his father.'

This camp-master was the Italian sailor whom all the Europeans in Sulaco, following Captain Mitchell's mispronunciation, were in the habit of calling Nostromo. And indeed, taciturn and ready, he did take excellent care of his charge at the bad parts of the road, as Sir John himself acknowledged to Mrs Gould afterwards.

同类推荐
  • 本心斋疏食谱

    本心斋疏食谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 清虚杂著补阙

    清虚杂著补阙

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说大生义经

    佛说大生义经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 调实居士证源录

    调实居士证源录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大唐西域求法高僧传

    大唐西域求法高僧传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 我的孩子顶呱呱

    我的孩子顶呱呱

    从孩子呱呱坠地、咿呀学语到蹒跚学步再到初入校门、远离父母,他们的一言一行都牵动着妈妈的心。因为她们是如此深爱着自己的孩子,而要把这种爱转化成对孩子成长有所帮助的事情,就不仅需要一种责任,也需要一些方式方法。
  • 甜心CEO:小丈夫来袭(全)

    甜心CEO:小丈夫来袭(全)

    《甜心CEO:小丈夫来袭》已经入围2010年话语言情大赛,希望亲们能够投上票票:谢谢各位亲们了!.“甜心……”唐沁第一次听说有人将她的名字破解为这么奇怪的称呼的,她可是风舞传媒的CEO被叫的好像小猫。从她被耍又被家中两老逼迫带男友回家,她只好去夜店找个牛郎充数。谁知竟然有人主动送上门来,很好,就是他了。这个牛郎不但和她有着契约,竟然还有她父母的第二份契约。本以为不会再遇上这个契约男友了,谁知朋友婚礼伴郎缺席,只好找他充数。他的条件就是生效第二份契约。从此她便多了个秘书也多了个保姆,这还得了,他是牛郎还小她四岁,而自己传媒界上的风云女强人,他跟她是不可能的,可为什么她偏偏就习惯了他的存在。当真相浮上水面,牛郎先生摇身一变成了竞争对手的儿子!原来,他的接近……这一切的一切都是有目的!她说:“你并不适合我,我要的是个各方面都优秀的成熟男人,而不是你这种不成熟的小鬼!”于是他离开了。仅用一年的时间,他打败了她。当他再次出现在她的面前,英俊的脸庞挂上一丝残忍的笑意,“现在,你觉得谁不适合谁?”◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇想看不一样的总裁文么?厌倦了女人总处于弱势么?当女人不再是弱者,强强相对,谁主浮沉?【重磅推荐:甜心CEO系列女总裁文】《甜心CEO:缉拿钻石情人》:文/少殇狐http://m.wkkk.net/a/201122/《甜心CEO:蝴蝶教父强制爱》:文/北宫舞茗http://m.wkkk.net/a/186148/《甜心CEO:杠上腹黑冤家》:文/kingtea(暂未开坑,敬请期待)【甜心CEO系列群号:44458255】
  • 星际崛起之政府成立

    星际崛起之政府成立

    狩猎者摧毁了我们的家园,我们每一个星球的人民濒临着灭绝,但是狩猎者无法摧毁我们的意志。因为神圣的父神耶和华将会庇佑我们赢得这场战争最终的胜利。
  • 平遥往事

    平遥往事

    以故乡平遥为背景的长篇小说《平遥往事》脱稿,各方面的反响都很不错,将在今年的平遥国际摄影大展前正式出版发行。这真是一件值得庆贺的事,内心感到莫大的宽慰。踏实做事,造福桑梓。平遥商会以这本书的出版,再次践行了立会的宗旨。尤其在人们热衷物质利益的时下,关注纯文学创作,并能以切实的帮助促其开花结果,努力满足人的精神文化需求,实属难能可贵。商会诸多同仁的努力终结善果,作者的心血也得到回报,夫复何求?
  • 网游之天涯共此时

    网游之天涯共此时

    用科技制造出来的试管婴儿,是一个我们现实意义中的人?还是只是一个实验品?这本书里的主人公,这种是人非人的身份,难以融进社会的自然人的关系网里。为此,他(它?)进入了网络游戏,这个无法知道对面的角色是人,还是其它生命的网络世界。
  • 缘来就是爱情

    缘来就是爱情

    秦诗雅,一名幼儿园老师,第一天上班她好兴奋,可是却发生了一件让她意想不到的事。班上的一个小朋友居然叫她妈妈,她可是未婚女青年啊!可是,那孩子眼泪汪汪地看着她,她心软了,答应在外人面前冒充他的妈妈。她以为她是在做好事。可是,事情的发展远远超出了她的意料。
  • 万域灵神

    万域灵神

    一代霸主,惨遭背叛,被四十九个强者围攻,惨死万劫山,重活一次,他要再登巅峰;强势崛起,杀入乱星域,斩尽十万强者,悟生死杀道,冲击至高神位!
  • 战帝系列(七)

    战帝系列(七)

    重山河毫不犹豫,正待循声掠出,忽闻一声冷笑毫无征兆地进入他的耳中,在风雨声中竟仍显得清晰无比,就如同一把锋利无比的短刀,可以洞穿一切……
  • 琉璃权

    琉璃权

    心不动,则不伤。如心动,则人妄动,伤其身,痛其骨。琉璃是将军与大公主之女,她手握重权,如何取舍,如何留,父母惨死,哥哥尚在边疆。进进退退,是否又回到了起点。于氏家族大公子曾对她说,若有人觉得你恶,那我便要更恶,让人觉得这世间只有我才能配得上你。
  • 单亲妈崛起

    单亲妈崛起

    每个家庭都会遇到不一样的烦恼,不一样的经历活出了不一样人生剧透:1.“我真的很爱你,一直都没超过,求求你不要丢了我好不好,女儿才1岁,她才1岁”杨平平啦住李天的手不停地哭诉和哀求“我已经说的很清楚了,即使现在不离,以后也会离”李天决绝的甩开了那只瘦弱无骨的手。2.“妈妈,不哭,我不要爸爸了”优优拿起小手,轻轻的给杨平平擦去眼角的泪水“优优怪,妈妈爱你”3.“对不起,对不起,我知道现在不管我说什么你都不会原谅我……”“你走吧,优优不想见你,我也不想”