That was the rich Englishman who, as people say, pays for the
making of this railway. He was very pleased with me. But my wages were
not due till the end of the month."
He slid down the bank suddenly. Decoud heard the splash of his feet in
the brook and followed his footsteps down the ravine. His form was lost
among the bushes till he had reached the strip of sand under the cliff.
As often happens in the gulf when the showers during the first part
of the night had been frequent and heavy, the darkness had thinned
considerably towards the morning though there were no signs of daylight
as yet.
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.
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