And all day Captain Mitchell would talk like this to his more or less
willing victim--
"The Plaza. I call it magnificent. Twice the area of Trafalgar Square."
From the very centre, in the blazing sunshine, he pointed out the
buildings--
"The Intendencia, now President's Palace--Cabildo, where the Lower
Chamber of Parliament sits. You notice the new houses on that side
of the Plaza? Compania Anzani, a great general store, like those
cooperative things at home. Old Anzani was murdered by the National
Guards in front of his safe. It was even for that specific crime that
the deputy Gamacho, commanding the Nationals, a bloodthirsty and
savage brute, was executed publicly by garrotte upon the sentence of
a court-martial ordered by Barrios. Anzani's nephews converted the
business into a company. All that side of the Plaza had been burnt; used
to be colonnaded before. A terrible fire, by the light of which I saw
the last of the fighting, the llaneros flying, the Nationals throwing
their arms down, and the miners of San Tome, all Indians from the
Sierra, rolling by like a torrent to the sound of pipes and cymbals,
green flags flying, a wild mass of men in white ponchos and green hats,
on foot, on mules, on donkeys. Such a sight, sir, will never be seen
again. The miners, sir, had marched upon the town, Don Pepe leading on
his black horse, and their very wives in the rear on burros, screaming
encouragement, sir, and beating tambourines. I remember one of these
women had a green parrot seated on her shoulder, as calm as a bird
of stone. They had just saved their Senor Administrador; for Barrios,
though he ordered the assault at once, at night, too, would have been
too late. Pedrito Montero had Don Carlos led out to be shot--like his
uncle many years ago--and then, as Barrios said afterwards, 'Sulaco
would not have been worth fighting for.' Sulaco without the Concession
was nothing; and there were tons and tons of dynamite distributed all
over the mountain with detonators arranged, and an old priest, Father
Roman, standing by to annihilate the San Tome mine at the first news of
failure. Don Carlos had made up his mind not to leave it behind, and he
had the right men to see to it, too."
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