Joseph Conrad

Gaspar Ruiz Joseph Conrad

Book Excerpt: a longer time than all my life has been since. No, certainly, it was not so much as a minute. The hoarse screaming ofthose miserable wretches died out in their dry throats, and thensuddenly a voice spoke, a deep voice muttering calmly. It called uponme to turn round."That voice, senores, proceeded from the head of Gaspar Ruiz. Of hisbody I could see nothing. Some of his fellow-captives had clamberedupon his back. He was holding them up. His eyes blinked withoutlooking at me. That and the moving of his lips was all he seemed ableto manage in his overloaded state. And when I turned round, this head, that seemed more than human size resting on its chin under a multitudeof other heads, asked me whether I really desired to quench the thirstof the captives."I said, 'Yes, yes!' eagerly, and came up quite close to the window. Iwas like a child, and did not know what would happen. I was anxious tobe comforted in my helplessness and remorse."'Have you the authority, senor teniente, to release myRead Mo