Captain Mitchell keeps solitary watch on the wharf through the night, convinced that he has done right by helping to remove the San Tomé silver from Sulaco. He waits for any sign of Sotillo’s transport from Esmeralda. Cut off from the outside world by the seizure of cables and disruption of steam service, Sulaco remains isolated for weeks. Mitchell later recalls this vigil as the prelude to events more astonishing than anything he had imagined. Near midnight, Mitchell hears the faint sound of a steamer’s propeller approaching cautiously in the darkness. He conceals himself near a railway truck as Sotillo’s troops disembark silently and deploy across the plain. After scouts return, the column advances up the wharf. When soldiers push the railway car aside, Mitchell is discovered, seized, and dragged toward the Custom House under Sotillo’s command.

Sotillo, enraged by the disappearance of the silver, establishes himself in an upper room of the Custom House and orders Mitchell brought before him. At first pretending courtesy, Sotillo quickly loses control of his temper. Mitchell angrily demands restitution for his stolen watch and threatens Sotillo, causing the colonel to panic and flee the room. Soldiers then bind Mitchell to a chair. Sotillo returns and insists that the San Tomé silver has been “removed illegally” (241). Mitchell, realizing Sotillo does not know where the silver is, refuses to provide information. Mitchell is imprisoned in the Custom House strong room, the very place where the silver had been stored hours earlier. Soon afterward, Dr. Monygham is thrown into the cell with him. The doctor explains that he, the chief railway engineer, and Giorgio Viola were arrested at the Albergo d’Italia Una. Soldiers surprised them there and, during the intrusion, Teresa Viola was startled awake and died suddenly. Giorgio was taken away quietly, deeply shaken.

Dr. Monygham then recounts Hirsch’s role in revealing the escape of the silver. Hirsch, rescued after the collision at sea, incoherently told Sotillo about the lighter, Nostromo, and Decoud. His confusion and terror made the story seem unbelievable, but Sotillo’s greed kept him fixated on recovering the treasure. Monygham concealed his own knowledge and feigned indifference during questioning, convincing Sotillo that he knew nothing. Mitchell is stunned by the news that Nostromo and the lighter are believed “drowned” (245), while Sotillo remains obsessed with finding the silver and punishing those he holds responsible.

Dr. Monygham and Captain Mitchell discuss what to do next; the doctor insists that he has a plan. At dawn, both men are released. Solito is beginning to panic, feeling that he must find the silver before Montero reaches Sulaco. Meanwhile, the Amarilla Club debates its last options. Don Juste López drafts a declaration intended to placate Montero, hoping to preserve at least the appearance of parliamentary order. The discussion is loud, desperate, and short-lived. Outside, the exodus has already begun. Carriages, carts, mounted parties, and families on foot stream out of the town. Charles Gould enters Sulaco from the harbor and finds the streets dark and deserted. At the Avellanos house, he sees an unconscious Don José Avellanos carried out on a stretcher. Mrs. Avellanos and Antonia accompany him into a waiting carriage bound for the countryside under the protection promised by Hernández. Antonia veils herself and prepares for exile without visible emotion. Charles rides alongside the carriage to escort them as far as the ford.

Along the road, they encounter crowds of fugitives, fires, overturned carts, frightened women, and families begging for protection. Near a burning roadside rancho, flames illuminate people and animals packed into the narrow road. Charles speaks with Hernández’s emissary, who recounts his own history of violence, loss, and rebellion. He describes how Hernández became an outlaw after resisting forced recruitment, how his family was murdered by soldiers, and how his band formed from deserters and fugitives. Now Hernández has been officially named a general, the robbers have become soldiers. The emissary presses Charles Gould for reassurance. He argues that Hernández controls the countryside as firmly as Gould controls the mine and that soldiers will eventually need pay if order is to be preserved. He asks for Gould’s word that he will accept any arrangement Don José makes with Hernández. Antonia urges Charles to agree, insisting that his personal authority and reputation matter more than money. After a brief hesitation, Charles gives his pledge, understanding that he is binding himself further into the moral disorder of the country. The emissary accepts the promise with satisfaction. Antonia lowers her veil and remains silent, resisting the urge to ask about Decoud. As the carriage moves on into the darkness, Ignacio the driver mutters bitterly that Charles will “never see [his mules] again” (259), underscoring the final loss of stability and control as Sulaco empties.

At dawn, Charles Gould rides back into Sulaco through silent streets. Scattered revolutionaries stand in the Plaza, waiting anxiously for news from Rincón. As Gould passes, they shout “Viva la libertad!” (260) in a hostile tone. He enters Casa Gould, where the patio has become an improvised hospital. Wounded men linger among straw and bandages. Music and dancing continue incongruously nearby while a dying cargador lies with a woman praying beside him. Gould witnesses the man’s death from the corridor above. Members of the Provincial Assembly soon arrive, led by Don Juste López, who urges Gould to join a formal deputation to greet the incoming Monterist governor. Don Juste insists that parliamentary forms must be observed even in defeat, hoping submission might preserve institutional continuity. Gould listens patiently but refuses. He advises the deputies to remain in their houses rather than surrender themselves ceremonially to Montero. He makes clear that the San Tomé mine will not take part in official proceedings, recognizing that the visitors seek the mine’s influence as protection. The men depart in confusion and disappointment.

Dr. Monygham arrives later and attends to the wounded before seeking Mrs. Gould. When she appears, he recounts his night under arrest at Sotillo’s headquarters and gives the crucial news: Martin Decoud and Nostromo are believed drowned and the silver lost at sea. The revelation leaves Mrs. Gould shaken. Charles Gould absorbs the news in silence, recognizing that Decoud’s death forces him out of his former reserve. He understands that his position as a power behind events can no longer be maintained and that he must act openly to protect the mine. As they sit together, Charles reflects that the failure of Ribierism has clarified his course. He imagines writing to Holroyd to explain that only “a provincial revolution” (271) can now secure Sulaco and the mine. He considers the need to communicate with General Barrios in Cayta but realizes no messenger can safely travel the distance. Nostromo, who might have done so, is gone.

Mrs. Gould is overwhelmed by concern for Antonia Avellanos, fearing that the news of Decoud’s death would destroy her. The doctor agrees it is unlikely anyone will carry the news soon, since fear of Hernández blocks communication. As they speak, the cathedral bell suddenly booms, followed by the bells of every church in Sulaco ringing together. Servants flood into the sala, believing a massacre has begun. Women kneel praying, men crowd the doors, and children cling to their elders. Charles Gould sees for the first time the full population dependent on his house and authority. In the chaos, the weight of responsibility settles visibly upon him.

During the night, the inhabitants of Sulaco occupy the church belfries to prepare for the triumphant entry of Pedro Montero, known as Pedrito. At dawn, the town is flooded first by an armed rabble calling itself the Sulaco National Guard, led by Señor Gamacho. This disorderly crowd surges noisily through the street, while behind them ride Montero’s llanero cavalry, hardened plainsmen who have crossed the snowy Higuerota range and now enter Sulaco in clothing “looted hurriedly” (275) from roadside stores, armed with lances, knives, and improvised weapons. They stare down the townspeople with confidence and menace. Montero rides at the head of his force between Fuentes and Gamacho. When the cavalry reaches the Plaza and sees the equestrian statue of the King, the llaneros react with surprise and confusion, mistaking it for a religious image. Unlike his brother, the victorious general, Pedro is smaller, more cunning, and gifted in mimicry with a “parrot-like talent for languages” (276). Rather than discipline or courage, his rise is attributed to duplicity and calculated deception, traits that appealed to the violent plainsmen. His time in Europe has filled him with ambitions of wealth and political influence.

Montero’s ambitions drive the Monterist revolution forward. He urges his brother to seize power and pushes immediately to occupy Sulaco, recognizing it as the only province of real value. His goal is not direct rule, but profit and influence, demanding “a share in every enterprise” (278) such as railways, mines, and more. Though uneasy about the small size of his force, he is reassured by the enthusiasm of the crowd and stages a display of familiarity by linking arms with Fuentes and Gamacho. After dismounting, Pedro addresses the crowd. His speech relies more on theatrical gestures than coherent argument. Phrases about liberty and the happiness of the people trigger waves of applause. Gamacho follows with a crude harangue denouncing foreign powers and praising General Montero. Later, inside the ravaged Intendencia, Pedro expresses disgust at the destruction caused by the National Guards and resolves to rid the town of Gamacho by sending him to fight Hernández. By afternoon, Montero’s cavalry disperses the National Guards without resistance, while Gamacho ends the day drunk and asleep at home, his brief authority already extinguished.

As the sun sets over the San Tomé valley, the mine appears calm and orderly despite the political chaos overtaking Sulaco. Don Pepe, the military governor of the mine, descends from the upper plateau and receives a messenger from the town at the bridge: Pedro Montero, acting through Señor Fuentes, demands to know on what terms Don Pepe would surrender the mine. Don Pepe offers no written reply. He also learns with relief that Charles Gould is alive and so far unharmed. Don Pepe questions the messenger, who reports seeing Sotillo’s troops camped near the Custom House and describes the rumors circulating in Sulaco, including promises that the poor will now be made rich. Hungry and thirsty, the man is sent on to the alcalde of the first village. Don Pepe then visits Father Román, who is resting in a hammock outside the presbytery. While consuming “an immense quantity of snuff” (283), the priest listens as Don Pepe explains Montero’s inquiry and confirms Gould’s safety. The bell rings for evening prayer as villagers gather in the street. The alcalde and the mine workers regard events in Sulaco as distant and unreal. In only a few years, the mine has become a source of stability, prosperity, and protection, inspiring loyalty among the Indigenous population. They trust the mine as an invincible power and feel little connection to national politics. Father Román, however, is uneasy. Drawing on long experience, he fears that political upheaval will bring inevitable suffering, dispersal, or enslavement of his flock. He worries particularly for Mrs. Gould, whose interest in the villagers has deepened his own attachment to them.

Don Pepe explains the strategic situation plainly. The mine can be defended against any force likely to be sent, but if supplies from the Campo are cut off, the villages could be “starved into submission” (285). He reassures the priest that Montero’s attempt to negotiate proves that the Casa Gould is safe. Don Pepe declares that his honor and loyalty are well known and cannot be bought. He has promised Charles Gould that he would defend the gorge long enough to allow the complete destruction of the mine with dynamite if capture becomes unavoidable. All preparations have been made to demolish the tunnels, machinery, and waterworks. Don Pepe admits uncertainty about the future but insists that his reputation gives Gould leverage. He even suggests that the mine should march on the town, though he cannot leave his post without betraying his “word of honor” (287). Don Pepe stands rigid before the stunned priest, contemplating who could be trusted to carry out the mine’s destruction if necessary.