staff at the fazenda.”
“Is he rich?”
“Oh, certainly!” answered Fragoso–“very rich. Even the timber which
forms the jangada, and the cargo it carries, constitute a fortune!”
“The Joam Garral and his whole family have just passed the Brazilian
frontier?”
“Yes,” said Fragoso; “his wife, his son, his daughter, and Miss
Minha’s betrothed.”
“Ah! he has a daughter?” said Torres.
“A charming girl!”
“Going to get married?”
“Yes, to a brave young fellow,” replied Fragoso–“an army surgeon in
garrison at Belem, and the wedding is to take place as soon as we get
to the end of the voyage.”
“Good!” said the smiling Torres; “it is what you might call a
betrothal journey.”
“A voyage of betrothal, of pleasure, and of business!” said Fragoso.
“Madame Yaquita and her daughter have never set foot on Brazilian
ground; and as for Joam Garral, it is the first time he has crossed
the frontier since he went to the farm of old Magalhaës.”
“I suppose,” asked Torres, “that there are some servants with the
family?”
“Of course,” replied Fragoso–“old Cybele, on the farm for the last
fifty years, and a pretty mulatto, Miss Lina, who is more of a
companion than a servant to her mistress. Ah, what an amiable
disposition! What a heart, and what eyes! And the ideas she has about
everything, particularly about lianas–” Fragoso, started on this
subject, would not have been able to stop himself, and Lina would
have been the object of a good many enthusiastic declarations, had
Torres not quitted the chair for another customer.
“What do I owe you?” asked he of the barber.
“Nothing,” answered Fragoso. “Between compatriots, when they meet on
the frontier, there can be no question of that sort.”
“But,” replied Torres, “I want to—-”
“Very well, we will settle that later on, on board the jangada.”
“But I do not know that, and I do not like to ask Joam Garral to
allow me—-”
“Do not hesitate!” exclaimed Fragoso; “I will speak to him if you
would like it better, and he will be very happy to be of use to you
under the circumstances.”
And at that instant Manoel and Benito, coming into the town after
dinner, appeared at the door of the loja, wishing to see Fragoso at
work.
Torres turned toward them and suddenly said: “There are two gentlemen
I know–or rather I remember.”
“You remember them!” asked Fragoso, surprised.
“Yes, undoubtedly! A month ago, in the forest of Iquitos, they got me
out of a considerable difficulty.”
“But they are Benito Garral and Manoel Valdez.”
“I know. They told me their names, but I never expected to see them
here.”
Torres advanced toward the two young men, who looked at him without
recognizing him.
“You do not remember me, gentlemen?” he asked.
“Wait a little,” answered Benito; “Mr. Torres, if I remember aright;
it was you who, in the forest of Iquitos, got into difficulties with
a guariba?”
“Quite true, gentlemen,” replied Torres. “For six weeks I have been
traveling down the Amazon, and I have just crossed the frontier at
the same time as you have.”
“Very pleased to see you again,” said Benito; “but you have not
forgotten that you promised to come to the fazenda to my father?”
“I have not forgotten it,” answered Torres.
“And you would have done better to have accepted my offer; it would
have allowed you to have waited for our departure, rested from you
fatigues, and descended with us to the frontier; so many days of
walking saved.”
“To be sure!” answered Torres.
“Our compatriot is not going to stop at the frontier,” said Fragoso,
“he is going on to Manaos.”
“Well, then,” replied Benito, “if you will come on board the jangada
you will be well received, and I am sure my father will give you a
passage.”
“Willingly,” said Torres; “and you will allow me to thank you in
advance.”
Manoel took no part in the conversation; he let Benito make the offer
of his services, and attentively watched Torres, whose face he
scarcely remembered. There was an entire want of frankness in the
eyes, whose look changed unceasingly, as if he was afraid to fix them