his mind to get rid of one of
his natural enemies.

After looking at him for some minutes the guariba began to move round
the tree. He stepped slowly, holding his breath, and getting nearer and
nearer. His attitude was threatening, his countenance ferocious. Nothing
could have seemed easier to him than to have crushed this motionless man
at a single blow, and assuredly at that moment the life of Torres hung
by a thread.

In truth, the guariba stopped a second time close up to the tree, placed
himself at the side, so as to command the head of the sleeper, and
lifted his stick to give the blow.

But if Torres had been imprudent in putting near him in the crevice of
the root the little case which contained his document and his fortune,
it was this imprudence which saved his life.

A sunbeam shooting between the branches just glinted on the case, the
polished metal of which lighted up like a looking-glass. The monkey,
with the frivolity peculiar to his species, instantly had his attention
distracted. His ideas, if such an animal could have ideas, took another
direction. He stopped, caught hold of the case, jumped back a pace or
two, and, raising it to the level of his eyes, looked at it not without
surprise as he moved it about and used it like a mirror. He was if
anything still more astonished when he heard the rattle of the gold
pieces it contained. The music enchanted him. It was like a rattle in
the hands of a child. He carried it to his mouth, and his teeth grated
against the metal, but made no impression on it.

Doubtless the guariba thought he had found some fruit of a new kind, a
sort of huge almost brilliant all over, and with a kernel playing freely
in its shell. But if he soon discovered his mistake he did not consider
it a reason for throwing the case away; on the contrary, he grasped it
more tightly in his left hand, and dropped the cudgel, which broke off a
dry twig in its fall.

At this noise Torres woke, and with the quickness of those who are
always on the watch, with whom there is no transition from the sleeping
to the waking state, was immediately on his legs.

In an instant Torres had recognized with whom he had to deal.

"A guariba!" he cried.

And his hand seizing his manchetta, he put himself into a posture of
defense.

The monkey, alarmed, jumped back at once, and not so brave before a
waking man as a sleeping one, performed a rapid caper, and glided under
the trees.

"It was time!" s