"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 Magalhaes."

"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;