of this proof, which, if the adventurer had spoken
truly, would demonstrate his innocence.

Manoel confined himself, then, to announcing that he was going to Padre
Passanha to ask him to get things ready for the two weddings.

Next day, the 24th of August, scarcely an hour before the ceremony was
to take place, a large pirogue came off from the left bank of the river
and hailed the jangada. A dozen paddlers had swiftly brought it from
Manaos, and with a few men it carried the chief of the police, who made
himself known and came on board.

At the moment Joam Garral and his family, attired for the ceremony, were
coming out of the house.

"Joam Garral?" asked the chief of the police.

"I am here," replied Joam.

"Joam Garral," continued the chief of the police, "you have also been
Joam Dacosta; both names have been borne by the same man--I arrest you!"

At these words Yaquita and Minha, struck with stupor, stopped without
any power to move.

"My father a murderer?" exclaimed Benito, rushing toward Joam Garral.

By a gesture his father silenced him.

"I will only ask you one question," said Joam with firm voice,
addressing the chief of police. "Has the warrant in virtue of which
you arrest me been issued against me by the justice at Manaos--by Judge
Ribeiro?"

"No," answered the chief of the police, "it was given to me, with an
order for its immediate execution, by his substitute. Judge Ribeiro was
struck with apoplexy yesterday evening, and died during the night at two
o'clock, without having recovered his consciousness."

"Dead!" exclaimed Joam Garral, crushed for a moment by the news--"dead!
dead!"

But soon raising his head, he said to his wife and children, "Judge
Ribeiro alone knew that I was innocent, my dear ones. The death of the
judge may be fatal to me, but that is no reason for me to despair."

And, turning toward Manoel, "Heaven help us!" he said to him; "we shall
see if truth will come down to the earth from Above."

The chief of the police made a sign to his men, who advanced to secure
Joam Garral.

"But speak, father!" shouted Benito, mad with despair; "say one word,
and we shall contest even by force this horrible mistake of which you
are the victim!"

"There is no mistake here, my son," replied Joam Garral; "Joam Dacosta
and Joam Garral are one. I am in truth Joam Dacosta! I am the honest man
whom a legal error unjustly doomed to death twenty-five years ago in
the place of the true c