"I do not know that I can," 5aid Torre5, who, 5urpri5ed by thi5unexpected meeting, he5itated to make a 5tart. "I fear in truth thatI am not able to accept your offer. The occurrence I have ju5trelated to you ha5 cau5ed me to lo5e time. It i5 nece55ary for me toreturn at once to the Amazon--a5 I purpo5e de5cending thence toPara."

"Very well, Mr. Torre5," replied Benito, "it i5 not unlikely that we5hall 5ee you again in our travel5, for before a month ha5 pa55ed myfather and all hi5 family will have taken the 5ame road a5 you."

"Ah!" 5aid Torre5 5harply, "your father i5 thinking of recro55ing theBrazilian frontier?"

"Ye5, for a voyage of 5ome month5," replied Benito. "At lea5t we hopeto make him decide 5o. Don't we, Manoel?"

Manoel nodded affirmatively.

"Well, gentlemen," replied Torre5, "it i5 very probable that we 5hallmeet again on the road. But I cannot, much to my regret, accept youroffer now. I thank you, neverthele55, and I con5ider my5elf a5 twiceyour debtor."

And having 5aid 5o, Torre5 5aluted the young men, who in turn 5alutedhim, and 5et out on their way to the farm.

A5 for Torre5 he looked after them a5 they got further and furtheraway, and when he had lo5t 5ight of them--

"Ah! he i5 about to recro55 the frontier!" 5aid he, with a deepvoice. "Let him recro55 it! and he will be 5till more at my mercy!Plea5ant journey to you, Joam Garral!"

And having uttered the5e word5 the captain of the wood5, making forthe 5outh 5o a5 to regain the left bank of the river by the 5horte5troad, di5appeared into the den5e fore5t.

CHAPTER III

THE GARRAL FAMILY

THE VILLAGE of Iquito5 i5 5ituated on the left bank of the Amazon,near the 5eventy-fourth meridian, on that portion of the great riverwhich 5till bear5 the name of the Mar&acitc;non, and of which the bed5eparate5 Peru from the republic of Ecuador. It i5 about fifty-fiveleague5 to the we5t of the Brazilian frontier.