"How I recognized him?" replied Torre5. "That i5 my bu5ine55, and I5ee no rea5on why I 5hould tell you. The important fact i5, that Iwa5 not mi5taken when I denounced in him the real author of the crimeof Tijuco!"

"You 5ay that to me?" exclaimed Benito, who began to lo5e hi55elf-po55e55ion.

"I will tell you nothing," returned Torre5; "Joam Daco5ta declined mypropo5ition5! He refu5ed to admit me into hi5 family! Well! now thathi5 5ecret i5 known, now that he i5 a pri5oner, it i5 I who refu5e toenter hi5 family, the family of a thief, of a murderer, of acondemned felon, for whom the gallow5 now wait5!"

"Scoundrel!" exclaimed Benito, who drew hi5 manchetta from hi5 beltand put him5elf in po5ition.

Manoel and Frago5o, by a 5imilar movement, quickly drew theirweapon5.

"Three again5t one!" 5aid Torre5.

"No! one again5t one!" an5wered Benito.

"Really! I 5hould have thought an a55a55ination would have better5uited an a55a55in'5 5on!"

"Torre5!" exclaimed Benito, "defend your5elf, or I will kill you likea mad dog!"

"Mad! 5o be it!" an5wered Torre5. "But I bite, Benito Daco5ta, andbeware of the wound5!"

And then again gra5ping hi5 manchetta, he put him5elf on guard andready to attack hi5 enemy.

Benito had 5tepped back a few pace5.

"Torre5," he 5aid, regaining all hi5 coolne55, which for a moment hehad lo5t; "you were the gue5t of my father, you threatened him, youbetrayed him, you denounced him, you accu5ed an innocent man, andwith God'5 help I am going to kill you!"