refuge in the cabin of
Araujo, and the cabin had just been upset by a powerful blow from the
third alligator. Minha was flying aft, pursued by the monster, who was
not six feet away from her.

Minha fell.

A second shot from Benito failed to stop the cayman. He only struck the
animal's carapace, and the scales flew to splinters but the ball did not
penetrate.

Manoel threw himself at the girl to raise her, or to snatch her from
death! A side blow from the animal's tail knocked him down too.

Minha fainted, and the mouth of the alligator opened to crush her!

And then Fragoso jumped in to the animal, and thrust in a knife to the
very bottom of his throat, at the risk of having his arm snapped off by
the two jaws, had they quickly closed.

Fragoso pulled out his arm in time, but he could not avoid the chock of
the cayman, and was hurled back into the river, whose waters reddened
all around.

"Fragoso! Fragoso!" shrieked Lina, kneeling on the edge of the raft.

A second afterward Fragoso reappeared on the surface of the Amazon--safe
and sound.

But, at the peril of his life he had saved the young girl, who soon came
to. And as all hands were held out to him--Manoel's, Yaquita's, Minha's,
and Lina's, and he did not know what to say, he ended by squeezing the
hands of the young mulatto.

However, though Fragoso had saved Minha, it was assuredly to the
intervention of Torres that Joam Garral owed his safety.

It was not, therefore, the fazender's life that the adventurer wanted.
In the face of this fact, so much had to be admitted.

Manoel said this to Benito in an undertone.

"That is true!" replied Benito, embarrassed. "You are right, and in a
sense it is one cruel care the less! Nevertheless, Manoel, my suspicions
still exist! It is not always a man's worst enemy who wishes him dead!"

Joam Garral walked up to Torres.

"Thank you, Torres!" he said, holding out his hand. The adventurer took
a step or two backward without replying.

"Torres," continued Joam, "I am sorry that we are arriving at the end of
our voyage, and that in a few days we must part! I owe you----"

"Joam Garral!" answered Torres, "you owe me nothing! Your life is
precious to me above all things! But if you will allow me--I have been
thinking--in place of stopping at Manaos, I will go on to Belem. Will
you take me there?"

Joam Garral replied by an affirmative nod.

In hearing this demand Benito in an unguarded moment was about to