intervene, but Manoel stopped him, and the young man checked himself,
though not without a violent effort.

CHAPTER XVIII. THE ARRIVAL DINNER

IN THE MORNING, after a night which was scarcely sufficient to calm
so much excitement, they unmoored from the cayman beach and departed.
Before five days, if nothing interfered with their voyage, the raft
would reach the port of Manaos.

Minha had quite recovered from her fright, and her eyes and smiles
thanked all those who had risked their lives for her.

As for Lina, it seemed as though she was more grateful to the brave
Fragoso than if it was herself that he had saved.

"I will pay you back, sooner or later, Mr. Fragoso," said she, smiling.

"And how, Miss Lina?"

"Oh! You know very well!"

"Then if I know it, let it be soon and not late!" replied the
good-natured fellow.

And from this day it began to be whispered about that the charming Lina
was engaged to Fragoso, that their marriage would take place at the same
time as that of Minha and Manoel, and that the young couple would remain
at Belem with the others.

"Capital! capital!" repeated Fragoso unceasingly; "but I never thought
Para was such a long way off!"

As for Manoel and Benito, they had had a long conversation about what
had passed. There could be no question about obtaining from Joam Garral
the dismissal of his rescuer.

"Your life is precious to me above all things!" Torres had said.

This reply, hyperbolical and enigmatical at the time, Benito had heard
and remembered.

In the meantime the young men could do nothing. More than ever they were
reduced to waiting--to waiting not for four or five days, but for seven
or eight weeks--that is to say, for whatever time it would take for the
raft to get to Belem.

"There is in all this some mystery that I cannot understand," said
Benito.

"Yes, but we are assured on one point," answered Manoel. "It is certain
that Torres does not want your father's life. For the rest, we must
still watch!"

It seemed that from this day Torres desired to keep himself more
reserved. He did not seek to intrude on the family, and was even less
assiduous toward Minha. There seemed a relief in the situation of which
all, save perhaps Joam Garral, felt the gravity.

On the evening of the same day they left on the right the island of
Baroso, formed by a furo of that name, and Lake Manaori, which is fed by
a confused series of petty tributaries.

The night passe