ere is not room to doubt the
existence of a document which Torres was anxious to make the subject
of a bargain. He told us so himself. The document is a complete avowal
written in the handwriting of the culprit, which relates the attack in
its smallest details, and which clears our father! Yes! a hundred times,
yes! The document exists!"

"But Torres does not exist!" groaned Benito, "and the document has
perished with him!"

"Wait, and don't despair yet!" answered Manoel. "You remember under what
circumstances we made the acquaintance of Torres? It was in the depths
of the forest of Iquitos. He was in pursuit of a monkey which had stolen
a metal case, which it so strangely kept, and the chase had lasted a
couple of hours when the monkey fell to our guns. Now, do you think that
it was for the few pieces of gold contained in the case that Torres was
in such a fury to recover it? and do you not remember the extraordinary
satisfaction which he displayed when we gave him back the case which we
had taken out of the monkey's paw?"

"Yes! yes!" answered Benito. "This case which I held--which I gave back
to him! Perhaps it contained----"

"It is more than probable! It is certain!" replied Manoel.

"And I beg to add," said Fragoso, "for now the fact recurs to my memory,
that during the time you were at Ega I remained on board, at
Lina's advice, to keep an eye on Torres, and I saw him--yes, I saw
him--reading, and again reading, an old faded paper, and muttering words
which I could not understand."

"That was the document!" exclaimed Benito, who snatched at the hope--the
only one that was left. "But this document; had he not put it in some
place of security?"

"No," answered Manoel--"no; it was too precious for Torres to dream of
parting with it. He was bound to carry it always about with him, and
doubtless in that very case."

"Wait! wait, Manoel!" exclaimed Benito; "I remember--yes, I remember.
During the struggle, at the first blow I struck Torres in his chest, my
manchetta was stopped by some hard substance under his poncho, like a
plate of metal----"

"That was the case!" said Fragoso.

"Yes," replied Manoel; "doubt is impossible! That was the case; it was
in his breast-pocket."

"But the corpse of Torres?"

"We will recover it!"

"But the paper! The water will have stained it, perhaps destroyed it, or
rendered it undecipherable!"

"Why," answered Manoel, "if the metal case which held it was
water-tight?"