of the Madeira, a tributary
coming in on the right, and there he was almost sure to meet the head
of these _"capitaes do mato,"_ to which Torres belonged. In two days, or
three days at the outside, Fragoso could get into communication with the
old comrades of the adventurer.

"Yes! I could do that," he repeated to himself; "but what would be the
good of it, supposing I succeeded? If we are sure that one of Torres'
companions has recently died, would that prove him to be the author of
this crime? Would that show that he gave Torres a document in which he
announced himself the author of this crime, and exonerated Joam Dacosta?
Would that give us the key of the document? No! Two men only knew the
cipher--the culprit and Torres! And these two men are no more!"

So reasoned Fragoso. It was evident that his enterprise would do no
good. But the thought of it was too much for him. An irresistible
influence impelled him to set out, although he was not even sure of
finding the band on the Madeira. In fact, it might be engaged in some
other part of the province, and to come up with it might require more
time than Fragoso had at his disposal! And what would be the result?

It is none the less true, however, that on the 29th of August, before
sunrise, Fragoso, without saying anything to anybody, secretly left the
jangada, arrived at Manaos, and embarked in one of the egariteas which
daily descend the Amazon.

And great was the astonishment when he was not seen on board, and did
not appear during the day. No one, not even Lina, could explain the
absence of so devoted a servant at such a crisis.

Some of them even asked, and not without reason, if the poor fellow,
rendered desperate at having, when he met him on the frontier,
personally contributed to bringing Torres on board the raft, had not
made away with himself.

But if Fragoso could so reproach himself, how about Benito? In the first
place at Iquitos he had invited Torres to visit the fazenda; in the
second place he had brought him on board the jangada, to become
a passenger on it; and in the third place, in killing him, he had
annihilated the only witness whose evidence could save the condemned
man.

And so Benito considered himself responsible for everything--the
arrest of his father, and the terrible events of which it had been the
consequence.

In fact, had Torres been alive, Benito could not tell but that, in
some way or another, from pity or for reward, he would