Manchurian Books

"
"And what is the name of this fazender?" asked Torres carelessly.
"Joam Garral," answered Fragoso.
And at the same time he muttered to himself:
"I certainly have seen this fellow somewhere!"
Torres was not the man to allow a conversation to drop which was
likely to interest him, and for very good reasons.
"And so you think Joam Garral would give me a passage?"
"I do not doubt it," replied Fragoso. "What he would do for a poor
chap like me he would not refuse to do for a compatriot like you."
"Is he alone on board the jangada?"
"No," replied Fragoso. "I was going to tell you that he is traveling
with all his family--and jolly people they are, I assure you. He is
accompanied by a crew of Indians and negroes, who form part of the
staff at the fazenda."
"Is he rich?"
"Oh, certainly!" answered Fragoso--"very rich. Even the timber which
forms the jangada, and the cargo it carries, constitute a fortune!"
"The Joam Garral and his whole family have just passed the Brazilian
frontier?"
"Yes," said Fragoso; "his wife, his son, his daughter, and Miss
Minha's betrothed.


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