PATHWAY THROUGH A BRAZILIAN FOREST.
 
 HOR A CI O 
 
 A TALE OF BRAZIL 
 
 By 
 R. W. FENN 
 
 Illustrated 
 
 AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY 
 
 150 NASSAU STREET 
 NEW YORK CITY
 
 Copyright, 1911 and 1913 by 
 
 AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY. 

 
 NOT TO THE RICHEST 
 NOR TO THE MOST FAMOUS, 
 
 BUT TO THE BEST 
 OF MEN MY FATHER. 
 
 2123539
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Horacio Page 9 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Anna 28 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Father Joao S 1 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 The Merchant 73 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 The Convict 93 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Pardoned 106 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 The Student 114 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 The Colporter i34 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Alfredo 155 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 The Pretender Unmasked 169 
 
 S
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 The First Sermon 189 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 An Old Acquaintance 200 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 Judgment 215 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Found 221 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Sor Andre 236 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Fire with Fire 250 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 The Seminary 262 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 The River 274 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 The Minister 282 
 
 Epilogue 299 
 
 Glossary 303
 
 UPON the traveller in modern Brazil one impression 
 must inevitably be made by the scenes and sounds which 
 attract his attention. Sixteen hours on the train and a 
 day or two on horseback will transport him from the 
 splendid city of Sao Paulo to the haunts of the un- 
 tamed, naked savage with his blow-pipe and poisoned 
 arrows. The recent enormous extension of coffee-plant- 
 ing is the cause of this unusual and abnormal contrast 
 of conditions. 
 
 While the Brazilian is generally of a mild and genial 
 disposition, the border-land has produced and is still 
 producing many desperadoes who execute justice and 
 injustice at their own sweet will and exercise the sway 
 of feudal lords over wide stretches of country. In such 
 a region the hero of this story lived, loved and was loved.
 
 NOTE 
 
 THE writer, who is a Civil Engineer by profession, 
 left California in 1900 to organize a department of Civil 
 Engineering in the Presbyterian College at Sao Paulo, 
 Brazil, as a missionary-laborer, and expected to remain 
 there permanently, but after two years of service was 
 obliged to give up the work, owing to nervous prostra- 
 tion, and for another year served the Geographical and 
 Geological Commission of the State of Sao Paulo as 
 Topographer and Geologist, journeying through the bor- 
 derland which he describes in this little volume. Alto- 
 gether he has spent ten years in different South American 
 countries, which has given him a sympathetic apprecia- 
 tion of the Latin character, and almost all of the inci- 
 dents in '"HORACIO" are actual personal experiences.
 
 HORACIO 
 
 I 
 
 HORACIO. 
 
 ' ' ANDA ligeiro, Horacio ! The macacos are in the milho. 
 Take your gun and we'll have a stew of the saucy 
 thieves ! ' ' 
 
 A sallow woman, slipshod and slatternly, spoke with 
 languid sharpness to a young Brazilian lad of fifteen or 
 sixteen years who leaned his elbows on the rough-hewn 
 table as he finished stowing a liberal supply of rice and 
 beans, sprinkled with farinha, between his white teeth 
 with the blade of his knife. Wiping his mouth upon his 
 sleeve, the young fellow took down a light double-bar- 
 reled, muzzle-loading gun from its place on two pegs, 
 and, throwing a horn of powder over his shoulder, 
 stuffed a little bag of shot into his breeches pocket and 
 took himself off. 
 
 The roga clearing was new, and the charred stumps 
 and trunks still thrust themselves up from the green 
 corn. The virgin matto grew close to the clearing and 
 the monkeys often dropped down into the corn and 
 helped themselves with liberal hand. The lad was well 
 used to this sort of thing and crept stealthily amid the 
 corn in pursuit of the thieves, hoping not to have been 
 seen by the sentinel that hung from the limb of a tall 
 
 9
 
 10 HORACIO 
 
 tree in the edge of the wood and gazed warily toward 
 the house. 
 
 The lad had already come in sight of the monkeys and 
 could make them out as they stripped the plump ears 
 from the stalks and gnawed the milky grains, darting 
 stealthy glances from side to side, between their mouth- 
 fuls, in fear of an interruption. Horacio hoped by 
 crouching low between the rows to reach them yet and 
 get a shot at them, when a sudden chattering from the 
 tree-tops warned him that he was discovered, and a 
 great answering hubbub amid the corn told him the feed- 
 ing monkeys were ready for flight and that further con- 
 cealment was useless. 
 
 Darting along between the rows at full speed, he tried 
 to reach them before they gained the shelter of the for- 
 est, but they were too quick for him. Jumping and 
 climbing up the swinging cipos, laden with ears of corn 
 swung over their shoulders, they reached the lofty tops 
 of the trees and made off toward the depths of the 
 forest. 
 
 For a moment the lad hesitated whether he should 
 follow them or not, but a trail following the direction 
 taken by the monkeys had been cleared into the forest 
 to obtain timber for building, and, hoping to get within 
 gunshot and teach the rogues a lesson, he pressed on, 
 gaining so much upon them as he ran that he reached 
 the end of the trail almost in range of them and thus 
 was induced to push on into the tangled undergrowth 
 where his progress was much slower and where he soon 
 lost sight altogether of the troop.
 
 HORACIO 11 
 
 Loath to return to the house without something for 
 the stew-pan, and having little else to do at the time, 
 he made his way farther on in the hope of coming 
 upon a blue inambu, a maccuco or a jacu. The under- 
 growth became more and more dense as he proceed- 
 ed, and he was soon obliged to take out his sheath- 
 knife and cut the tangled vines and branches which 
 barred his progress. The noise made in this way pre- 
 vented his approaching any of the more timid game, 
 but presently he came upon the well-beaten track of a 
 herd of queixadas or wild pigs, freshly marked by their 
 recent passage. 
 
 Thrusting his knife back into its sheath as no longer 
 needed, the lad followed the path of the pigs at a trot. 
 For an hour he made his way through the forest along 
 the windings of the trail, until suddenly he heard 
 grunting and trampling in advance and knew that the 
 game was near. Slackening his pace, he crept carefully 
 onward and soon came to the edge of a little natural 
 clearing full of palm-trees whose ripe nuts lay scattered 
 in profusion upon the ground. 
 
 Here the queixadas were holding high festival amid 
 the long grass, but well out of sight of Horacio. 
 
 Knowing the danger of attacking them in the open, 
 the young man crept into cover by the path which they 
 had followed and then barked like a dog. The clever 
 imitation was instantly followed by a rush where the 
 queixadas were feeding. Horacio barked again, and 
 immediately there was a trampling of feet in response 
 and a few grunts of authority, and in another moment
 
 12 EORACIO 
 
 the whole herd was upon him. Coming like the wind, 
 in the form of a half-circle with the supposed dog in 
 the center, the pigs, obeying their fine military instinct, 
 preserved their formation perfectly as they closed in 
 upon their enemy. The ground trembled beneath their 
 feet and the leaves and branches quivered at their roar- 
 ing. 
 
 It was a moment to try the most steadfast, but, know- 
 ing that they almost always broke and fled at the report 
 of a gun, the boy awaited with steady nerves the appear- 
 ance of the herd, and, as the first came in sight in front 
 of him, took deliberate aim and snapped the cap. The 
 old muzzle-loader missed fire! 
 
 The angry pigs had now joined the ends of their 
 circle and Horacio was in the center. His only hope 
 was a tree! Unfortunately no suitable tree for climb- 
 ing was included in the area surrounded by the enraged 
 queixadas. Not an instant was to be lost ! 
 
 Glancing in despair about him, all that rewarded 
 him was the sight of a cipo, some three inches in di- 
 ameter, which hung near him. Nine chances in ten 
 his weight would bring it tumbling down from above 
 yet it was his only chance! With a frenzied leap he 
 seized it three or four feet above his head and drew 
 up his limbs, minus one trouser-leg, which fluttered 
 from the tusk of an irate boar. 
 
 For a wonder the cipo held! He clung tighter and 
 glanced up. Fifty feet of vine, like an immense smooth 
 cable, reached to the first branches of the great tree 
 from which it swung. His gun lay upon the ground,
 
 HORACIO 13 
 
 already trampled out of shape by the herd. His hat 
 had remained behind also. 
 
 Hand over hand Horacio ascended until he reached 
 the level of the lowest limb ; then, swinging slowly from 
 side to side on the cipo, he finally succeeded in throw- 
 ing a leg over the limb and seating himself upon it. 
 
 The queixadas moved uneasily about beneath him, 
 snuffing the air and protesting with angry grunts at 
 his escape as they gazed up at his swinging legs from 
 below. Some of them vented their rage by tearing at 
 the bark of the tree with their great white tusks un- 
 til they had stripped it bare as high as they could 
 reach and cut deep into the wood itself. There was 
 no danger from such an attack as this, for the tree 
 was much too great, but it quivered to its utmost twig 
 and leaf with the furious onslaught. 
 
 Picking pieces of bark and great masses of orchids 
 from the limbs near him, he cast them down at the 
 wild-pigs, abusing them the while with the choicest se- 
 lections from his Brazilian vocabulary: 
 
 "Ah, patifes! Shameless rogues! Ah, swine with- 
 out respect! Ah, sons of such an one! Where is my 
 gun now? Take this, and render me my fine gun. 
 Ah, malvados, malucos, sem vergonhas, ye have beat- 
 en it out of all shape and usefulness! Take this and 
 this! and know that I have wherewithal to buy me a 
 better one, with which I will persecute ye until there 
 is no peace in the forest." 
 
 Tiring soon however of this mode of venting his 
 anger, Horacio began to look about him. Night would
 
 14 HORACIO 
 
 soon be upon him, for the sun was already fast sink- 
 ing to rest amid heavy black clouds. The lad sought 
 to determine the point upon the horizon where the 
 sun would mark the west, in order that he might be 
 able to make his way back in the darkness, but it 
 was already too late and the forest too thick for him 
 to see the waning glow. He remembered that the queix- 
 adas might not leave him for days, sending detachments 
 of the herd to feed while the rest kept guard. 
 
 Well, they could not keep a monkey prisoner in the 
 trees, and why should they keep him? He would pass 
 from tree to tree until he escaped them. 
 
 Looking up he searched for a limb which might 
 serve as a bridge to another tree. It was too dark 
 for him to be certain, but he thought he saw one, and 
 made his way to it, only to be disappointed. 
 
 Hour after hour he clambered about until his hands 
 were bleeding and his strength was almost exhausted, 
 and finally the full moon burst forth from the clouds 
 and showed him that there was no limb strong enough 
 to bear his weight that would bring him to another 
 tree. Discouraged and disheartened, he sank into one 
 of the lower forks of the tree, in a mass of moss and 
 parasites, disturbing a tree-toad and a lizard and be- 
 coming quickly covered with angry and venomous ants. 
 There was no rest here. 
 
 Taking his departure quickly, he sought a better 
 refuge, and, having settled himself comfortably in it to 
 sleep, found that the mosquitoes, which had only mildly 
 tormented him while he was moving about, had now
 
 HORACIO 15 
 
 gathered over him in such clouds that all hope of sleep 
 was lost. 
 
 The moon was by this time shining brightly and the 
 heavy clouds had scattered far and wide. He looked 
 about for a familiar star, but could make none out 
 through the thick branches of the trees. The queix- 
 adas still tramped sullenly about beneath the tree, snif- 
 fing the air from time to time to get scent of him, and 
 he could see them readily in the bright moonlight. 
 
 Suddenly there was a commotion among them, and 
 looking down, he saw them forming themselves, with 
 evident signs of terror, into a solid phalanx and intently 
 watching a dense clump of underbrush at a little dis- 
 tance. 
 
 Horacio's eyes followed the direction, and instantly he 
 divined the cause of their alarm. From out the thick- 
 et two bright yellow balls of fire gleamed like two little 
 lamps. 
 
 ''Ha, ha!" chuckled the lad, gleefully: "ha, ha! 
 shameless porcada! Senhora Onga will play with ye! 
 I wager money that she will even breakfast with ye." 
 
 At the sound of his voice he could see the eyes of 
 the jaguar move a bit, and now he could hear the brush 
 crackle as she threshed her tail angrily from side to 
 side, then the lamps changed their position, and pres- 
 ently he could see the dark form of the jaguar gliding 
 stealthily around the herd, which followed her every 
 movement with a bristling front of gleaming tusks. 
 
 Evidently Mistress Onqa had little liking to pay the 
 cost of her breakfast!
 
 16 HORACIO 
 
 But of a sudden there was a slight scattering of the 
 leaves, a roar of expectancy from the herd, and a dark 
 bunch passed through the air and over the heads of the 
 front ranks, falling full upon the backs of those that 
 were behind. 
 
 With one blow of her powerful paw the beautiful 
 animal broke the back of a great hog, and, burying 
 her teeth in its neck, tossed it over her shoulder and in 
 an instant would have been away, had not a fierce boar 
 sunk a tusk in her flank. With a scream of pain and 
 fury she dropped the carcass of the queixada and 
 turned upon her foes. 
 
 Horacio could see every movement from his perch 
 above for they had long since trampled the ground 
 smooth and cleared it of brush and the moon shone 
 brightly upon the scene. 
 
 Over and over rolled the great cat, casting her foes 
 from her and ripping great strips of flesh from them 
 with her claws or breaking their backs with tremendous 
 blows. The forest resounded with the noise of battle, 
 and the birds and the beasts that had been sleeping 
 awoke and fled in terror from the spot. 
 
 It seemed an hour that the furious combat lasted, 
 but it could not have been more than ten minutes. 
 All became silent at length, and the boy could make 
 out a dark heap of queixadas piled upon the beautiful 
 striped mass of fur which was all that was left of the 
 monarch of the South American forests. About the 
 pile of slain the remnant of the herd tramped, nosing 
 the heap to see if there was yet any life in their enemy.
 
 HORACIO 17 
 
 The lad was again seized with anger. "Will ye be 
 gone, miseraveis ? " he cried, casting pieces of bark at 
 them. "Have ye not had enough? Wretched scum of 
 the earth? Porcada sem vergonha!" 
 
 The queixadas looked up inquiringly at the lad and, 
 as if remembering that there was still a feud to set- 
 tle, disposed themselves again for the siege. 
 
 Now the lad regretted that he had so thoughtlessly 
 spoken, for otherwise they might have gone away and 
 left him free to come down at break of day. 
 
 The sun came upon the scene at length, and he was 
 able to note the relative direction of the limb upon 
 which he sat, for a guide to serve him in case the sun 
 became obscured. Not a cloud was in the sky and 
 soon the vultures circled overhead. Wheeling around 
 and down from the vast upper regions of the air, their 
 numbers were gradually increased until at least a hun- 
 dred big black carrion-birds were describing great arcs 
 above the tree-tdps. Soon they settled upon the ground 
 here and there, but the queixadas drove them away. 
 At this they perched upon the limbs of trees and cocked 
 their great yellow orbs at the feast, as though to say, 
 "We wait, 'tis true, but the flavor improves with wait- 
 ing! All things come to him who waits." 
 
 The day wore on and the flies gathered on the car- 
 casses until they made a great humming and buzzing 
 in the sun. They also annoyed the queixadas, who 
 stamped their feet and switched their stumpy tails im- 
 patiently but would not leave the place. 
 
 In the tree above the gnats took the place of the
 
 18 HORACIO 
 
 long-legged pests of the night and swarmed about a 
 weary, hungry, sleepy lad of sixteen who seemed to 
 be the center of interest for some forty or more great 
 pigs, some of which still bore the marks of the recent 
 fray in great slashes of the jaguar's claws, while one 
 or two crouched apart with broken limbs. 
 
 By afternoon the stench from the carcasses was very 
 great, but the others would not leave them. 
 
 Horacio passed another sleepless night in the tree 
 and saw another cloudless morning dawn. His thirst 
 had now become very considerable, although he had 
 partially quenched it from time to time by sucking 
 sap from the branches and small vines about him. Weak 
 with hunger and wearied by the constant attack of the 
 mosquitoes, he cut some cipos and bound himself to 
 the tree, in order that he might not fall. Rescue he 
 did not expect, as his father was absent and his mother 
 alone upon the place, her nearest neighbor being five 
 leagues away. 
 
 It was about eleven o'clock when, of a sudden, the 
 herd pricked up its ears, stirred uneasily about, and 
 then fell upon its wounded and, having despatched them 
 in an instant, made off through the forest at a rapid 
 trot A moment later the vultures descended and fell 
 upon the putrid flesh. 
 
 Horacio, cutting the withes that bound him, clambered, 
 slipping and falling, to the ground and, quickly hacking 
 strips of flesh from the queixadas which had been slain 
 by their comrades, ate the raw meat eagerly and hun- 
 grily until his gorge rose at it and he could eat no more.
 
 HORACIO 19 
 
 He then sought his gun, finding it so twisted and bent 
 as to be of no use. Casting it from him with a maledic- 
 tion, he took his bearings and started for home with a 
 bit of meat slung over his shoulder. 
 
 Confident that he had followed a general southerly 
 course, he now sought to keep well toward the north, 
 knowing that he ought soon to come on some clearing. 
 Hour after hour he journeyed, keeping well to his course, 
 but came to no clearing, and, so far as he could tell, only 
 penetrated deeper than ever into the forest. 
 
 Finally he came to a stop and sat down to rest. The 
 flies buzzed about the meat that he was carrying and the 
 odor told him that it would not last long. Gathering dry 
 sticks, he struck a spark with his flint and steel and 
 blew it into a flame. Preparing a spit, the meat was 
 soon roasted and he made a hearty meal, reserving enough 
 for the morrow in case of being obliged to spend another 
 night in the forest. Having dined heartily, he stretched 
 himself near his fire upon the ground to rest a moment 
 and fell asleep. 
 
 When he awoke, the rain was falling upon his upturned 
 face and the forest was as dark as Egypt. The lad 
 sprang to his feet and looked about him for a shelter, 
 which was hard to find in the darkness. Remembering 
 his breakfast, he went to the cipo from which it had been 
 suspended, only to find that it was gone, some four-legged 
 thief having made off with it while he slept. 
 
 It was now impossible to light a fire or procure a light, 
 for the matto was already damp and the rain falling 
 faster and faster. After vainly hunting for a shelter
 
 20 HORACIO 
 
 from the storm for some time, Horacio sat down upon 
 the ground with his back against a tree and let the rain 
 fall, as he could not do otherwise. Fortunately it was 
 not cold, although after the rain had thoroughly 
 drenched him the weather changed and it became slight- 
 ly cooler. 
 
 Thus the night passed and the morning brought no 
 cessation of the rain. As soon as it was light the boy 
 was on his feet. Now he knew, at last, that he was 
 lost, for he had not even the sun to guide him and 
 could not guess where he was. All the little woodcraft 
 he knew was brought to bear and all his quick intelli- 
 gence, but he could only trust to chance and, by setting 
 out at random, hope to come at last to some clearing. 
 This hope, however, was slim indeed, for there were 
 almost no other clearings between his home and the un- 
 tracked wilderness. 
 
 All day he pushed forward, finding only a few bit- 
 ter plums for his hungry stomach's satisfaction. Wa- 
 ter to drink he had when he wished it, by the mere 
 throwing back his head and opening his mouth. 
 
 When night came he was somewhere, but all that, 
 he knew was that this somewhere was elsewhere in 
 other words, that he was not where he had passed 
 the previous night. He knew, also, that his other trou- 
 ser leg was gone and that his bare limbs were bruised 
 and cut and bitten with insects, and that he was very, 
 very hungry. 
 
 "Who sleeps, dines," but who eats is better satis- 
 fied. Arranging a shelter of leaves ere the light left
 
 HORACIO 21 
 
 him, the lad threw himself upon the ground and slept 
 the troubled sleep of weary hunger. The morning 
 dawned cloudless. The sun soon rose and the jungle 
 reeked and steamed. The wet heat after the rain 
 brought the perspiration from every pore and made 
 the wanderer faint and languid. 
 
 Knowing that, however far he might be to the north 
 or south, travelling east would ultimately bring him to 
 the clearings, Horacio determined to keep his face stead- 
 fastly in that direction. 
 
 About noon he came upon some more plums and 
 stayed his gnawing hunger. The inhabitants of the 
 forest, as if knowing that he had no gun, sported 
 about on every side in the most perfect confidence. 
 Once he flung his knife at a raccoon, but missed him. 
 Again and again he tried to bring down a jacu with 
 a stone, but lacked dexterity. Of the sling he knew 
 nothing and could not have used it had he known 
 how to prepare one. With the bow and arrow he was 
 tolerably expert, and, as he made his way through the 
 forest, he came suddenly upon an arrow, tipped with 
 feathers and pointed with bone, lying in the path of 
 the anta for these great animals leave broad trails as 
 they come and go to their lairs. 
 
 Startled at the sight of the arrow, Horacio looked 
 closely at the ground and found both the trail of the 
 great tapir and, also, the footprints of a dozen savages 
 upon it. Evidently he had gone many leagues west! 
 
 Resuming his journey, he now kept his eyes open 
 for a bit of wood suitable for a bow, and soon came
 
 22 HORACIO 
 
 upon such a piece as he desired. Roughly shaping this 
 to his purpose with his knife, he set about the manu- 
 facture of a string for his bow. He now regretted that 
 he had not kept the tendons of one of the pigs for this 
 purpose, but, not knowing how long he would be from 
 home, he had not thought of it. 
 
 Selecting fibers from a vine which he knew was tough 
 and strong, he twisted them on his knee as he had often 
 twisted fishing-lines, and presently strung his bow and, 
 laying the arrow against the cord, drew it back to the 
 point and then relaxed it, wearied in his weakness by 
 the effort. 
 
 Having thus provided himself with a weapon, and 
 the forest growth being now dry, he made his way 
 as rapidly as he could toward the east, doing as little 
 cutting and slashing at the vines and brush as possi- 
 ble, in order that he might not disturb the game and 
 also that he might spare his strength and his bleed- 
 ing and blistered hands. 
 
 As if in mockery of his necessities, the feathered 
 and four-footed denizens of the forest, which had hith- 
 erto thrown themselves in his way, now kept their 
 distance, and it was almost night ere a jacu gave him a 
 fair mark. The winged shaft sped on its way and pierced 
 the fowl in the neck. Arrow and bird were soon in 
 the hands of the famished lad. Drawing the precious 
 arrow carefully from its neck, Horacio lit a fire and in 
 a few moments was gnawing at the half-raw flesh. 
 
 It was dark ere he had finished, but the work was 
 well done, not an atom worth consuming being left.
 
 EORACIO 23 
 
 Strengthened and encouraged, the boy stretched him- 
 self upon the ground by the fire to rest, but in an in- 
 stant he was upon his feet again, with his hand upon 
 Ms heart ; the sound of a horn not far distant had fall- 
 en on his ears ! 
 
 Convinced by this time that he must be well within 
 the borders of the untamed bugres, he felt sure that 
 it could be naught else than the Indians. What the 
 meaning of the blast was he did not know; it might be 
 war or festivities or a hunt; but he was not inclined 
 to investigate, so, throwing green leaves upon his fire 
 to smother the flames, he seized his bow and single 
 arrow and made off as fast as he could in a direction 
 opposite to that whence came the sound of the horn; 
 which, after being repeated a half-dozen times, was lost 
 in the distance. 
 
 Pushing on for an hour longer, he finally thought 
 to rest, when the sound of the horn again fell upon 
 his ears, this time directly in front! Horacio was at 
 last thoroughly uneasy, fearing that he had worked his 
 way into the midst of the savages ; so, weary and beaten 
 about by branches and trees, and hardly daring to use 
 his knife to open a way for himself, he stumbled on in 
 the moonlight in a direction diagonal to that which he 
 had followed. 
 
 After an hour's painful journey he paused again 
 and flung himself upon the ground, too weary to be 
 disturbed by the mosquitoes that covered his nearly 
 naked body or even to care whether he lived or died. 
 
 He was awakened at length by a cold nose in his
 
 24 EORACIO 
 
 face and sprang to his feet in sudden alarm. The 
 light of flickering torches dazzled his eyes, which were 
 still heavy with sleep. 
 
 "Found at last, nay caboclinho a toa !" said his father's 
 voice, and the man drew him into a warm embrace, 
 ere he could realize what had happened. A couple of 
 great hounds sprang joyfully upon him and a half- 
 dozen neighbors came up one by one and clasped the 
 boy in their arms with friendly embraces and quick 
 little reciprocal pats on the shoulders. 
 
 "Thou art indeed a sad sight to see, and yet one 
 that rejoices my heart!" and the father strained the 
 son again to his breast. "Thou hast travelled far. 
 Two days have we followed thee with the dogs. We 
 had found thee sooner had not the rain washed thy 
 scent from the ground. But the Virgin be praised! 
 we crossed it again when thou hadst at last turned to- 
 ward home. 
 
 "But, come! pull thyself together, if thou canst, 
 and we will sleep at home. Thou art half starved 1 
 Take a pull at this cachaga!" 
 
 The boy drank greedily and, coughing as the hot 
 liquor brought the tears to his eyes, found his voice at 
 last. 
 
 "How is that? Sleep at home?" he cried. 
 
 "Why not?" replied the older man, "thou canst 
 almost see the clearing from this spot. It lies here, 
 about two hundred paces off." 
 
 Horacio stared in amazement. "I thought ' he 
 exclaimed, then laughed aloud, and ended by bursting
 
 HORACIO 25 
 
 into a wild fit of sobbing, which came to him in his 
 nervous condition with the reaction. 
 
 To think that he had wandered for five days in the 
 woods and had now fallen exhausted at his own door 
 without knowing it! The morning might have seen 
 him making off again into the forest, none the wiser, 
 had they not come upon him where he lay. 
 
 Choking back the nervous, hysterical sobs, the lad 
 struggled lamely to his feet and set out for the house, 
 followed by the men, all talking of the strange hap- 
 pening, chaffing the boy and congratulating one another 
 on the happy outcome of their quest. 
 
 In a few moments they broke out into the clearing, 
 and the humble cabin was the gladdest sight that had 
 ever been seen by a tired boy. Faint and famished, 
 he fell into the arms of his mother, and then dropped 
 asleep in a corner and would scarce awake to take 
 the stew of chicken and the mess of rice and beans 
 which the good woman set before the hungry men. 
 
 "Que bobo!" said one, laughing, "what a ninny! 
 Only to think that he had laid himself down out there 
 beyond the corn a bit to sleep! Why didst thou not 
 come home to thy mother, lad?" 
 
 The boy flushed and murmured something. 
 
 "And what of the horns we blew? Didst thou not 
 hear them?" asked another. 
 
 "Ay, what of the horns, lad?" said his father, rest- 
 ing his elbows upon the table, as he stopped for a 
 minute in his work of stripping a drumstick and looked 
 inquiringly at the boy.
 
 26 HORACIO 
 
 "I thought the bugres blew them," stammered the 
 lad, blushing up again. A roar of laughter came from 
 all the men. 
 
 "Ah, that is good! Bugres, indeed! There are none 
 nigher than the Rio Feio," said one. 
 
 "Then I was at the Rio Feio," retorted the boy an- 
 grily, "for I found this in the trail of the anta, with 
 the marks of a dozen pairs of naked feet beside it," 
 and he reached down and lifted the arrow from the 
 dirt floor where it had fallen and laid it upon the 
 table, where it was immediately seized upon and passed 
 from hand to hand. An ominous silence fell upon the 
 group. 
 
 "So the Indians are come this way again with war 
 arrows," Said one at length. 
 
 "May the saints preserve us on the Border if there 
 is trouble again!" said another. 
 
 "May the devil rather take the miscreants who have 
 stirred them up, friend Theophilo!" cried the father 
 of Horacio, throwing the arrow down upon the table 
 violently. 
 
 " 'Tis the old question of the Brazilian stirring up 
 a fight to find an excuse for stealing the bugres' land. 
 We are a bad set all around, but I for one, Jose An- 
 tonio de Castro, have no part or sympathy with them," 
 replied Theophilo, rising, going to the door, and looking 
 out. "The weather holds. We would best be off !" 
 
 "What to-night? There is no call to go to-night." 
 
 "Why not? The weather is clear: our horses are 
 fresh: we would best be home."
 
 HOBACIO 27j 
 
 With that he disappeared in the outer darkness, where 
 his neighbors soon joined him, and in a few moments 
 their horses were crunching corn on the ear in the 
 trough by the door, preparatory to their journey. The 
 men lingered by the fire to chat and exchange surmises 
 as to the probabilities of a hostile visit from the Indians. 
 All agreed that a general attack was not likely, but all 
 were satisfied as to the advisability of keeping on the 
 alert against ambuscade and treachery. 
 
 Horacio had already been asleep for some time upon 
 a mattress of corn-husks when the rescue party at last 
 took its departure, and soon the burning rag in the 
 copper dish of castor oil which hung from a hook and 
 served for a lamp was extinguished and the house 
 became silent and dark.
 
 n 
 
 ANNA. 
 
 IT WAS nearly noon the next day when the boy awoke, 
 with aching limbs and fierce hunger. Gulping down 
 the cup of black coffee that his mother handed him, he 
 stumbled to the door and looked forth on a day of bril- 
 liant promise. 
 
 His eyes roamed over the little plantation with keen 
 pleasure. He noted the long green stretch of waving 
 tasseled corn with pumpkins growing between the rows, 
 the beans on the right and the mandioca near the 
 house. Far away on the hill-top could be seen the dark 
 green of the coffee, with the mamaos rising here and 
 there above it. 
 
 This was home and homely labor, and he knew that 
 even now the growing crops were needing his strong 
 young arm. Then his eye fell upon the long dark line 
 of the forest, and his heart swelled with fierce anger: 
 he remembered like a hideous dream all that he had 
 suffered, and how he had come to lie down in de- 
 spair at the threshold of the clearing, perhaps to die. 
 He remembered also the rough chaffing of the neigh- 
 
 28
 
 ANNA 29 
 
 bors, and something swelled in his throat on which 
 he swallowed hard. A mist swam before his eyes and 
 little prickly flashes of anger ran over his body. His 
 mother called, and he turned silently to the house 
 and attacked as though to vent the bitterness of his 
 spirit the abundant breakfast which she had set out 
 upon the table. 
 
 Having eaten ravenously without a word, he went out 
 and shortly returned with his horse, which he tied to 
 the trough and fed with ears of corn. Re-entering the 
 house, he went to the little hiding-place of his peculiar 
 treasures and took out a bunch of dirty paper money 
 which he counted upon his knee two hundred and 
 forty milreis, the price of furs which the old gun and 
 his traps had brought him. 
 
 This was his treasure, hoarded for the purchase of 
 a new and better gun. Many times during the accu- 
 mulation of the little fund he had seen this breech- 
 loading gun before the eyes of his imagination, with 
 its inlaid silver figures and its Damascus barrels, just 
 as he had seen it in the window of the shop in Jahu. 
 He hoped that it might still be there, but if it were not 
 he knew that there were others like it. 
 
 His mother came to him as he stood in the door- 
 way. 
 
 "Thy father said to take the enxadao and go to the 
 cafezal, Horacio." 
 
 "Where is my father?" the boy answered shortly. 
 
 His mother started at the tone of his voice. There 
 was a quality there which was new to her, and she
 
 30 HORACIO 
 
 did not recognize the lad who had followed the mon- 
 keys into the matto a few days before. 
 
 "He has gone to Augustinho's to fetch the children. 
 He ought to be back by this time, for he went with 
 Augustinho last night." 
 
 Horacio took his saddle from a peg on the wall and 
 limped to the door, saying as he went, 
 
 "Tell him I have gone to Jahu to get me a gun. 
 I am too sore to work to-day. Besides, I have struck 
 a hoe into the ground for the last time. Remembran- 
 ces to the children! Adeus! Until to-morrow, if God 
 wills, and if not, until the day after!" 
 
 The mother looked after him as he flung the sad- 
 dle upon his horse and rode off, sighed and went back 
 to her work, too well accustomed to have no voice in 
 the family affairs, after the manner of many Brazilian 
 women, to interpose objection or suggestion. 
 
 The town of Jahu lay more than a dozen Brazilian 
 leagues away, but Horacio knew that he could make 
 the fifty miles easily before night, although he had 
 not reckoned on the condition of his sore and weary 
 body. Nevertheless he pushed on and, in spite of aches 
 and pains, reached the town at eight in the evening and 
 drew rein before his uncle's door, a humble little house 
 in the outskirts of the village. All was silent within 
 and the only light visible was that which found its way 
 through some chinks in the wall. 
 
 "Oh, the house!" he called and clapped his hands. 
 No sign of life evidenced that his call was heard, so 
 he repeated it in louder tones. At the second call a
 
 ANNA 31 
 
 shuffling step was heard and an old woman unbarred 
 the door and looked out into the night. 
 
 ''Good evening!" cried Horacio. "Is my good uncle, 
 Sor Henrique, at home?" 
 
 ' ' May the Saints preserve us ! 'tis Horacio ! Art thou 
 well? Are all well at home? We are in sad times here. 
 Anna and I have just finished the rosary for the re- 
 pose of his soul, for we have no money for masses. Thy 
 poor uncle was buried yesterday God rest him ! I came 
 to keep Anna company until we can dispose of her in 
 some other way. But dismount! Dismount and enter! 
 What a clatter-jaw I am to leave the poor fellow a-sit- 
 ting there and me a-talking and a-talking. ' ' 
 
 At this moment a young girl of some fourteen years 
 approached the door from within and looking over 
 the garrulous old woman's shoulder, gravely saluted 
 Horacio. The lad, all taken aback by the news of his 
 uncle's death, slipped from the saddle and led his 
 horse through a little side gate which Donna Brigida 
 opened for him, and, having removed the saddle and 
 supplied him with corn, entered the house with clank- 
 ing spurs on his bare heels trailing across the wooden 
 floors. 
 
 Shaking hands with both women, he fell rather than 
 sat upon the bench which was offered him and glanced 
 about the dimly lighted room. 
 
 A long counter ran its length in the middle, and 
 against the walls were shelves on which were packages 
 of matches, tins of goiabada, little round white cheeses, 
 and all the various small matters which supply the
 
 32 HORACIO 
 
 ordinary needs of the Brazilian household. A few dirty 
 bottles made up the list and a small barrel on a stand 
 explained the presence of some upturned glasses upon 
 a tin draining-tray. 
 
 Over against the tray, upon the whitewashed wall, 
 could still be seen the scores of some regular customers 
 penciled on the uneven surface, which represented the 
 only attempt at bookkeeping the deceased merchant had 
 made. 
 
 It was a small venda in the ordinary course of things, 
 and served also as a common sitting-room. Behind it 
 were a couple of sleeping-rooms and a small lean-to 
 kitchen. All this was a common enough sight to Horacio, 
 who had often visited his uncle, his only remaining rel- 
 ative excepting those of the immediate family circle. 
 
 Donna Brigida was already blowing the embers into 
 a blaze in the fogao and called to him to know if he had 
 dined. Upon receiving a negative reply, she proceeded 
 with her work and soon could be heard shifting pots and 
 kettles about over the blaze. 
 
 Anna sat listlessly on a stool in the front room, im- 
 mersed in thought or drowsy with fatigue. Presently 
 Horacio spoke. 
 
 "What ailed Tio Henrique?" he asked. 
 
 "It is not known," replied the girl, in a clear, sweet 
 voice, rousing herself upon the stool and looking up 
 at him. "He had been ailing some time. First he 
 would say it was his spleen and then his liver : presently 
 it was his kidneys and then his heart. Alas, God rest 
 him! It would seem that he was all gone wrong inside.
 
 'ANNA 33 
 
 So he took tea of one thing and tea of another, but got 
 no better. Alas, alas, how the poor man suffered ! 
 
 "At last he went to Doctor Pereira, who gave him a 
 long prescription of a most ill-smelling and costly stuff, 
 and, as that did him no good, the next day he went to 
 Doctor Alcides, who gave him another, and that did 
 him no manner of good either, so he went to Doctor 
 da Costa. Oh, the pain of it ! Each recipe cost' him 
 five milreis to write and five more to buy, arid he died 
 with the third. Alas, he was a good man! although 
 a bit careful with his money. What shall I do, Horacio ? 
 I have nowhere to go ! " 
 
 "Yes, poor soul," said the old woman, appearing at 
 the door, "although Sor Henrique God rest him! 
 was no kin to her, yet for his woman's sake he always 
 took care of her. I'll take her to Father Joao to-morrow, 
 for the house goes to thy father and there is nothing 
 else. 
 
 "Father Joao was here to see him die and stayed with 
 the corpse all night. He is no ordinary man and has 
 promised to care for the girl. Yet 'tis well that thou 
 hast come, for thou canst see the authorities and arrange 
 to dispose of the house," and with this she disappeared 
 again in the kitchen. 
 
 Horacio looked at the young girl with renewed inter- 
 est. "No kin to Sor Henrique!" he mused. "Ah, I 
 remember now." 
 
 It was indeed true. She was the daughter, by a 
 former marriage, of the dead man's wife who had pre- 
 ceded him to the better land. The girl was angular and
 
 34 HORACIO 
 
 thin almost scrawny with a great mass of heavy black 
 hair like an Indian, large flashing black eyes and gleam- 
 ing teeth the latter set in a wide mouth which was 
 ever as ready to lend itself to laughter as it was to 
 weeping. 
 
 No one would have called the girl good looking, with 
 her sallow skin and sunken cheeks, but there was life, 
 and much of it, in her fine eyes, and some promise in 
 her carriage, although she was fourteen and still a girl, 
 when a Brazilian is expected to be a woman. 
 
 Horacio's thoughts were interrupted by the voice of 
 Donna Brigida calling to Anna to lay the cloth. A bit 
 of cotton which looked sufficiently like a sheet to give 
 one suspicions of its dual office was doubled across one 
 end of the table and upon this the girl placed the 
 simple crockery for the meal. Donna Brigida then 
 handed in the steaming dishes from the kitchen; for 
 in some marvellous way the dinner comes from the 
 Brazilian fogao in an incredibly short space of time. 
 
 Both women sat and watched him by the light of 
 a little oil lamp made of a bit of wicking passed through 
 a tin tube and set in a small glass bottle of kerosene. 
 The elder woman was not pleasant to look upon, be- 
 ing anything but tidy in her dress, and bearing a large 
 goitre upon her neck. Horacio remembered having 
 seen her several times before. 
 
 The meal finished, the women made up a husk bed 
 on the floor, and Horacio, after turning his horse in- 
 to a neighboring pasture, flung himself upon it and fell 
 immediately into a sound sleep.
 
 ANNA 35 
 
 The following day there was a council of the friends 
 of the family with the village priest and the civil author- 
 ities. The house and business were sold, by advice of 
 friends and the consent of the boy, to a neighbor for a 
 conto of reis cash down, as they stood and this money 
 was turned over to Horacio to carry to his father, after 
 the expenses of interment had been deducted. Posses- 
 sion was to be given the following dayK 
 
 All the world wondered that there was nothing else 
 to the estate, as the deceased was known as a care- 
 ful man and a close liver. Anna attempted to speak 
 of a supposed secret hoard, but Father Joao laughed 
 her to silence and the girl shrank back and said nothing. 
 
 The disposal of the girl herself promised to be a more 
 difficult matter than that of the little house and shop, 
 but Father Joao spoke up promptly. 
 
 "Anninha would best help with the chores at the 
 vicarage until I can find her a place in some good family. 
 Come, girl, make up thy bundle and come with me ! " 
 
 The neighbors rose and dispersed, thanking the good 
 padre for his benevolence and glad to be rid of any 
 responsibility in the affair. The magistrate also readily 
 gave his assent to the guardianship without consult- 
 ing the most interested party, but Horacio looked 
 inquiringly at the girl, who answered his look with a 
 wistful, half-frightened glance. 
 
 "I'll see thee again before I go, Anna," he said, and 
 pressed the lonely child's hand as he went off toward 
 the town, intent on purchasing his long-coveted gun for 
 which he had made the long journey.
 
 36 HORACIO 
 
 What was his disappointment, on reaching the 
 dealer's, to find that no such gun as he desired could be 
 obtained in Jahu. Here was his trip for nothing! No, 
 it was not for nothing, for he was taking some eight 
 hundred milreis with him to his father. He turned 
 to leave the gunsmith's shop, bitterly disappointed, when 
 the man called him back. 
 
 "If you want something extra good for the sertao, 
 I have a Winchester rifle, 44 calibre, fourteen shots 
 without reloading. Talk about guns, this is a gun! 
 Just see here! You pull this lever and tek! there it 
 is, unloaded and loaded again in the flash of an eye!" 
 and he held it up admiringly. 
 
 Horacio took the gun and examined it with lively 
 curiosity, then shook his head. 
 
 "No," he said, "a rifle is no use in the sertao. For 
 an onga it is very well, when the beast is up a tree, but 
 for small game it does not serve," and he laid the fire- 
 arm on the counter. 
 
 "Nonsense," replied the dealer, "I have seen a man 
 flick the ashes from the cigarette in his wife's mouth at 
 a hundred paces. 'Tis said there are hunters who 
 can cut the head from any bird with this gun and not 
 miss once in ten times. Ay, 'tis even said there are 
 those who can send a ball through two birds as they 
 pass each other flying in opposite directions." 
 
 Horacio smiled incredulously, but took the gun again 
 while the dealer explained to him how the sights could 
 be altered for distance and also corrected for any lateral 
 error.
 
 ANNA 37 
 
 "Only a hundred and fifty milreis," urged the man. 
 "That is just seventy-five milreis less than the other 
 would have been. Come! If you will take the rifle 
 I will put you in a box of fifty cartridges with it What 
 do you say?" 
 
 Horacio allowed himself to be persuaded. He was 
 set upon a purpose and, fascinated with the exploits 
 of the gun, he believed that what man had done man 
 could do. In a blind unreasoning way he was filled 
 with rage against the sertao and was bent on conquer- 
 ing it and bringing it to his feet. 
 
 He paid the man for the Winchester, purchased a 
 hundred cartridges besides those which were included 
 in the purchase price and a small pocket compass, 
 and returned to the house. 
 
 The day was well nigh spent and dinner was wait- 
 ing for him, but Anna was gone. He laid the gun upon 
 the counter and sat down to eat. When he had finished 
 his coffee there came a knock at the door. 
 
 "Da licenga?" a familiar voice said, inquiringly, and 
 Anna entered with an old woman at her heels. The 
 girl seemed relieved at sight of him, but, having shaken 
 hands as is the inevitable custom went immediately 
 to her room, explaining that she had forgotten some 
 small article. The old woman followed her closely. 
 Horacio heard the girl rummaging about in the interior 
 apartment and exclaiming as she hunted, "Now, where 
 can it be? Where can it be? Have I lost it alto- 
 gether?" 
 
 Thus she went on, now speaking aloud and now to
 
 38 HOBACIO 
 
 herself. Presently she approached the wall against 
 which he was leaning. 
 
 "Can it be in this corner? Oh, Horacio!" this last 
 came in a quick whisper "take me away!" and then 
 in a louder yoice^ ' ' Here it is, to be sure ! How stupid 
 of me ! " and both women came out of the inner room and 
 left the house after shaking hands once more. 
 
 Horacio had started from his stool at sound of the 
 appeal which came through the frail partition, in which 
 there was a sharp note of distress. As he shook 
 Anninha's hand she looked at him beseechingly and he 
 pressed her hand quickly in reassurance. With a re- 
 lieved face the girl went out, turning her head as 
 the door closed behind her to make sure that he under- 
 stood. Horacio was already making for the rear door, 
 and, slipping hastily along the side of the house, he 
 followed the two women through the gathering dusk. 
 
 With his hunter's training it was play for him to 
 track them thus without being himself discovered, and 
 soon, to his surprise, he found that they were not going 
 to the priest's house, which was hard by the church, but 
 in another direction. Finally they reached a small 
 house on the farther side of the town and entered 
 quickly, both of them glancing sharply about to see if 
 they were observed, but for different reasons. The old 
 woman saw no one: Anna caught a glimpse of 
 Horacio just peering around the corner. 
 
 Having ascertained all that he desired to know for 
 the present, the lad took his way back to the town, where 
 he spent a few milreis in the purchase of some very
 
 ANNA 39 
 
 gaudy handkerchiefs and bits of machine-made lace. 
 Why Brazilian women will wear cheap imported lace 
 when they themselves make exquisite patterns and sell 
 them for ridiculously low prices, is one of the unsolved 
 problems of that land! 
 
 By the time Horacio had completed his purchase it 
 was dark enough for him to examine safely the build- 
 ing which Anna had entered. Tucking his drygoods away 
 in a safe and convenient place inside his shirt, he 
 slipped quietly down the street and soon reached the 
 house, which stood on a line with the sidewalk, and 
 from it on either side a wall extended which enclosed a 
 small garden and some fruit trees. The shutters were 
 closed in front and no light was visible through them. 
 
 After five minutes spent in inspection of the house 
 from this side, the lad passed entirely around it and 
 decided that he would have to scale the wall to gain 
 any further information. No sooner thought than done ! 
 Like a cat he mounted the wall, and there he sat for a 
 moment panting, for he had not yet regained his 
 strength since his adventure in the forest. 
 
 Suddenly the sound of fierce barking broke the silence 
 of the night, and a large and savage dog ran furiously 
 toward him from the house through the shrubbery. 
 
 "Ho, ho, my friend! I am fond of dogs, but this 
 noise must stop. It is too bad to do thee harm, but 
 thou art champion of an evil cause." 
 
 While thus apostrophizing him inwardly he had 
 slipped off his jacket and rolled it about his left arm. 
 Drawing his keen knife from its sheath, he dropped
 
 40 HORACIO 
 
 quickly to the ground, when with one fierce leap the 
 brute was upon him and closed his teeth upon his out- 
 stretched arm protected by the coat. 
 
 A swift blow and the long knife buried itself be- 
 tween his ribs. Without a moan he loosed his hold 
 on the rolled garment and fell upon the ground. 
 Horacio heard a door open. 
 
 "Lion! good fellow, what is it?" called the voice of 
 the old woman. 
 
 The quick-witted boy gave a sharp yelp, imitating 
 the tone of the faithful canine martyr, then made a 
 sound of scratching on the bark of a tree with his knife, 
 mewed like a cat, and then spat in true feline manner. 
 
 "Oh! cats again, is it? Give it to them, good fellow!" 
 
 Horacio whined and the woman re-entered the house 
 and shut the door, perfectly satisfied. 
 
 Certain now that there was but one such guardian 
 of the place, the lad crept stealthily toward the house 
 and was rewarded by finding a shutter partially open. 
 Here he posted himself out of sight in the shadow and 
 examined the interior of the room, which was evidently 
 the sala of the house. 
 
 The furnishing was good for a house of the kind. 
 A round table stood at one side of the room with two 
 long rows of chairs extending down from it toward the 
 other side, in the usual fashion. Against the wall, fac- 
 ing the rows, was a settee, and on the floor some mats. 
 The interior was all neatly whitewashed and a number 
 of pictures hung upon the walls, among them gaudy 
 chromos of King Humbert and Queen Margaret of Italy
 
 'ANNA 41 
 
 and His Holiness the Pope. A large chromo calendar 
 also adorned the wall and a couple of candles burned 
 upon the table. 
 
 There were four persons in the room and of these 
 two were already known to Horacio. The others were two 
 loud-talking and rather overdressed girls who had some 
 claims to a rather coarse sort of good looks. 
 
 Horacio could only hear an occasional word of the 
 conversation, owing to the fact that the window was 
 closed, but he could see that Anna looked anxious and 
 ill at ease, and it seemed to him that the girls were in 
 some way annoying her. Once she gave a frightened 
 glance in his direction, but he was well out of sight. 
 
 How to indicate his presence was the problem ! After 
 thinking fruitlessly for some time, he determined to 
 risk all and attract her attention at any hazard. Plac- 
 ing himself in full view of the girl, in the opening be- 
 tween the shutters, but out of sight of the others, he 
 tapped smartly against the glass, as a beetle would do. 
 
 Anna raised her eyes and looked directly into his. 
 By her sudden change of color he saw that he was ob- 
 served, and instantly bounded away into the darkness of 
 the garden. 
 
 Almost at the same moment the door opened again 
 and the old woman peered out into the night. He 
 could see by her face, in the light streaming from the 
 door, that she was in no way uneasy, but rather from 
 habitual caution sought the cause of the noise. 
 
 "It must have been a bizouro," she said calmly, and 
 closed the door.
 
 42 EORACIO 
 
 Horacio instantly returned to his post at the window, 
 where he remained for at least an hour, observing the 
 interior of the room. From time to time Anna lifted 
 her great eyes serenely to the window and looked stead- 
 ily at him. Meanwhile the gossip and chitchat went on 
 until at length the old woman began to stir about and 
 prepare the house for retiring. 
 
 The watcher at the window now saw that he must be 
 gone, so he slipped away again and hid himself in the 
 shrubbery near by. 
 
 Presently the old woman opened the door and called, 
 "Leao! Leao!" 
 
 The boy trembled with apprehension, for he was too 
 near to attempt to answer for the dog. 
 
 "What! Still watching the cat?" she queried, and 
 then turned and went to one of the shutters and laid 
 a bar across it, dropping it into two iron hooks on the 
 outside. Horacio now noticed that several of the 
 windows were arranged in this manner, but, as she did 
 not secure the others with their bars, he surmised that 
 Anna was to be held in the room which had been pre- 
 pared for her reception in this manner. 
 
 Secure in this conviction, his doubts of the success 
 of his enterprise began to leave him. Lisrhts moved 
 here and there; the shutters of the sala were closed, 
 a narrow ray of light shot suddenly from those shutters 
 which had been barred from without, then in a short 
 time all was silence. 
 
 For an hour longer Horacio waited. All signs of life 
 had long ago disappeared. At last the boy crept to the
 
 ANNA 43 
 
 window and gently lifted the bar from its place. 
 Cautious as he had been in all his movements, yet they 
 did not escape the ears of one who was watching. 
 
 "I thought thou wouldst never come," came the soft 
 whisper, "but it is all useless. There is a heavy pad- 
 lock on the inside ! ' ' and a sob trembled in her voice. 
 
 Horacio muttered an imprecation between his teeth 
 and thought a moment. 
 
 "Art thou alone?" he asked at length. 
 
 "Yes," came the answer. 
 
 "Is the room ceiled or canst thou see the tiles of the 
 roof?" 
 
 "I can see the tiles." 
 
 "Then wait!" 
 
 A ladder was necessary, also a rope. The former 
 could be secured at the house which he had that morning 
 sold, and for the latter the rawhide lariat hanging at 
 his saddle would suffice: but how to bring the ladder 
 from one side of the town to the other was the question. 
 He would think of it on the way, but first he would 
 search the yard. 
 
 To his great delight he came upon a ladder leaning 
 against a jaboticabeira. Placing it against the wall, he 
 dropped into the street and made off on a run to the 
 house. 
 
 Flinging the saddle on his good horse, without stop- 
 ping to give him a feed of corn, he slung his rifle across 
 his back, stowed the cartridges in the alforges, and 
 quickly returned to the house where Anna was and there 
 he left his horse to crop the grass by the walk.
 
 44 EORACIO 
 
 Detaching his lariat from the saddle, he climbed over 
 the wall and soon had the ladder leaning against the 
 house between the widow of the sala and that of the 
 room where the girl was confined. Mounting quickly 
 to the roof, he proceeded to detach the tiles as gently 
 and noiselessly as possible, and soon had made an open- 
 ing of considerable size with the loosened tiles piled on 
 either side. 
 
 The heavy brick tiles had rested upon slats of bamboo, 
 which were bound to the rafters by withes and, as 
 it was necessary to remove a number of these with his 
 knife, the utmost care must be exercised in order not 
 to make the least sound, lest it might awaken the zealous 
 guardian of the house. 
 
 The withes were old and as hard as iron, and at least 
 three hours were consumed in the task; so that for a 
 time the boy feared that his toil would be useless and 
 morning would dawn ere he had completed the work: 
 but at last the slats gave way and there was an aperture 
 sufficiently large for the girl to pass. Success was al- 
 most assured! 
 
 Meanwhile Anna had not been idle, but had moved 
 a table beneath the opening and upon this she had set a 
 chair and was now standing upon it, with her head only 
 about three feet below the aperture. The rope would 
 not be necessary after all. 
 
 Horacio braced himself above and reached down his 
 hands to the girl. In an instant her elbows were resting 
 upon, the edge of the hole and a great pile of tiles fell 
 with- a crash" upon, the floor !
 
 ANNA 45 
 
 "Quick! Quick! or we are lost!" cried the startled 
 lad, his heart thumping with excitement. "Up thou 
 comest!" and he rose to his feet and drew the girl 
 up beside him. " Now, down the ladder, and I will 
 follow!" 
 
 The girl scrambled down in the twinkling of an eye 
 and was already upon the ground when the house door 
 opened and the old woman appeared, armed with a 
 light and a garrucha of formidable size, which she dis- 
 charged into the darkness in the direction of the young 
 people, having no idea that her ward was already in 
 the patio. 
 
 A hail of buckshot cut the leaves from the shrubbery 
 close by the fugitives. A sharp exclamation of fright 
 came from the girl and she began to go up the ladder 
 which Horacio had set against the outside wall. 
 
 "Look out for the other barrel!" cried the boy, but 
 she could now be readily seen against the sky, as she 
 stood upon the wall, and the woman would not shoot. 
 "Jump! Jump!" exclaimed Horacio. "Never mind 
 me!" 
 
 The girl obeyed and jumped, and the lad sprang upon 
 the ladder. At that moment the woman laid hold upon 
 his trouser leg, but he kicked her as hard as he could 
 with his bare toes and she fell backward into the bushes. 
 In a moment he was upon the wall, but as he turned 
 to see what had become of his antagonist, a second re- 
 port rang out and he felt a blow on his breast as a ball 
 struck him. A sharp pang went through his heart and 
 he fell backward upon the grass outside the wall.
 
 46 HORACIO 
 
 "Fly Fly!" he called faintly to the girl whose 
 cause he had so bravely championed, but she would not 
 leave him, although doors and windows now began to 
 open and voices to be heard upon the street. The 
 horse was snuffing at the face of his fallen master and 
 gazing at Anna in mute protest and entreaty. In a 
 moment they would be the center of a curious and angry 
 crowd, and then the long night's work would be in 
 vain. 
 
 Seeing that the girl would not make use of her dearly- 
 bought liberty, Horacio made a great effort and raised 
 himself upon his elbow. Finding that he still had con- 
 trol of his limbs, he sat up, placing one hand upon his 
 throbbing heart, then sprang to his feet, cast the rein 
 on Bonito's neck, with one leap was in the saddle, and, 
 ere his pursuers could reach him, had lifted the girl up 
 behind him and was off at a gallop. 
 
 Clinging closely to her young companion, Anna 
 turned and looked back for signs of pursuit. Horacio 
 kept on in a direction opposite to that in which the 
 sitio lay. For two hours he pushed on as fast as his 
 sturdy young horse could stand it, then he felt th^ 
 girl grow heavy on his shoulder. 
 
 "She sleeps," he thought, and turned to catch her 
 as she slipped from her position. The horse had now 
 left the main traveled road, and Horacio was follow- 
 ing a circuitous route by a by-path through the matto 
 to gain his home. 
 
 Knowing that pursuit was now no longer likely, he let 
 the girl drop to the ground, intending to rest his horse
 
 ANNA 47 
 
 ere he resumed his journey and at the same time attend 
 to his wound, which was paining him severely. 
 
 As Anna dropped to the ground a warm, slippery fluid 
 spread over his hand and he lost his hold on her, so 
 that she slid from his grasp to the grass by the roadside. 
 Instantly he dropped upon his knees beside her, and by 
 the dim light of the moon saw that she had fainted. 
 
 Hastening to the corrego, he brought water in his 
 hat and dashed it upon her face. As she came to herself 
 he begged her to tell him where she was hurt. 
 
 "Here," she murmured faintly, pointing to her left 
 arm. Horacio slit the sleeve, finding her arm drenched 
 with blood and also the skirt of the dress below it, 
 where it had run down while she was in the saddle. 
 Bringing more water, he bathed it gently and, on 
 washing away the blood, found a small hole where a 
 buckshot had passed entirely through the flesh for- 
 tunately without injuring the bone. 
 
 Leaving her for an instant, he hunted in the dim 
 light of dawn which, as the sun came near the horizon, 
 was now taking the place of moonlight, and in a few 
 moments was fortunate enough to find some leaves 
 which he well knew to have great healing virtue. With 
 these he returned and, washing the wound again, 
 bound the arm about with the leaves, using the lace 
 and handkerchiefs which he had bought for his mother 
 and sisters. 
 
 They were now entirely ruined, for the large ball 
 with which the second barrel of the garrucha was 
 charged had entered the package and passed through
 
 48 HORACIO 
 
 the various folds of cloth and pasteboard and reached 
 his skin only to bruise and not to break it. Beneath 
 the package was a flattened bullet and a great black 
 and blue mark. 
 
 The girl watched him as he worked, and when he drew 
 the package out and exclaimed at his discovery she 
 said, "Give me the bullet, please!" and, closing her 
 fingers over it, shut her eyes and rested while he re- 
 moved the evidence of their halt and prepared to re- 
 sume the journey. 
 
 It was now broad day, and as Anna assured him 
 that she was able to go on, they mounted and followed 
 the narrow trail through the forest at a steady pace 
 until about ten o'clock, when they came to the balsa at 
 the Tiete. The large canoe was at the other side, but 
 the man came at their hail and took them across, while 
 the horse swam beside them. 
 
 Annibal, the ferryman, greeted the lad cordially as an 
 old friend, but looked at him curiously and at his young 
 companion. Horacio wondered that he asked no ques- 
 tions, for he knew his countrymen well, and knew that 
 no bashfulness would prevent them from satisfying their 
 never-failing curiosity. This man must have some 
 reason for his silence. 
 
 While he cogitated on this idea they at length reached 
 the farther side of the river. The horse scrambled up 
 the steep bank, doubling his knees as he reached the 
 top and shaking himself like a dog until the water flew 
 from him in showers. The boy patted him lovingly on 
 the neck and quickly resaddled, while the animal nosed
 
 ANNA 49 
 
 his pocket, where there was a bit of bread which he had 
 bought in the town. 
 
 Reminded thus of his physical necessities, he broke 
 the small loaf in two, and, giving the larger half to 
 Anna, crumbled off a bit of his own share for the horse 
 and mounted, saying carelessly as he did so, "Did 
 Padre Joao ask after me as he passed ? ' ' 
 
 The man started guiltily and cast a sly glance at him, 
 then he replied, "How? What Padre Joao?" 
 
 "Padre Joao of Jahu, of course," replied the boy 
 quickly, "when he passed this morning with the Juiz de 
 Dereito and the other two," for his quick eye had 
 noticed the fresh tracks of four horses on the bank. 
 
 ' ' Oh, ay, he asked after thee, and when he found that 
 thou hadst not passed he bade me not to mention seeing 
 him; but, as thou knowest already of his passing, there 
 is no harm in telling thee, I take it. ' ' 
 
 "No, none at all. Adeus! Good luck to thee!" He 
 settled himself in his saddle and gave a hand to his 
 companion to assist her to her place behind him: then 
 spoke back over his shoulder, "But see here, my friend, 
 if I find that thou hast said nothing of the girl that is 
 with me to the priest on his return, I shall bring thee a 
 fat buck ere this day week be come." 
 
 "The buck is mine already! I can see him hanginsr 
 from the branch there by the cabin," replied the m< r : 
 laughing and winking shrewdly at the lad, who smile.; 
 back at him and rode off. 
 
 The rest of the ride was made with an ear always 
 open for the sound of horsemen approaching from in
 
 50 HORACIO 
 
 front, but at four o'clock or thereabouts their journey 
 was well nigh over. Turning aside into a byway, Horacio 
 sought out one of his ancient haunts and bade the girl 
 dismount and conceal herself, while he rode on in advance 
 to spy out the land. 
 
 "Do thou remain here, if need be, until the morning, 
 at whatever cost. Leave not thy post until midday. If 
 I be not dead or captive I will be here long ere that. 
 Art thou afraid?" 
 
 "No," said the girl, "I have no fear." 
 Pressing her hand in farewell, he rode boldly on, 
 slipping fourteen cartridges into the chamber of his rifle 
 as he rode.
 
 Ill 
 
 FATHER JOAO. 
 
 UNDER a shed in the curral, or dooryard, in front of 
 the house four horses were tethered when Horacio rode 
 up to the fence and, without opening the big gate, 
 looked over at the horses as though to get some idea of 
 the character of their owners from the appearance of 
 the beasts which belonged to them. 
 
 Two of the animals by their furnishings evidently be- 
 longed to the mounted police, or gendarmerie ; the others 
 might have belonged to anybody. 
 
 Horacio whistled to himself as he thought of en- 
 countering the powers, military, civil and ecclesiastical; 
 but the boy was somehow of a sudden grown a man, and 
 he did not hesitate. 
 
 At the sound of his approach the doorway had filled 
 with people, who, upon seeing that it was the boy on 
 horseback and alone, quickly crowded out into the cur- 
 ral. 
 
 The boy quietly waited for the outburst which he 
 knew would come. 
 
 Horacio ran his eyes over the group. Father Joao 
 and the Juiz de Dereito, two gendarmes, his father, 
 mother, and the four younger children, made up the 
 list. 
 
 51
 
 52 HORACIO 
 
 "Ah, malvado," cried the priest, his empurpled face 
 blazing with wrath, "what hast thou done with the 
 girl? Where is Anninha?" 
 
 "Where your Reverence will not be likely to find 
 her," replied the boy coldly. 
 
 "Wouldst thou reply thus to his Reverence, unwor- 
 thy boy?" his father cried in dismay. "Where is the 
 girl, and what means this mischief ? Dismount and give 
 an account of thyself ! ' ' 
 
 "Under thy favor, my father, I will not dismount 
 until I am ready. What would these gentlemen have 
 with me?" 
 
 At this the Juiz de Dereito spoke ingratiatingly. 
 4 * Horacio, my young friend, tell us what you have done 
 with Anna. His Reverence, as you know, is her lawful 
 guardian." 
 
 "Let him dispute his possession with the buzzards, 
 then, your Worship! I left her down the road with 
 a bullet through her for which his Reverence's jailer is 
 responsible." 
 
 "Where was it that you left her?" asked the mag- 
 istrate, somewhat incredulously. 
 
 "She slipped from behind me to the ground a good 
 bit the other side of Jahu. See her blood upon my 
 coat! I knew not that she was wounded until she fell 
 from the horse." 
 
 "Why didst thou meddle in this matter, young ne'er- 
 do-well? What was it to thee whether the child stayed 
 with his Reverence or not?" demanded his father 
 severely.
 
 FATHER JOAO 53 
 
 "Naught to me, sir, but much to her. She would not 
 go with him of her own free will, and begged my help 
 to set her free. I know not why, but the cat well knows 
 whose whiskers he licks," and he shrugged his shoulders 
 with an air of affected indifference. 
 
 " 'Tis all a lie, Sor Jose Antonio," blustered Padre 
 Joao. ' ' I misdoubt me much that the lad has concealed 
 the girl nigh at hand and will make off with her and 
 the money when I am gone." 
 
 "Ah, what of the money, boy?" exclaimed his father 
 hastily and with suddenly augmented interest. 
 
 "Here is thy money! Count it!" cried the lad in 
 reply, and with curling lip snatched a roll of dirty bills 
 tied about with twine from his pockets and tossed it 
 over the palisade. His father's face cleared at sight of 
 it and he spread it out on a post to count it, entirely 
 oblivious of the rest of the priest's complaint. 
 
 Meanwhile the priest and the magistrate conferred 
 together, the former gesticulating and urging some ac- 
 tion, and the latter shaking his head dubiously. 
 
 Finally, however, the Juiz de Dereito seemed to be 
 won over and, assuming an air of severity and a voice 
 of authority, cried out, 
 
 "I charge this lad, Horacio de Castro, with break- 
 ing into the house of the citizen, Father Joao, by 
 force and by violence! Men, do your duty and arrest 
 him!" and he waved his hand to the two policemen. 
 
 Horacio was expecting something of this sort, how- 
 ever, and drew his rifle carelessly into view, calling 
 out in a firm voice as the two gendarmes advanced,
 
 54 EOBACIO 
 
 "I have fourteen balls in this rifle, and I shall not 
 miss both of you ! Senhor Juiz, we are not in the Munic- 
 ipality of Jahu but in that of Lengoes, and I should 
 advise you to look after the interest of your own district ; 
 for who lies down with dogs will get up with fleas. 
 There is business enough in Jahu! Ask Father Joao 
 where are my late uncle's savings! He saw him die!" 
 
 The face of the priest became purple again with 
 rage at the boy's insinuation, which was the fruit of 
 a sudden inspiration. He started to speak, but was so 
 choked with wrath that the words would not come to 
 his thick, sensual lips, and he merely foamed at the 
 mouth, muttering and mumbling. 
 
 Horacio's father looked at him inquiringly and the 
 boy exclaimed, with a certain gleam of satisfaction in 
 his eye as he saw the effect of his last words, 
 
 11 Arrest me at your peril! I shall protect myself!" 
 
 The men, who had been edging forward to make 
 the arrest, paused as the muzzle of his rifle rose inch 
 by inch as they came toward him, and the lad finished 
 what he had to say without seeming to see them. 
 
 "Let the good father settle his grievances with me 
 when next I cross the river, and meanwhile it may be 
 wise for you all to mount and be off, lest night find 
 you far from home. Our house is over small for such 
 grand personages to tarry with us. There is not suit- 
 able accommodation for you ! ' ' 
 
 "Horacio! Horacio!" exclaimed his father, aghast at 
 this defiance and amazed at the change which had come 
 over his son. "These gentlemen are welcome here. The
 
 FATHER JOAO 55 
 
 house and all in it are at their disposal." The laws of 
 hospitality are sacred with the Brazilian. 
 
 "Even so, father, but the climate is sadly unwhole- 
 some in these parts for the people of Jahu, and I should 
 advise them to be going ere nightfall. A dangerous 
 miasma hangs about the place." 
 
 Evidently the magistrate thought their case weak, and 
 was not inclined to meddle further in a matter which 
 brought him so much toil and such precarious credit, 
 and Padre Joao himself saw that nothing was to be 
 gained by further delay or argument. His cause was 
 a lost one. 
 
 Turning his back on the lad, with a dark and threat- 
 ening look, he strode straightway to his horse and flung 
 himself upon it without another word. Gathering up 
 the reins, he smote the beast with his chicote and set his 
 spurs wickedly in its flanks. With a snort of pain the 
 animal plunged forward sharply and brought up short 
 against the rawhide rope with which it was still tethered, 
 nearly unseating the clerical gentleman. 
 
 A roar of laughter went up in which every one joined, 
 to the greatly increased annoyance of the discomfited 
 priest. One of the soldiers ran at once to help him and 
 loosed the trembling horse, while his comrade threw open 
 the gate, and in another moment the little cavalcade was 
 galloping down the road with scantly courteous fare- 
 wells. 
 
 Horacio watched them out of sight and then threw 
 himself from his jaded horse and entered the house. 
 In an instant the children were about him, and his
 
 56 HORACIO 
 
 whole manner changed as he embraced first one and 
 then another. 
 
 "Ah, caboclinho ! ' ' he cried, "hast not forgotten thy 
 brother? Such a long time thou hast been absent, my 
 Jose ! And Maneco, too, little animal that thou art ! ' ' 
 
 The two girls, Eugenia and Luiza, less demonstrative, 
 stood shyly by and told him news of their neighbors. 
 
 "Oh, Horacio! the lovely baile that is to be at 
 Augustinho's on the twentieth, at the wedding, and we 
 could not stay, for father brought us away. Wilt thou 
 not take us?'' 
 
 "Take ye? To be sure I'll take ye! But now run 
 along, for I am tired and hungry," and he held out 
 his hand for the cup of black coffee which his mother 
 brought him on a tray. Horacio drank the coffee at a 
 gulp and, placing the cup again on the tray, turned to 
 his father. 
 
 "I must go and fetch the girl," he said. "Poor 
 thing, she has a bullet in her!" 
 
 "What! She did not die, and thou hast brought her 
 here? This is bad business, I fear." 
 
 "She will help in the house and can earn her keep. 
 She is a plucky one and deserves the right to choose 
 her abiding-place. What dost thou say, sir, is there a 
 home for her here or not?" 
 
 The father looked at his son with an expression of 
 dim wonder on his face. What was come over the boy? 
 The careless lad had been transformed by the events of 
 a few days. For a moment he hesitated, and then mur- 
 mured musingly and doubtfully, "Hum! I like not the
 
 FATHER JOAO 57 
 
 thought of the padre to whom else than to us? yet she 
 is no kin! Who spits against the wind is apt to get it 
 back in the face. Well, well ! ' ' then, aloud, ' ' Sinha ! ' ' 
 
 At the sound of his call the woman appeared in the 
 doorway, wiping her hands on her skirt. 
 
 "Hast thou a corner for the child that was with 
 Henrique? What is her name?" he asked, turning to 
 Horacio. 
 
 "Anna!" said he briefly. 
 
 ' ' Canst thou take her in ? " his father repeated. 
 
 The woman shrugged her shoulders. Finally she be- 
 gan drawing the edge of her skirt slowly back and forth 
 between her fingers as though she were gradually com- 
 ing to a decision. 
 
 ' ' There is always plenty to do, ' ' she said, ' ' and plenty 
 to eat. I should be glad to have her here." 
 
 "Then bring her along!" the father said, and went 
 back to his work. 
 
 Horacio called out to Jose, "Oh, Zezinho! unsaddle 
 Bonito and give him milho." 
 
 The little fellow ran a race with his brother to obey 
 the order, and their elder brother went off down the 
 road in search of Anna, whom he finally found fast 
 asleep, regardless of gnats and flies which had gathered 
 about the blood-stains on her clothing. 
 
 Touching the girl on her shoulder, she awoke with 
 a start and a slight scream, but her face broke into a 
 rare and radiant smile at sight of him. 
 
 "Oh, it is thou! I thought they had come to take 
 me!" she exclaimed.
 
 58 HORACIO 
 
 "Have no fear! They are gone and will not re- 
 turn. Their hen cackled but did not lay an egg. Come !" 
 and he stooped and took up the little bundle she had 
 brought with her, which was now lying beside her on 
 the ground. 
 
 Anna scrambled lamely to her feet and, seeing that 
 she was stiff and sore, the boy awkwardly aided her, 
 touching her wounded arm inadvertently as he did so. 
 The girl started, gave a quick exclamation and turned 
 pale, leaning against his shoulder as she became faint. 
 Horacio caught her and for a moment her pallid cheek 
 lay close to the flush that mounted upon his swarthy 
 neck. He did not know why his heart throbbed it had 
 not done so the night before when he was busied with 
 plans for their escape but it did not pain him to 
 feel it. 
 
 Recovering herself in an instant, the two set off to- 
 gether toward the house, Anna leaning upon her cham- 
 pion's arm for a portion of the way, and then walking 
 by herself as they neared the house and she gained 
 strength. 
 
 The children stood shyly about in wonder at sight 
 of their brother's companion, who was entirely un- 
 known to them, but the woman of many cares welcomed 
 her cordially to her new home. Kissing her on each 
 cheek and letting her rest her head on her motherly 
 shoulder for a little moment while she winked away a 
 few tears of weariness and loneliness, she took her with 
 her to the rooms in the rear and found a place for the 
 strange bird in the nest.
 
 FATHER JOAO 59 
 
 Horacio sat down at the table and dined, but Anna 
 ate in the kitchen, as is the custom of Brazilian women 
 in the country. Both of them were half famished and 
 did ample justice to the hearty and wholesome food. 
 
 The following day there was a new wonder in the 
 house. Father and son were busying themselves about 
 the chores while they waited for breakfast. 
 
 "We shall go to the roga to-day. Thou wouldst best 
 grind thy facao and an axe," the father said at last. 
 
 "I will go to the roga no more," said Horacio firmly. 
 "I have other things to do. I am resolved!" 
 
 This was too much for any man's patience. That a 
 boy of sixteen should say what he would or would not 
 do in his father's house! The elder man turned to him 
 in hot anger. 
 
 "The foul fiend take thy 'will' and 'will not'! Thou 
 wilt do as thou art bidden! So set to work, or thou 
 shalt feel the chicote as did the priest's horse." Here 
 father and son forgot their difference to laugh together 
 at the recollection. 
 
 "Canst thou not have Antonio up here to help in 
 my place? I will fetch him to-day," said Horacio, 
 finally. 
 
 "What Antonio? What foolishness?" he cried. 
 "Thinkest thou that I have money to burn because my 
 brother left me eight hundred paltry milreis ? I should 
 like well to know where is that which he has hoarded 
 all these years, for he was close-fisted as any onga." 
 
 "Thou wilt have to ask Father Joao about Tio Hen- 
 rique's savings, but I shall pay the wages of Antonio.
 
 60 HORACIO 
 
 See! here are fifty milreis to begin with, from the 
 money that I had saved for my gun. That will be a 
 month's wages and the rest will come later. I want 
 my liberty!" 
 
 The father looked again at his son wonderingly and 
 doubtfully, but he took the money which the "lad held 
 out to him. 
 
 "What madness is this?" he muttered. "What gun 
 is that which thou hast brought with thee?" 
 "Tisarifle." 
 
 "A rifle!" exclaimed his father in amazement, "and 
 what wilt thou do with a rifle? Will it be a toy for the 
 queixadas? " 
 
 "Leave me alone! I bought it cheap and shall get 
 my money back. Shall I go for Antonio?" 
 
 "Ay, go if it suits thee. So long as thou payest a 
 substitute thou mayest have thy liberty." 
 
 By noon a sturdy caboclo was on the ro<;a in Horacio 's 
 place, and the boy was busy about some scheme of his 
 own. 
 
 Taking a large knife, he went to the edge of the 
 wood and cut two strong, forked saplings: these he 
 buried deeply in the ground near to one another and 
 then bound his rifle in the forks with wet thongs. 
 With the help of his brothers he then arranged a 
 target of boards at a distance of some fifty meters, and 
 stationed the elder lad, with a bit of charcoal, at the 
 target. By this time the heat of the sun had dried the 
 thongs, and the weapon rested as firmly in the forks 
 as though it were bolted there.
 
 FATHER JOAO 61 
 
 Horacio sighted along the gun and guided his broth- 
 er's hand into line, directing him to make a cross at 
 the exact intersection. He then warned 'the boys that 
 he was going to shoot and pulled the trigger. The 
 bullet entered the intersection of the black lines. Good! 
 The weapon was perfect and the sights adjusted 
 laterally. 
 
 He now arranged a new target at the first distance 
 indicated on the sliding sight and shot a second time, 
 after adjusting the sight. Perfect again! 
 
 Thus he proved his weapon with five shots, and 
 then, cutting the thongs and releasing it, repeated the 
 five shots with only his strong young arms and steady 
 nerves to aid him. He was amply satisfied with his 
 success, although ten shots were thrown away without 
 apparent profit. 
 
 Aiming at a chicken in the far corner of the curral, 
 he cut its head off as neatly with a ball as he could 
 have done with a knife. 
 
 Knowing his weapon now which was to be his new 
 friend and companion it only remained for him to 
 learn a second and a harder lesson, for the first was 
 really learned by years of practice with the old muzzle- 
 loader which the queixadas had destroyed. He must 
 learn to stop a running buck with a ball. 
 
 Leaving the chicken at the house, he set off for the 
 matto and did not return until night. He had wasted 
 three shots on a running mark. 
 
 The next day he wasted three more and brought 
 down a jacu at the fourth, as he was running swiftly
 
 62 HORACIO 
 
 along a limb. He now saw that it was a knack, and 
 practised on two or three running chickens in the cur- 
 ral. The next day he shot a buck on the run and, throw- 
 ing it across his horse, set out for the river. 
 
 "Is the buck thine, friend Annibal?" he asked of 
 the boatman, "or didst thou tell his Reverence of the 
 girl?" 
 
 ' ' The buck is mine ! A bargain is a bargain ! ' ' cried 
 Annibal, forgetting that he had first agreed with the 
 priest to let him know if the girl was with Horacio ; " I 
 told his Reverence that thou wert alone. Women are 
 of no account anyway: we do not reckon them," and 
 he grinned slyly as he ran his hand over the fat haunches 
 of the deer. 
 
 "When thou hast need of my canoe to pass the river, 
 or the small one to lie in wait for the deer, they are 
 at thy service, only do not ask me often to lie to his 
 Reverence : mayhap it is a mortal sin to deceive a priest : 
 who knows? Well, until another day!" 
 
 "Until another day!" was the response, and the lad 
 turned back along the river to the house of a hunter. 
 Here there was a litter of pups from which he had been 
 offered a choice. 
 
 "They are masters," the old man said, as he tied 
 the pair together and took the thirty milreis which 
 was the price of them. "They are true as steel and 
 of the best blood in the country. They know what 
 they know without learning, for it is in the blood." 
 
 The boy stroked the necks of the beautiful creatures 
 and they fawned upon him with immediate puppy faith.
 
 FATHER JOAO 63 
 
 He knew that they would need much training, but 
 good blood is more than half the battle in pups or 
 men. 
 
 When he reached his home a deer lay across the horse 
 before him. He had shot it from the saddle as it 
 bounded across the road. He had found the knack! 
 
 At the end of the month he must go to Jahu to dis- 
 pose of the skins which his rifle and his traps had 
 brought him. He entered the town with the hides 
 strapped in two bales on a pack-horse which he drove 
 before him, but he entered at midnight and drove a 
 bargain in the saddle with a merchant whose eyes were 
 heavy with sleep as he leaned from the window into 
 the night. 
 
 The hides sold cheaply, for all the town knew of the 
 lad's escapade, and the payment was cash on the nail, 
 with a supply of ammunition to be sent to him on the 
 morrow. Quality was guaranteed, and the man knew 
 from former dealings that the young hunter's word 
 was good. 
 
 Horacio rode away into the night well satisfied with 
 his month's work, while Francisco da Gama dos Santos 
 rolled into bed equally satisfied with his midnight bar- 
 gain. 
 
 During the months that followed Horacio was less 
 and less to be found at home. Longer and longer were 
 his absences and deeper and deeper he penetrated into 
 the sertao in search of game. 
 
 He had bought himself a compass, as has already 
 been said, and now he learned to use it. His knowledge
 
 64 HOBACIO 
 
 of forest craft grew as he grew, while his dexterity with 
 his famous weapon increased with every shot. His rep- 
 utation at last began to be noised abroad and some 
 little notoriety came to be attached to his name. At the 
 dances which were given from time to time on the 
 neighboring fazendas no one was a more popular part- 
 ner than he or a more graceful dancer. 
 
 As for Anna, the arm healed in a short time and the 
 girl proved to be a treasure in the house. Her pres- 
 ence there, of course, was soon rumored about, and 
 came to the ears of Father Joao in Jahu, along with 
 tales of Horacio's powess and daring. Daring he was, 
 and yet it was not safe for him to go openly to the 
 town. This did not stay him from crossing the river, 
 however, and making such excursions into the territory 
 of the enemy as he desired; but to appear openly, and 
 with previous announcement of his purpose, was more 
 than he thought it politic to do. He must bide his 
 time. 
 
 "Horacio! There is a dance at Augustinho's to-night. 
 'Tis Emiliazinha who marries this time. Wilt thou 
 take us?" pleaded Eugenia, one afternoon, when the 
 lad found himself at home after a longer absence than 
 usual. 
 
 He looked inquiringly at Anna, who was laying the 
 cloth for the jantar. A flash of interest from her 
 great black eyes lit up her whole face and sufficiently 
 answered his unspoken question. 
 
 "Yes," he said, "I'll take you both, and Anninha, 
 too."
 
 FATHER JOAO 65 
 
 "Oh, what pleasure!" cried his sisters, clapping their 
 hands and running to pull their few bits of finery out 
 of odd corners where they had bestowed them. 
 
 "Be quick about the jantar then, Anna, please," he 
 added. "We must be off at once." 
 
 "Art thou not too weary?" she asked hesitatingly, 
 as she remembered that he was but that moment returned 
 from a long trip. He shook his head and laughed, 
 showing two rows of strong white teeth. 
 
 "Not I! Didst thou ever know me to be tired, with 
 the prospect of a baile before us?" Then he went out 
 and made ready the horses and saddles. 
 
 When he returned the meal was on the table, and 
 they all ate hastily and rode off. Horacio would gladly 
 have taken Anna with him on Bonito's sturdy back, 
 but there were horses enough for all of them. Anna 
 rode on her own saddle, which he had given her a 
 short time before, and his sisters rode, one on a man's 
 saddle and the other on his mother's. The four leagues 
 were covered in two hours and a half, and at seven they 
 drew rein at Augustinho 's. 
 
 The house was of the better sort, and in lieu of pole 
 walls and a mud floor, with a roof of thatch, like the 
 home of this party of guests, boasted the only board 
 floor in the neighborhood, while the walls were of mud 
 and the roof of tiles. In one corner there stood a little 
 altar which the women had made ready with bits of 
 ribbon, lace and tinsel, and candles burning at the 
 corners. The bride was already dressed and the bride- 
 groom waiting, but Father Joao had not yet appeared,
 
 66 HORACIO 
 
 for he was to come from Jahu and perform the cere- 
 mony. 
 
 As Horacio dismounted and lifted the girls from their 
 saddles, the priest rode up and flung himself from his 
 horse without taking any notice of the group of young 
 people. The young man was not particularly anxious to 
 see Father Joao and therefore stepped a little out of 
 sight behind the horses, pulling Anna back of his sisters ; 
 but he might have spared himself the trouble, for the 
 priest had evidently already seen them and now came 
 forward with outstretched hand and genial smile. 
 
 "An embrace, my young friend!" he said heartily. 
 "Didst thou think there was ill blood yet because of 
 thy little escapade? So the girl is in good hands, I 
 care not! And how goes Anninha? I believe thou art 
 filling out a bit, girl. Better be careful or thou wilt 
 be a plump one after all!" Then he added slyly, "I 
 feared me much 'twas mischief thou wert up to, lad: 
 hence my anxiety," and he winked intelligently at 
 Horacio, "but all's well that ends well! Let us go in! 
 They can't have either the dance or the marrying with- 
 out Father Joao." 
 
 Horacio yielded himself with some hesitation to the 
 embrace of the burly padre, but Anna drew away and 
 would not give him her hand. Eugenia and Luiza 
 shook hands cordially enough, and they all entered the 
 house together, with those who had come out to wel- 
 come them. 
 
 Greetings from all about them turned into shouts of 
 laughter as the popular priest flung a mischievous word
 
 FATHER JOAO (57 
 
 and a glance here and there, for he was the life of every 
 lively gathering which might be fortunate enough to 
 secure his presence. The late arrivals made the circuit 
 of the room, and by this time coffee came for them 
 from the kitchen, and those who were entertaining be- 
 gan to hustle about in the final preparations for the 
 wedding. 
 
 The bride, a bright-looking young girl of a light 
 coffee-and-milk color, arrayed in her modest finery, 
 took her place by the side of a much-embarrassed young 
 caboclo before the altar, and they were shortly made 
 one, with the blessing of the church and the payment 
 of a substantial fee which the good padre tucked away 
 with an easy unconcern for the fact that, no civil cere- 
 mony having been performed, owing to the ignorance 
 of the contracting parties, they would be living together 
 in unlawful concubinage. 
 
 Evidently the ceremony was deemed the least im- 
 portant event of the evening by all excepting the happy 
 couple themselves, and scarcely was it over before the 
 steel strings of the viola began to resound beneath the 
 nails and knuckles of a skilful performer, while an 
 ancient black woman beat the time upon a drum made 
 from a hollowed log and covered with a tightly stretched 
 membrane. 
 
 No sooner were the strident notes of the Brazilian 
 guitar heard above the laughter and congratulations 
 than the dancers began to move about the floor. All 
 ages and colors mingled freely in the waltz and the 
 wall-flowers were few. Horacio slipped his arm about
 
 t>8 HORACIO 
 
 Anna's slender waist, while Father Joao grasped the 
 blushing bride and drew her into the shifting throng. 
 
 The night was warm and the pinga stood handily by 
 upon the table, while for the ladies there was wine, 
 although some of them disdained not the fiery product 
 of the cane. With the constant draining of the oft- 
 filled tumblers the joy and hilarity increased, but by- 
 and-by the music stopped suddenly and the floor was 
 cleared for a country dance in which one couple alone 
 were the performers. This was followed by a duet of 
 singers in a comic song telling of the vicissitudes of an 
 African lover and his lady. A thunderous applause re- 
 warded the efforts of the singers, and thus the fun 
 went on. 
 
 Horacio danced again with Anna, and then Father 
 Joao led the girl out, while Horacio stood by and in- 
 wardly cursed the priest. Anna shrank away from 
 her partner as well as she could, and finally broke from 
 him and slipped through the door, with the laughing 
 priest at her heels, but Horacio let her pass and blocked 
 the way for her pursuer. Instead of showing anger, 
 Father Joao burst into a perfect roar of merriment. 
 
 "Ah, the baggage! She thinks only of slips of lads 
 like thyself. Let her go! "When art thou coming over 
 to one of our dances in Jahu? There is to be a grand 
 wedding this day week at the house of the fazendeiro, 
 Silva." 
 
 " 'Tis far " stammered Horacio. 
 
 "Far! Not too far for a bold rider like thyself. 
 Dost fear to beard the lion, eh!"
 
 FATHER JOAO 69 
 
 "Fear? No!" The eyes of all in the room were upon 
 him now, and the music had ceased for an instant. ''I 
 shall not be in the village at the time: that is why," 
 he said at last. 
 
 "Are thine engagements so pressing, indeed? I for- 
 got that thou wert become a man of business," and 
 the malicious padre grinned ironically at the bystand- 
 ers. 
 
 Horacio 's blood boiled and he felt that his excuse 
 was not considered valid. After all, why should he 
 not go? A soft voice murmured from without, as he 
 stood in the doorway, "Do not go!" The priest heard 
 it as well as several others who were standing near. 
 Horacio saw and flushed at sight of their amused smiles. 
 
 "I will go! My business can wait!" he cried. 
 
 "Good!" exclaimed Father Joao heartily. "I can 
 promise thee a lively time." 
 
 Horacio knew that there was hidden meaning in his 
 words, but he would not give ear to the voice of pru- 
 dence. He turned to seek the owner of the other voice 
 that had warned him not to go, but she was gone and 
 he could not find her. Returning to the house, he drank 
 more pinga and danced with the bride. 
 
 So the night passed, with shouts and laughter and 
 drunken merriment. Anna did not appear again, and 
 the young man danced the harder and drank the deeper. 
 When morning dawned the drum and the viola were 
 still: the women had sought an inner room, save two 
 or three who lay sleeping on the floor. As for the rest 
 of the dancers, they lay with the musicians, prostrate
 
 70 HORACIO 
 
 upon the floor where they had fallen, overcome with 
 sleep and pinga, oblivious to all for the present. 
 
 At ten o'clock Horacio sat up, with his hands to his 
 aching head: then he got upon his feet and sought 
 the pinga bottle. Empty! Going to the barrel he filled 
 a glass and drank. Ah, that was better ! In the kitchen 
 they gave him coffee, and went to awaken his sisters 
 and Anna, but Anna was not there. 
 
 Going to the curral, he found her horse and saddle 
 gone. Father Joao was also gone! Giving corn to the 
 animals, he bade his sisters make ready and soon they 
 were on the homeward road. Here the young hunter 
 presently made out the fresh tracks of Anna's horse, 
 and his mind grew easier on finding no other had passed 
 along the same road. 
 
 When they at last reached the house Anna was lay- 
 ing the cloth for their late breakfast. The young man 
 nodded to her but said nothing, and, having breakfasted 
 heartily, took himself off with his rifle and his hounds 
 to the woods, and that was the last they saw of him. 
 
 Great preparations were being made for the wedding 
 at Jahu. The family of the bride was one of great con- 
 sideration in the district and the groom was not less 
 highly appreciated. The ceremony was concluded and 
 the dancing had begun ere Horacio put in an appear- 
 ance. The first that Father Joao saw of him was a 
 flying glimpse as he circled about the room with the 
 prettiest girl in the town clasped in his arms. 
 
 A handsome pair they made, for both were decked 
 in their best, and Horacio 's best was now the envy
 
 FATHER JOAO 71 
 
 of all the young men of the place. His form was tall 
 and strong and his dark brown hair was fine and soft 
 and curled slightly upon a forehead which belonged to 
 a face more than usually intelligent. A good firm 
 mouth ornamented with splendid teeth, nature's best 
 gift to man, made up a most charming countenance. 
 An ungoverned will and a faulty education threatened 
 to mar an otherwise gifted nature. 
 
 The dance went on as dances go. Instead of the 
 tom-tom and viola of the baile at Augustinho's, a half- 
 dozen stringed instruments furnished the music, while 
 French brandy stood on the side-table, as well as pinga, 
 for the guests. 
 
 Horacio was one of the lightest headed, lightest heart- 
 ed and lightest heeled. Midnight came and all were 
 reeking with perspiration and flushed with ardent 
 spirits, but no one was weary. Horacio stepped to 
 the door to catch a breath of air. A group of men 
 stood without. Suddenly two of the dancers blocked 
 his way back into the ball-room, while those without 
 barred his exit. Father Joao stood behind these last, 
 his tall form towering above them, and he leered tri- 
 umphantly at the young man from over their shoulders. 
 Horacio caught his eye and the priest called out to him 
 with a malignant grin, 
 
 "When we have finished with thee, young man, we 
 set out for the sitio to claim our ward!" 
 
 The blood mounted immediately to the young 
 man's head where the brandy had already done its work. 
 Without a moment's thought his hand went to his sash
 
 72 HORACIO 
 
 and drew forth his garrucha, which he instantly dis- 
 charged full at the priest's breast, and, in the confusion 
 which followed, leaped over his body and escaped. 
 
 The dance was over for the night. Frightened wom- 
 en screamed and ran hither and thither. The police 
 that had come with the priest raised his fallen body 
 and laid it upon a couch, while others sought the assassin.
 
 IV. 
 
 THE MERCHANT. 
 
 HOBACIO, meanwhile, had disappeared in the darkness 
 and a moment later the rapid beat of a horse's hoofs 
 was heard upon the road, quickly dying away into 
 silence. 
 
 Now at last the country would be too hot to hold him ! 
 Whither should he go ? Sobered by his deed of violence, 
 he pondered on the course open to him. Two roads lay 
 before him: the sertao, where he might bury himself 
 and seek refuge with the Indians, or the haunts of men, 
 where he might lose himself in the wildernesses of civili- 
 zation. 
 
 All his nature drew him toward the sertao, but it 
 was there that his pursuers would first seek him; so 
 with a resolute heart he turned Bonito's head toward 
 Sao Paulo and the unknown, untried ways of civili- 
 zation. He had burned his bridges behind him; there 
 was nothing to do but to go forward as best he could. 
 
 As morning broke he entered the city of Brotas, 
 weary and disturbed in his mind as to the future. As 
 the first house of the town appeared in the distance 
 he put his hand to his pocket and found but a bit of 
 loose change. Besides this he had but a silver-mounted 
 knife and spurs and the garrucha in his belt. At any 
 
 73
 
 74 HOBACIO 
 
 rate he would have a drink of pinga, and perhaps that 
 would give clearness to his brain and decision to his 
 mind. 
 
 He flung his reins upon the ground and entered 
 the first venda which he saw, calling for a glass of 
 cachaga. The woman who kept the place was a homely 
 body, and so he asked her for a cup of coffee and a 
 bit of bread, and sat on a box to rest himself and await 
 their preparation, and as he waited he made rapid note 
 of his surroundings. 
 
 Presently two soldiers entered and ordered drinks 
 at the counter. One was a petty officer and the other 
 a private. The two conversed in an undertone and 
 glanced stealthily at the lad once or twice. 
 
 Horacio was not caring for police or soldiers just 
 at that particular time, so he thought he would better 
 be going, and therefore turned to the woman to pay 
 his reckoning without waiting for his coffee. As he 
 did so the private went out, but returned before the 
 woman could make the change. 
 
 ''How would you like to enter the ranks, young 
 man?" the officer asked in friendly tones. "We are 
 short a few men, and there is a pretty chance for pro- 
 motion now that these canalha of Liberals are giving 
 us so much trouble in the South." 
 
 "Obliged, but I don't care to enlist," replied Horacio 
 shortly, and, gathering up the nickel coins which the 
 woman laid upon the counter, he tried to slip away 
 toward the door. 
 
 "Not so fast! Not so fast, young fellow," the officer
 
 THE MERCHANT 75 
 
 cried out sharply. "Better change your mind about 
 going with us. No?" 
 
 Horacio shook his head decidedly and made a move 
 to go out. As he reached the door, however, the private 
 blocked the way. A flush of anger crimsoned the young 
 man's face and he snatched his long keen knife from 
 his belt. The soldier gave way instantly before his 
 threatening blade, but a squad of men with fixed bay- 
 onets stood without and formed a semi-circle about the 
 door. 
 
 "Put up that knife, my boy! Wilt thou go with 
 good- will or shall we bind thee?" asked the officer 
 blandly. 
 
 Horacio glanced about him like a wild beast at bay, 
 but, unlike the beast, gave in to the odds against him 
 and pushed his knife back into its sheath. 
 
 "Better take the coffee now and we shall be going," 
 said the officer, smiling grimly, as though well used 
 to this sort of jest. "And if that is thy nag," he added, 
 looking Bonito over with a knowing eye, "he shall go 
 along with thee and we shall put thee in the cavalry." 
 
 Fierce anger burned in Horacio 's heart at this sum- 
 mary disposal of his comrade and himself, but after 
 all what did it matter? Were not all his doubts now 
 resolved and he himself safe? For he knew that the 
 army was short of men and would not brook any in- 
 terference by the police. Better accept what fortune 
 had brought and not conjure up fresh troubles! 
 
 Putting good grace therefore on a bad matter, he 
 went cheerfully enough with the officer, and shortly
 
 76 HORACIO 
 
 afterward Horacio de Castro was enrolled as a cavalry 
 private in the Battalion of Nossa Senhora do Carmo 
 for the war in Eio Grande do Sul. 
 
 It is not necessary to follow Horacio during the 
 campaign in the South nor during the long bit of 
 soldier life which followed. The campaign itself was 
 not long, but it was hard and he was often under fire. 
 In the drill he learned discipline, self-control and 
 obedience: in the army school he learned reading, writ- 
 ing and arithmetic, and, as a member of the band while 
 the troops were not in active service, he learned how 
 to read music. 
 
 Physically he grew tall and strong and straight, but 
 he did not grow rich, for the Government but ill re- 
 wards its fighting-arm, and that but seldom. 
 
 Thanks to the counsels of a veteran who took a friend- 
 ly interest in him, he let drink well alone and saw many 
 an otherwise good soldier ruined for not doing the 
 same. 
 
 The day of his discharge came at last, and he laid 
 aside a sergeant's chevrons and the good-will of his 
 comrades in order that he might seek his home and 
 the great black eyes which he had not seen for years, 
 although they had been drawing him, drawing him, 
 all the time toward the thin, sallow face of Anninha. 
 Not a word had come to him of home or friends dur- 
 ing the three or four years of his absence, for news 
 does not travel fast among the illiterate. 
 
 Bonito had been drafted with his master, and now, 
 by a little friendly jugglery, was invalided out again.
 
 THE MERCHANT 77 
 
 and bore him on his long way from Sao Paulo Barracks 
 to the sertao. 
 
 How his heart bounded within him as he set out 
 upon his long journey! Now at last he was a man 
 and would take his place as a man in the world. In 
 his pocket were a couple of hundred milreis, and the 
 Government owed him four hundred more, which he 
 was never to see: at home there ought to be his little 
 hidden treasure, which only Anna knew where to find. 
 He would buy a piece of land and build him a bit of 
 a house, and then, ah, then! he would settle down and 
 be a serious householder, if they would settle down and 
 
 Then he remembered those words of Padre Joao, the 
 last he had heard from his lips, but the Padre was 
 dead : he had left him with a charge of buckshot in his 
 breast, the treacherous hypocrite! and was not yet re- 
 gretting the deed. 
 
 Thus he mused, and hope flowed and ebbed as it 
 had done many a time during three years, only now 
 the tide rose higher and fell lower than ever before, 
 and the sun was at once brighter and darker than it 
 had ever been before. 
 
 So he rode on, but he did not go to Brotas and 
 Jahu; no, he crossed to the other side of the Tiete and 
 went through Sorocoba, Botucatu, Sao Manoel and 
 Lengoes, and thus he reached the sertao at last, and 
 his heart expanded and his breath came deeper and 
 faster as he left the thickly settled districts, the coffee 
 groves and the close- joined farms, and hour after hour 
 rode beneath forest giants with clinging parasites and
 
 78 HORACIO 
 
 hanging vines and heard the parrots chatter, and saw hia 
 old enemies, the monkeys, leap from bough to bough. 
 
 The pleasant monotony of the never-ending rows of 
 rich green coffee trees was gone, with their nestling 
 colonies of laborers and the great terreiros for drying 
 the fragrant berries. Only the occasional shouts of the 
 men who ran with the oxen that dragged the sacks of 
 coffee from some outlying sitio mingled with the voices 
 of the forest, except that the distant squeaking of the 
 cart itself pervaded the atmosphere like the music of 
 a circular saw cutting through a sheet of tin to the 
 accompaniment of a small pig under a gate, and both 
 to the time of Old Hundred. A cessation of the awful 
 concert would be an unwelcome bit of peace to the un- 
 happy carter, as it would mean the instant charring 
 of the wooden axles of his cart in their wooden boxes. 
 Even this dubious melody came to the traveler's ears 
 with a grateful sound when it was far enough away 
 to be somewhat mellowed by the distance. 
 
 The voices of the forest seemed to welcome him back 
 to his old haunts, yet they could not have recognized 
 him now, for a soft brown beard covered his sunburned 
 face, and he was broader and taller and altogether dif- 
 ferent from the Horacio of the old times. 
 
 Thus he left station after station behind him and 
 drew ever closer under the cloak of the sertao and 
 came nearer and nearer to the sitio. At last he reached 
 the well-known point where the road turned off to 
 find it, but when he had reached it he came to an 
 abrupt halt and looked about him in dismay.
 
 THE MERCHANT 79 
 
 Yes, there was the road, but it was now quite grown 
 up with capoeira and only an ill-defined path led into 
 the depths of the forest. What could this mean? His 
 heart grew sick as his welcome began to fade away and 
 hope ebbed again. 
 
 But there was no use standing there like a bobo at 
 the crossroads! Thrusting Bonito with his spurs, he 
 dashed forward along the narrow trail, dodging and 
 ducking to avoid the branches and slashing with his 
 knife where they hung too low. All the way along he 
 was cheering himself with the thought that of course 
 they had cut another and a nearer road out and dis- 
 carded the old. 
 
 Three hours from the time he left the main road 
 he debouched into the clearing and gazed about him. 
 Bonito also looked at the once familiar scene with 
 evident amazement and distrust: then he lifted his 
 head high and whinnied sadly, but without reply. 
 
 A mass of charred ruins marked the spot where 
 the buildings had been. The mud floor of the house 
 stood above the level of the earth about it, and its 
 hard surface still showed the inequalities which his 
 feet, and Anna's too, alas, had helped to wear. 
 
 He flung himself from the horse and left him to 
 graze where he would with trailing reins, for Bonito, 
 not being a misanthrope, had already forgotten his lack 
 of a welcome and was busy nibbling here and there 
 at the green grass. 
 
 Horacio mounted the steps and entered the area 
 once occupied by the house. Not a vestige of any-
 
 80 HORACIO 
 
 thing remained to remind one of the individuality of 
 the former dwellers there, yet the uneven dirt floor 
 appealed to him as though it might mutely speak of 
 those who had trodden it so often and now were gone, 
 he knew not where. 
 
 His eyes filled and he turned hastily away toward 
 the plantation, which was now wildly overgrown with 
 the capoeira of at least three years. So it had come 
 soon after his departure! Then he remembered the 
 threat of Father Joao. Could he be living still? For 
 the first time since he had seen the burly priest lying 
 prone upon the earth before the door of the ball-room 
 in Jahu a dark presentiment and ugly fear came 
 upon him, and yet it seemed as though it could not be. 
 
 He remembered the trouble with the savages that 
 had boiled beneath the surface for so many months. 
 Surely it must have been they who had wrought this 
 devastation ! A thousand times better. 
 
 Turning away from the coffee that was scarce vis- 
 ible, and from the corn-field that was a jungle, he 
 sat upon the old chopping-block and bowed his head 
 in his hands. 
 
 Not a sound broke the silence save the jingle of 
 Bonito's bit as he munched the grass, the shrill call 
 of the macuco and the metallic "tank! tank!" of the 
 araponga which came from the forest. 
 
 A deer bounded suddenly out of the wood and as 
 suddenly vanished at sight of the intruders. Horacio 
 raised his head, and with dull misery gnawing at his 
 heart, drew the saddle from Bonito's back and began
 
 THE MERCHANT 81 
 
 to make a fire, although he knew not what he should 
 use it for, having nothing with him save a bit of dry 
 bread. 
 
 Following the old trail to the cafezal, cutting the 
 green growth as he passed in order to push his way 
 through, he found an abundance of ripe mamao. It 
 would help out the bread a bit to have this fruit and 
 in the morning he would return but whither? 
 
 There are dropping-off places in our lives, and Ho- 
 racio was come to one of these. Yet he must make 
 up his mind to go somewhere or starve, for there 
 was nothing at the old sitio to satisfy hunger, unarmed 
 as he was and unable to provide himself with game 
 of any sort. Should he buy himself a gun and go 
 back to his old trade again? Somehow his heart re- 
 volted at the thought of seeking the solitude of the for- 
 est in his great loneliness. Better to be within sight and 
 touch of his fellow-men. 
 
 Thus he fell asleep, wrapped in his heavy pala, in 
 a turnmoil of conflicting emotions and with the matter 
 still undecided, to awake at break of day to finish 
 his mamaos and gallop off on Bonito toward the civili- 
 zation which he had so lately left. 
 
 Not long after he had reached the main road he 
 came upon a man travelling in a direction opposite to 
 his own. The stranger saluted him and checked his 
 horse as Horacio drew rein. 
 
 "Bom dia!" he said in response to the ex-cavalry- 
 man's salutation. 
 
 "Can you tell me if there is a fazendeiro in the
 
 82 HORACIO 
 
 vicinity of the name of Castro?" the young man asked 
 him, hoping against hope that this man might know 
 something of his people. 
 
 "Castro Castro," the other mused; "that would 
 be Antonio Garcia de Castro no?" 
 
 "No," replied Horacio, trying not to betray his eager- 
 ness, "the man I am seeking is one Jose Antonio de 
 Castro." 
 
 "Ah, now I know!" cried the other, his face light- 
 ing with comprehension; "he lived five leagues from 
 here, on Riberao Velho. 'Tis three years now since the 
 bugres wiped out the fazenda and all that were on it, 
 excepting the son who shot the priest at Jahu and got 
 away. Father Joao would give a pretty penny, I war- 
 rant, to get his fingers on him." 
 
 Horacio started and then restrained himself. 
 "Father Joao was the priest who was shot, was he?" 
 he asked, with what indifference he could assume. 
 
 "Ay, the job was well done, too, and he like to 
 have died of it, for there were seven buckshot in him; 
 but although he was so well perforated his soul did not 
 get out, and he got well at last, after he had spent 
 twenty contos on the doctors, and cheap at that, for he 
 lay fourteen months on his bed ere he could move. ' ' 
 
 An exultant thrill of savage satisfaction ran over 
 the young man as he thanked the stranger and rode 
 on. Better far that Anna and all the rest had perished 
 at the hands of the savages or in the flames of the 
 burning buildings! Better for all to be over than that 
 worse things had befallen them!
 
 THE MERCHANT 83 
 
 He rode on his way with a bleeding heart and yet 
 with a strange feeling of thankfulness, stopping only 
 for refreshment here and there until he reached Sao 
 Manoel, a large and beautiful town set against the 
 sloping hillside like clustered corn upon the ear. 
 
 Weary and objectless he took his disheartened way 
 along the street, when a hearty voice called him by 
 name, and, looking up, he saw a man of soldierly 
 bearing whom he at once recognized as the colonel 
 he had often served as orderly. His hand went up 
 instantly in salute. 
 
 "Whither art thou bound, Horacio?" the officer in- 
 quired affably, as the young man dismounted and stood 
 before him. 
 
 "I am but now returned from the sertao where I 
 sought my family, but but they are all gone." 
 
 "What, moved away? So thou art seeking them 
 now?" 
 
 "No, senhor," he replied, gulping hard at the sound 
 of the first friendly voice, "they are dead all dead 
 slain by the Indians!" 
 
 "What! Oh, I am sorry. When did it happen? 
 What wilt thou do?" 
 
 "I know not what I shall do, senhor, unless I re- 
 turn to the army. The matter happened long ago," 
 replied Horacio, reversing the order of his answers, 
 and then he told him of the attack by the Indians. 
 
 " 'Twould be well thought to enlist again, but stay 
 a moment! I have an idea. Hast thou a talent for 
 business? I know thee to be sober and honest. There
 
 84 HORACIO 
 
 is a venda on my place here which is about to change 
 hands. If thou carest to buy it thou canst get it at a 
 low figure." 
 
 "I have but two hundred milreis and the four hun- 
 dred odd that the Government owes me," objected 
 Horacio doubtfully. 
 
 "Hum! The four hundred are a thing of the future 
 distant future. We would best not consider them. 
 But look ! If my credit can serve thee we shall strike a 
 bargain. Come on with me !" 
 
 Carried along by the enthusiasm of his colonel, the 
 young man led his horse by the reins and followed 
 him as he made his way to his own house. The officer 
 owned a fazenda near by, as well as his own house in 
 town and a number of others which he let. Among 
 these last was a small venda, or shop, which had 
 changed hands often, to the great loss of rentals, and so 
 the provident colonel had thought of the ex-cavalryman 
 as a steady tenant for the place. 
 
 The venda was a small affair, but it was capable of 
 expansion under an energetic hand, for much business 
 came to the town. Horacio looked the place over and, 
 foot-free as he was, easily came to a decision. He gave 
 his ready cash and a note for the remaining five hun- 
 dred milreis of the purchase price which the colonel 
 guaranteed and was put in immediate possession of the 
 place; so the hunter and soldier was now become a mer- 
 chant. 
 
 Back of the venda were living-rooms, and the young 
 man hunted an old woman to cook and clean for him.
 
 THE MERCHANT 85 
 
 Trade grew with thrift and Horacio was popular. The 
 place soon came to be a resort for loungers in the even- 
 ings and brisk trade in the daytime, until the proprietor 
 was busy enough to be kept from dwelling on matters 
 of which it were better not to think. Alas ! that which 
 is without remedy is remedied already. 
 
 The colonel's furlough was soon over and he was 
 gone. The life of one day was very like the life of 
 another. In the morning the caipiras passed and he 
 bought fresh vegetables, sugar, cheese, tobacco and 
 cachaga, or else he left his shop in the care of his 
 ancient housekeeper and sought the wholesaler for 
 matches, twine and other manufactured goods. As his 
 trade grew his stock grew with it, and some day soon 
 he hoped to be able to pay his debt and accumulate a 
 surplus. 
 
 One day a peddler entered the shop and stood by the 
 doorway wiping his sweaty brow with a great bandanna 
 handkerchief. Horacio looked at the man with some 
 interest. He was old and as black as Afric darkness, 
 while his grizzled hair and beard stood out in contrast 
 with his dusky skin. His eyes were covered with a pair 
 of huge blue spectacles and his legs protected with high 
 boots. Jingling spurs dragged at his heels, for he rode 
 a mule and carried his wares in a mala made of stout 
 cloth, a double-ended sack, in fact, which hung across 
 his saddle, loaded at both ends. This he laid upon the 
 counter with his pala, gazing slowly about the room as 
 he mopped his brow. He evidently was studying his 
 prospective customer and his surroundings.
 
 86 HORACIO 
 
 "Does the senhor read?" he asked in kindly tones, 
 as he drew a number of books from one end of the 
 mala. 
 
 ' ' Yes, ' ' replied the young merchant * ' What have you 
 there? Romances?" 
 
 "Better than that, my young friend better than that. 
 I have here the secret of a happy life, the key to infinite 
 treasures, the guide to heaven ! ' ' 
 
 The old negro crooned the words in a sort of mellow 
 rhythm and Horacio smiled in intellectual patronage. 
 So the old man was but half-baked! but he would see 
 what he had at any rate perhaps some volume to 
 while away the hours, for he had no book of his own. 
 The stranger laid out a number of books of all sizes 
 and styles. 
 
 "I cannot afford one of these," said Horacio, shaking 
 his head positively, "all leather and gold." 
 
 The peddler chuckled to himself as if it were a huge 
 joke. 
 
 "Pauh!" he ejaculated. "Is business so bad in this 
 part of the country? Cannot afford two milreis to 
 learn the Way of Life? Here is a fine one, large type 
 and good binding. Only two milreis! It costs more 
 than that, s'or, to make it up, but they sell it cheap and 
 at a loss, that everyone may have a chance to get it. 
 Take the book, for I cannot stop long. I must push 
 on to Botucatu." 
 
 Horacio turned the large and handsome volume over 
 and over in his hand. On the back in letters of gold 
 was a single word, "BIBLIA." So this was the Bible
 
 THE MERCHANT 87 
 
 a book he scarcely knew by reputation, and that rep- 
 utation only evil. Curiosity mastered him. He would 
 investigate. Drawing a ragged bit of paper money from 
 the till he handed it to the old negro, who immediately 
 repacked his books and rode on, while the lad set the 
 volume on a shelf and gave his attention to customers 
 who had entered. 
 
 When leisure came, as it did come by spells, he read 
 the book, beginning at the first page, and found it of 
 some interest, although all of it did not seem clear to 
 him. Here and there he came upon a familiar phrase 
 or story, the origin of which he had never known be- 
 fore, and he marvelled much that this book, of which 
 he had heard so much evil spoken, should have written 
 on the title page: 
 
 "TRANSLATED INTO PORTUGUESE ACCORD- 
 ING TO THE LATIN VULGATE BY PADRE AN- 
 TONIO PEREIRA DE FIGUEIREDO. Edition ap- 
 proved in 1842 by QUEEN MARY II, consulting with 
 the PATRIARCH ARCHBISHOP-ELECT of Lisbon." 
 
 Why should a padre translate what was evil into the 
 vulgar tongue? But perhaps it was to sell the book 
 and raise money for the church. At any rate, he was 
 not predisposed in favor of the padres and would see 
 for himself what there was in the book. So he went 
 on to read of Abraham and Joseph and Moses and David 
 and Solomon, and then he did not seem to understand 
 very much of what followed. 
 
 Now there was an old man who came that way at 
 times and sat in his doorway on a barrel that stood
 
 88 EORACIO 
 
 there, to pass the time of day with him and chat about 
 one thing or another. He never bought much of any- 
 thing, and it did not seem likely that he had much 
 money to buy. Horacio liked the old man, but he was 
 evil spoken of in the neighborhood. 
 
 One day the old fellow stopped at the door while 
 Horacio was reading. The young man glanced up, 
 and, nodding in a friendly way, returned to his book. 
 
 " Understandest thou what thou readest?" of a sud- 
 den the old man asked. 
 
 The shopkeeper looked up again and laughed as he 
 ran the pages through his fingers. ' ' The book is divert- 
 ing. Part of it is funny and part is full of tales.. Just 
 now I have come to a place where I understand nothing, 
 but I am not half done yet. ' ' 
 
 "Turn on a bit further, my boy, and start afresh 
 at the Gospel of Matthew, and if thou dost not under- 
 stand let me know when I pass again," said the old man, 
 and taking his cane he moved slowly off down the 
 street. 
 
 Horacio was surprised to find that his friend was 
 acquainted with the book, but he looked a bit further 
 along through its pages and came to a place where he 
 saw the words "Sao Mattheus," at the beginning of a 
 chapter, so he paused there and began to read. 
 
 At first he thought that the old man had been divert- 
 ing himself at his expense, for he came upon a long list 
 of names which he could not pronounce or understand, 
 but after this there began a 'story, and as he read the 
 interest grew.
 
 THE MERCHANT 89 
 
 When the old man came again he had many questions 
 to ask him, and the old man told him why all the stories 
 were in the Book and what it all meant. 
 
 At first Horacio did not believe and was only interest- 
 ed, but there came a time at last when he knew that the 
 Book was written for him, and that he could nevermore 
 have peace in the old life. 
 
 "How comes it that you know of the Book and the 
 meaning of it, Sor Jose ? " he asked one day, in wonder. 
 
 "Ah, I have known these many years. Our brethren 
 of North America came down to tell us the good news. 
 There was one, Meestare Shambareleen, 1 . that went on 
 horseback through all this country to the sertao telling 
 the Way of Life; and I went with him to care for the 
 animals, which was no light and pleasant task either, I 
 tell you not the caring for the horses that was noth- 
 ing ! but the other : for they stoned him and reviled him 
 and drove him from the towns, yet he showed no fear. 
 So we went from place to place, and I heard him speak 
 and plead with men and set before them the Way of 
 Life, until God took away the heart of stone that was in 
 me and put in its place a heart of flesh. Since then 
 I have grown old studying the Book." 
 
 "And what of this Meestare Sham Sham how do 
 you call it? Where is he now?" 
 
 "Shambareleen is the name. He has gone to another 
 field in the North. But there are others of the North 
 Americans, and now there are Brazilians who do the 
 
 1 The late Rev. Geo. W. Chamberlain, D. D., to whose Christian 
 enthusiasm and devotion the Protestant Church in Brazil owes such 
 a lasting debt.
 
 90 HORACIO 
 
 same. Here in Sao Manoel there is no one save my- 
 self only." 
 
 Thus the days went by, and what with Jose Capitao 
 and what with the Book, Horacio was brought to the 
 feet of the Saviour with conviction of sin, and there 
 he found forgiveness and hope. 
 
 One night the Lord Christ called him, and he an- 
 swered, "Yes, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" 
 and the answer came, "I would have thee preach to thy 
 people, which are my people. I need thee for Brazil." 
 
 Then Horacio fell asleep in peace and awoke a new 
 creature, with a new hope, a new joy, a new faith, and 
 some great problems to solve. 
 
 That day Jose Capitao came again and Horacio had 
 many more questions to ask him, but the old man 
 saw by his face that he was born anew and took him 
 to his breast in a warm embrace, while the tears of 
 joy filled his 'old eyes full. 
 
 "Where can one go, Sor Jose, to learn of the Book? 
 I want to study so that I can explain it to others," 
 he finally managed to ask him. 
 
 "Oh, there is the American School at Sao Paulo, and 
 then the Theological Seminary; but all that takes 
 money." 
 
 "Yes, but how long must I study six months? a 
 year?" 
 
 "More than that! I fancy it must take four or five 
 years at least." 
 
 "Five years! Ah, that is much! How can I study 
 for five years?"
 
 TEE MERCHANT 91 
 
 "The Lord will provide. If He needs thee for the 
 work He will surely open the way." 
 
 "Oh, I must go! There is no other way. If I be- 
 gin, will He do the rest?" 
 
 "Thou canst but try Him, lad. His promises are 
 sure. ' ' 
 
 "Then I will try Him at once," said the young con- 
 vert firmly, and began to move about the shop with 
 a sheet of paper and a pencil, counting the things on 
 the shelves. 
 
 ' ' What art thou doing ? ' ' asked old Jose in wonder. 
 
 "I am counting up what I have, in order that I may 
 sell it to advantage," he replied. 
 
 "Not so fast! Not so fast! Better look ahead and 
 count the cost." 
 
 "I have counted the cost. Doth not the Book say 
 that the just shall live by faith? My people have 
 walked in darkness too long." 
 
 "But thy friends and thy family? Hast thou not 
 obligations to them?" 
 
 "They are all gone. I owe no man anything save 
 the debt that is on this shop, and that I shall pay." 
 Suddenly, as he spoke these words, a memory seized 
 him of the priest, Father Joao, but he shook it off. 
 Then he went on with his rude inventory and soon 
 was able to estimate that his stock and the good-will 
 of the business, which were now of much greater value 
 than when he took the place, ought to pay for his debt 
 and leave him with five or six hundred milreis in hand. 
 
 The old man soon took his departure, after pressing
 
 92 HORACIO 
 
 his hand warmly and again cautioning him against un- 
 due haste. Horacio closed the shop-door in the face 
 of custom and went to make a trade with one who had 
 desired a partnership with him for some time. 
 
 Shortly afterwards he returned with the prospective 
 purchaser to show him the place. A bargain was finally 
 concluded which liquidated the debt and gave the re- 
 tiring young merchant six hundred milreis. Possession 
 was to be given the next day, but the new proprietor 
 came behind the counter at once. 
 
 The only thing which remained to be done was to 
 write a letter to the colonel, and on this task Horacio 
 spent his evening.
 
 V. 
 
 THE CONVICT. 
 
 HORACIO lay upon his bed that night turning many 
 plans and projects in his brain, when suddenly the 
 thought of Father Joao came to him again. Would it 
 be right and becoming for a minister of the Grospel to 
 go about with such a matter hanging over him ? Would 
 not the Gospel be brought to shame if some man should 
 stand out and point his finger at him and say, ' ' Satisfy 
 the State for thy crime ere thou attempt to speak in that 
 Name!" 
 
 Now Horacio had never felt one least atom of regret 
 for what he had done until he had been constrained by 
 the love of Christ to lay this sin at the Saviour's feet, 
 and he knew that the blood had washed away the stain, 
 but that knowledge did not give him rest and peace, 
 cried out for atonement. What should he do? Which 
 way should he turn? 
 
 It was a hard question to decide. He argued it first 
 on one side and then on the other. Why need any one 
 know? He could change his name, and by the time he 
 had completed his studies he might walk safely up and 
 down the land. Then he remembered that he had al- 
 ready changed his name and taken upon himself a new 
 
 93
 
 94 HORACIO 
 
 name, and it was not fitting that such a stigma should 
 attach to the new one. 
 
 "If thy brother have aught against thee " Ah, he 
 
 would first seek out Padre Joao and confess his fault 
 and beg for forgiveness, and if he gave it, well enough, 
 but if not, his hands would be clean of the fault and he 
 might disappear. 
 
 Then he remembered what manner of man the priest 
 was, and how he was hot for vengeance; and he knew 
 that he could hope for no mercy there. Yet there would 
 be no peace in his own heart if he hid himself. No, 
 there was no escape for him: he must give himself up 
 to the authorities and take the consequences; and then, 
 when he had served his time, he might think of the 
 ministry. 
 
 Having made this resolve, Horacio turned over in bed 
 and slept. 
 
 Jose Capitao was awakened the next morning to find 
 the young man on horseback before his door. 
 
 "Dismount! dismount!" the old man cried. "I am 
 right glad to see thee. Wilt thou stop with me for a 
 few days ? ' ' 
 
 ' ' No, no. I am off for Jahu. ' ' 
 
 "Jahu? Jahu? There is no school in Jahu." 
 
 "No, there is no school there, but there is a prison," 
 said the young man gloomily. 
 
 "How a prison?" was the puzzled reply. "What 
 hast thou to do with the prison in Jahu ? But dismount 
 and tell me about it! Here I am like an old chuckle- 
 head keeping thee in the saddle. Wait while I speak
 
 THE CONVICT 95 
 
 for the coffee! Now go ahead with thy tale! I am 
 ready. ' ' 
 
 So Horacio told his story to the wondering old man, 
 who exclaimed pityingly, 
 
 "Well, well! the pain of it! Oh, the pain of it! Yet 
 I know not but that thou art right. I feel myself small 
 to advise. If I should say 'Go not,' it may be the will 
 of God for thee to go; and if I should say 'Go,' it 
 may be His will that thou shouldst not go. Let us 
 look to Him for guidance, and then, if thou be still of 
 the same mind and resolved upon going, go and the Lord 
 go with thee!" 
 
 So they two stood up at the table where the emp- 
 tied coffee cups were sitting, and Sor Jose lifted up 
 his heart and voice in prayer, after which Horacio 
 threw himself into his arms, shook hands with the old 
 man's wife, and, flinging himself upon Bonito, galloped 
 off. 
 
 Two days later he rode into Jahu, to which he had 
 been a stranger for four years, as night was falling, and 
 put up at a small hotel in the place. 
 
 As they were getting ready a bite for him to eat 
 he sat dejectedly by the table, staring at nothing and 
 thinking of the same. He had come to a point where 
 he could not think. All the warmth of heart which he 
 had felt when his resolve was freshly made had now de- 
 parted. Almost it seemed that his guiding-star had 
 forsaken him. He lifted his eyes and glanced about the 
 dusky room, which was illuminated by the usual bit of 
 wick in a bottle of kerosene.
 
 96 HORACIO 
 
 Opposite to him upon the wall was a strange-look- 
 ing photograph in a dingy black frame. He could not 
 make it out in the obscurity, but it excited his curiosity 
 so much that at last he arose and went over to examine it 
 
 In the center of the picture Father Joao was sitting 
 up in his bed, nude to the waist, and looking wan and 
 emaciated. On each side was a physician supporting 
 the injured man, while against the white skin of his 
 body Horacio counted seven little round black spots. 
 
 The innkeeper came in and found him looking at the 
 lugubrious portrait. With an exclamation of ecstatic 
 pride he explained to his guest: 
 
 "That is our priest, Father Joao! He was ill many 
 months and no one thought he would live. A young 
 ruffian shot him, after stealing a girl who was the 
 good priest's ward. Father Joao had him arrested 
 and the lad shot him and got away, but the judg- 
 ment of God fell upon his house, for the bugres slew 
 all his family and burned their house to the ground 
 shortly afterward." 
 
 "So your priest is very popular with you?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, he is well liked. A finer man never lived. 
 Some complain that he is a bit sprightly to be wearing 
 the cassock, but for my part I like him the better for 
 it. Those that go about with a face as long as a fiddle 
 are quite likely greater rogues for all of their pious 
 looks, while Father Joao was the life of a wedding or 
 a christening, and, though his prices were a bit stiff, yet 
 they were no worse than the others. What he made he 
 spent here in the town, and all he had hoarded went
 
 THE CONVICT 97 
 
 to pay the doctors while he was ill, so we have it all 
 back again in one way or another; for the doctors from 
 Sao Paulo stopped at my house, and thus what I paid 
 for christenings came back again in due time," and he 
 chuckled at his own wit. 
 
 Horacio liked neither the picture nor the subject of 
 the conversation, so he gladly turned in silence to the 
 food which by this time the talkative landlord had placed 
 upon the table. 
 
 On the morrow he presented himself to the Juiz de 
 Dereito, who was not the same magistrate who had 
 accompanied Father Joao on his memorable visit to the 
 sitio years before. When Horacio had finished explain- 
 ing what had brought him there the worthy gentleman 
 laid down his pen and looked at him in astonishment. 
 
 "So you are the lad who shot Father Joao, and you 
 have come to surrender yourself? Que diabo! Well, 
 I never! What in the name of all-possessed do you 
 want to do that for?" 
 
 "I committed an offence against the State, and I 
 want to make it right." 
 
 "Just so! Well, you can make it right with the 
 State a good deal easier than with Father Joao, I take 
 
 it; for if he catches you However, that is none of 
 
 my concern, and he is out of town at present. Let me 
 see" 
 
 Horacio 's spirits rose somewhat, both on knowing 
 that his enemy was away and on finding the magis- 
 trate kindly disposed. 
 
 "Let me see," he continued, "I tell you truly I
 
 98 HORACIO 
 
 would prefer not to take cognizance of this affair, and 
 would turn you loose if I could. You say you have 
 served three years in the army and are a sergeant with 
 an honorable discharge, yet that counts for nothing at 
 law. Fortunately for you the jury is sitting now. Let 
 me see," turning to his clerk or secretary: "put this 
 case on the docket for to-day and we will get it out of 
 the way at once. It may be better for all of us. No?" 
 and he glanced shrewdly at Horacio. ' ' Let me see, shall 
 we find you an attorney?" 
 
 "I think not, sir. There is but little to be said, and 
 I can say it very easily for myself, but I thank you 
 very much for your kindness. ' ' 
 
 "Not at all. Not at all. Sit down over there while 
 my secretary makes out the papers, and I shall give 
 you in custody at once." 
 
 ' ' Your Worship, may I ask that my horse be delivered 
 to Francisco da Gama dos Santos in case I am con- 
 demned? He knows me and will care for the animal." 
 
 "Yes, to be sure! But perhaps it will not be neces- 
 sary. Who can tell?" said the kindly magistrate, as he 
 bundled together a bunch of documents and indicated 
 the young man with a wave of his hand to the soldier 
 who came at his call. 
 
 A gleam of hope came to Horacio and he followed 
 the man with a lighter heart. The soldier evidently 
 knew from the judge's manner that no forcible restraint 
 or rough treatment was necessary, and presently he 
 ushered him into a cell occupied by half a dozen rough- 
 looking men.
 
 THE CONVICT 99 
 
 The place was clean enough and cots stood in an or- 
 derly fashion against the wall on either side. A soldier 
 sat at the grated door, and the iron bars of the window 
 were fixed in an iron frame which was let into the 
 masonry. The floor was of cement and was evidently 
 laid upon stone. The men greeted Horacio as a com- 
 panion in iniquity, and the young man had been too 
 long a soldier not to know how to respond in a friendly 
 fashion and yet have them keep their distance. 
 
 When he had frankly told them the nature of his 
 offence he evidently became a hero in their eyes, for 
 looking down upon them from the wall by the door was 
 a copy of the selfsame portrait of the padre with seven 
 holes in him; but when they learned that he had come 
 back voluntarily, after nearly four years, to surrender 
 himself, they set him down for a fool and their respect 
 for him was materially lessened. 
 
 About eleven o 'clock the same soldier who had brought 
 him there came to conduct him to his trial, and in a few 
 moments he found' himself in the courtroom where the 
 jury was assembled. The case was soon called and the 
 clerk read the accusation, upon which all eyes were 
 turned toward the prisoner with unusual interest. As 
 there were no witnesses either for or against the accused, 
 he was permitted to tell his own story, which he did in 
 a frank and manly fashion, evidently strongly impress- 
 ing both judge and jury in his favor, when suddenly, as 
 he concluded, there was a stir in the court-room and 
 Father Joao walked in. 
 
 No one had noticed a man slip out of the court-room
 
 100 HORACIO 
 
 while the accusation was being read, nor did any one 
 know that Father Joao had unexpectedly returned the 
 night before. The judge flushed slightly, but made as 
 though he had not noticed the interruption caused by 
 the turning of every head in the room toward the door. 
 
 "Gentlemen, you have heard the evidence," he be- 
 gan, when Father Joao broke out, ''Your Worship! I 
 request the privilege of being heard." 
 
 "Ah, Father Joao! Is it your Reverence?" said the 
 judge, with affected innocence, looking up at the priest. 
 "Well, you have the privilege of speaking, but I would 
 suggest that you secure an attorney to represent you." 
 
 "Yes, just so! and meanwhile your Worship will 
 shuffle this young miscreant through the jury and out 
 the back door to pay me off for that election business ! ' ' 
 
 An appreciative grin became visible on the faces of 
 the audience, and the judge seemed to recognize that 
 he was on boggy ground, but the dignity of his office 
 demanded that he protest. 
 
 ' ' Have a care, your Reverence ! You forget yourself. 
 I cannot listen to such language. Sergeant! kindly con- 
 duct his Reverence to the door. ' ' 
 
 "I ask your pardon for my frankness, your Wor- 
 ship. Officer, I will not trouble you ! Gentlemen of the 
 Jury, I ask the full penalty of the law for this young 
 man! He is self-confessedly guilty and must pay the 
 penalty. Gentlemen, remember your duty to the State 
 and to your injured, I may say your martyred shepherd ; 
 one who in defence of the virtue and innocence " 
 
 "Your Reverence!" shouted the judge, recovering
 
 THE CONVICT 101 
 
 himself, "this is very irregular. Gentlemen, the case 
 is closed. You may retire!" 
 
 The priest fixed a meaning and menacing glance upon 
 certain ones in the jury-box and sat down in the nearest 
 chair, whereupon the jury arose and left the room. 
 Horacio now felt assured that he was not to get off 
 as lightly as he had begun to hope, and he nerved him- 
 self for a most unfavorable verdict. In a few moments 
 the jury filed into the box and their verdict was read: 
 
 " Guilty of assault with intent to kill, with extenu- 
 ating circumstances and a recommendation to mercy." 
 
 The judge immediately arose and sentenced the pris- 
 oner to two years in the jail at Jahu, which was the 
 lightest sentence he dared give in face of the verdict. 
 The soldier led Horacio away again and locked him in 
 the cell, after promising to bring his bundle from the 
 hotel and leave his horse with the man who had so often 
 purchased the hides and skins which he had brought to 
 Jahu in the old days. 
 
 How different now were his prospects from those 
 which had opened themselves out before him when, 
 in the first flush of his new-born enthusiasm, he had 
 resolved to give his young life and strength to the spread 
 of the gospel among his own people! What had God 
 in store for him here in this prison, when he had 
 thought to please Him by giving himself to be a min- 
 ister of the gospel? 
 
 He glanced about him at the thick walls and ironed 
 windows. Could such as these hold him back from 
 freedom? Yet that very morning he had still been
 
 102 HORACIO 
 
 free to go on his way or on the way of duty, and he 
 had freely chosen. Now the rough and straitened 
 way was his path! 
 
 The soldier came to the door and handed to him 
 through the little wicket such things as he might have 
 from his bundle, among them a book. The sight of 
 the Book brought to his mind a dim memory of some- 
 thing that he had read. Where was it? It was well 
 at the beginning of the Book of that he was sure 
 Adam? Noah? Abraham? Jacob? no, it was none of 
 these. Ah, he had it now! "And Joseph's master took 
 him and put him into the prison, a place where the 
 king's prisoners were bound, but the Lord was with 
 Joseph. ' ' 
 
 Yes, but Joseph was unjustly accused, and he justly. 
 Never mind, he would appropriate the comfort that 
 came to him, and so he read on, and when he had read 
 it to himself he told his companions of Joseph and his 
 story, and though they were interested in the tale, 
 still they did not care for the moral of it. 
 
 The days went slowly by and Horacio whiled away 
 the time by reading in the Book, and often he told 
 his companions of the gospel message and wondered 
 why they did not receive it as he had received it; but 
 they only made light of it, although they were glad 
 enough to help pass the time by hearing the stories that 
 were in the Book. Yet their manners did not change 
 nor their own stories become less vile. 
 
 At last one night as he lay upon his cot he was awak- 
 ened by a slight noise, and sitting up in bed, became
 
 THE CONVICT 103 
 
 aware that his companions were hard at work upon 
 the bars of the window, cutting, cutting, cutting, slowly 
 but surely, with some instrument they had made or 
 procured in some way. 
 
 Suddenly the noise stopped: the workmen had seen 
 the young man sitting up and watching them. Before 
 he knew what was happening he felt a blanket go 
 over his head and his wrists were drawn down to the 
 cot on either side. Half smothered, he struggled for 
 a time and then lay still. Immediately his captors 
 threw off the blanket, thinking that he had become 
 unconscious. Finding that he was lying there with 
 both eyes wide open, one of them thrust the end of a 
 sheet into his mouth and crammed it tightly into place. 
 
 "Wilt thou join us and make thine escape, Senhor 
 Protestante ? " asked the leader. 
 
 Horacio shook his head. 
 
 "Thou wilt betray us then?" 
 
 Their captive reflected for a moment and again shook 
 his head. The men looked from one to another in- 
 credulously. 
 
 "A likely story!" muttered the leader. "Better 
 truss him and gag him!" 
 
 With that they tied him hand and foot to his cot 
 with strips cut from a blanket and, gagging him care- 
 fully, returned to their work. In an hour or so the 
 bars gave way and they all slipped through the ap- 
 erture and disappeared in the darkness. 
 
 Horacio looked longingly at the open window and 
 then began to turn and wriggle on his cot. Finally
 
 104 HOBACIO 
 
 he succeeded in drawing a hand loose from his bonds, 
 pulled the bandage from his face, and withdrew the 
 piece of sheet which had been stuffed into his mouth. 
 In another moment he had his other wrist loose and, 
 sitting up, unbound his ankles. 
 
 Gathering together his clothes and small possessions, 
 he made them into a bundle and, vaulting lightly to 
 the sill, dropped to the ground outside and made off 
 down the street. 
 
 Ah, sweet air of freedom! What a fool he had 
 been to let them shut him up in that dreadful place! 
 He would shake the dust of that ill-omened town from 
 his feet and choose another way. Suddenly he stopped 
 short in the middle of the road. He was not yet out 
 of the town, but the streets were empty of all save 
 the watch, who were dozing on distant corners, and 
 could easily be avoided because of their conspicuous 
 white breeches. 
 
 There came a voice speaking inside: "But Jonah 
 rose up to flee unto Tarshish, from the presence of 
 the Lord, and went down to Joppa," and the voice 
 seemed to say again: "But Horacio rose up to flee 
 from Jahu, from the presence of the Lord." 
 
 Turning upon his heels he retraced his steps and 
 came again to the jail. All was quiet within and it 
 was evident that the escape of the prisoners had not 
 yet been discovered, but the window was high above 
 his head and he could not reach up to it. 
 
 "Now," thought he, "I must needs remain with- 
 out, as I have no way of returning. I should look
 
 THE CONVICT 105 
 
 like a pretty fool to be found sitting here at the door 
 in the morning." 
 
 Then he remembered that there was a pile of poles 
 upon the roadside a bit back; so he returned and 
 fetched one of the poles, set it against the jail be- 
 side the window, and up this he climbed as he had 
 once before climbed the cipo to be delivered from the 
 queixadas. Then, having reached the sill again, he 
 dropped upon the floor inside and lay down upon 
 his couch to sleep until morning, when he was awak- 
 ened by the hue and cry that was made over the escape 
 of the prisoners. 
 
 As this was a somewhat common occurrence no one 
 greatly wondered, whereas all were exceedingly amazed 
 that Horacio had not taken himself off also. As for 
 the young man, he had other things to think about, 
 for he presently discovered, upon getting himself in 
 order, that the six hundred milreis that he had kept con- 
 cealed in his clothing had gone with the prisoners! 
 
 Alas, this was too much! How could God call him 
 and then take away his liberty and his means? But 
 to his mind there came these words: "Commit thy 
 way unto the Lord: trust also in Him, and He shall 
 bring it to pass." 
 
 The blacksmith came and repaired the window and 
 the cell soon filled with other prisoners. The days 
 went by and Horacio daily presented the gospel mes- 
 sage to his companions, without encouragement, but 
 nevertheless he spoke as he was able, and studied the 
 Word.
 
 VI. 
 
 PARDONED ! 
 
 THREE months had now passed away, when one day 
 the smiling face of Sor Jose appeared at the little 
 wicket in the door, only to vanish again ere Horacio 
 could spring to his feet. The door opened and a 
 soldier bade the young man get his things together 
 and come outside. 
 
 In a moment, hastily snatching up his belongings 
 and bidding farewell to his companions, Horacio left 
 the cell where he had passed so many bitter hours, 
 stepped out into the corridor, and was received in the 
 warm embrace of his old friend, who exclaimed with 
 great joy. 
 
 "Ah, my son, God has been merciful! I knew it 
 would come!" 
 
 "What has come, Sor Jose?" asked the bewildered 
 youth, looking at him inquiringly, as the old man still 
 held him by the hand and beamed on him with his 
 kind old eyes. 
 
 "Prepare to take leave of thy home and friends, 
 lad," he said, with a droll twinkle in his eye and 
 rolling the words in his own peculiar fashion over 
 his nearly toothless gums. "Prepare to tear thyself 
 away! I grieve to cause thee this pain," chuckling 
 at the thought; "but, in a word, the President of the 
 
 106
 
 THE CONVICT 107 
 
 State hath sent thee this bit of paper, by virtue of 
 which thou mayest leave the place." 
 
 "How is that?" asked the amazed young fellow. 
 "What does Campos Salles know of me?" 
 
 "I warrant he knows nothing but here is his name 
 on this paper, and that suffices," and he thrust into 
 his hand a pardon on which was inscribed, "In con- 
 sideration of meritorious services to the State." The 
 old man laughed to see joy succeed astonishment. 
 
 "Tell me how it was," Horacio demanded at length. 
 "I do not understand." 
 
 "Nothing more simple," replied his friend. "Thy 
 colonel interested himself in thy case when he had 
 heard the whole story, and laid it before the President, 
 with this result." 
 
 ' ' Then my colonel has already returned to his f azenda 
 at Sao Manoel ? ' ' 
 
 "Nay, he has not returned." 
 
 "Then how knew he of my troubles?" 
 
 The old man showed some confusion at this ques- 
 tion, and Horacio, noticing it, felt a shadow of a sus- 
 picion flash across his mind. 
 
 ' ' Didst thou see my colonel in Sao Paulo ? ' ' 
 
 "Why not?" replied the old man uneasily, but 
 with ill-feigned indifference. "I had been wanting for 
 a long time to run down to the city to see my folks 
 there." 
 
 Horacio thought of the railroad fare and the old 
 man's extreme poverty. What sacrifices had he not 
 been obliged to make to enable him to make his journey !
 
 108 HORACIO 
 
 He put his hand into his pocket and immediately re- 
 membered his own condition. 
 
 "Knowest thou, old friend and benefactor," he said 
 anxiously, "that they have robbed me of my six hun- 
 dred milreis? I am clean clean!" and he pulled a 
 pocket wrong-side-out to make his statement more real- 
 istic. 
 
 Sor Jose" shook his head slowly and sadly from side 
 to side, then finally said, "Come! Bring thy bundle. 
 Knowest thou not that there is a little band of be- 
 lievers in Jahu? No?" 
 
 "I did not mingle with such as they when I was 
 here before," replied Horacio, half laughing, " and did 
 not even know there were such people." 
 
 "Let us take thy case to the Reverend Ribeiro and 
 ask counsel." 
 
 Gathering his bundle under his arm and bidding 
 farewell to the kindly guards at the jail, Horacio ac- 
 companied the old man to seek the house of the min- 
 ister. 
 
 The little man stood in the doorway as he received 
 them, and rubbed his hands and smiled and smiled. 
 He had already heard Horacio 's story and welcomed 
 him right cordially. 
 
 "Come in! Come in!" he called out cheerfully, and 
 rubbed his hands and smiled. Horacio felt like smiling 
 too, in spite of the loss of his money, and soon found 
 himself wondering if sorrow could ever chase the smile 
 from the little man's face and bring tears instead. 
 
 "Please to sit down while I ask for the coffee! I am
 
 TEE CONVICT 109 
 
 very glad to see you. This is my wife. Helena, this 
 is our young friend who was in trouble about the 
 priest. Helena dear, wilt thou have the goodness to 
 bring the coffee?" 
 
 The minister's wife stepped from the room to do 
 his bidding, and the little man sat down, rubbing his 
 hands and smiling. 
 
 "Dear, dear! Let us see! It will be well for you 
 to leave Jahu to-day. It is hardly safe to risk the 
 priest's forgetting his little grudge, and he has many 
 friends. Yes, yes! It is wise to go by the Mixto 
 and get to Sao Paulo to-morrow, and then we shall 
 see what can be done. Sor Jose says you have mon- 
 ey for your immediate needs?" and the little man 
 rubbed his hands and smiled inquiringly at Horacio. 
 
 A shade crossed the young man's face. "The pris- 
 oners that escaped three months ago robbed me of it 
 all. I am clean clean ! ' ' and he smiled lugubriously. 
 
 The little man answered his smile with another which 
 held a shade of gravity, and he rubbed his hands in 
 perplexity as he murmured, "That is very bad, very 
 bad. So you have nothing? As for me, I had thought 
 to strain a point for my own ticket and go with you, 
 but the price of two is beyond me, I fear. As for Jose 
 Capitao, I fancy he is as yourself." The old man nod- 
 ded sadly in confirmation. 
 
 "There is my horse!" exclaimed Horacio sudden- 
 ly, as a memory of his old friend shot through his 
 mind. "But then I cannot sell him. He is like a 
 human being old friend and comrade to me and all
 
 110 HORACIO 
 
 that I have of home now," and a mist gathered be- 
 fore his eyes at the thought. 
 
 "No, no!" said the little man, rubbing his hands 
 and smiling, "we must look about us. Let me see! 
 There is Senhor Baldomero, but his piety extends only 
 as far as his purse-strings, I fear. He is well fixed 
 and has half a dozen houses which he lets; but then 
 he gives less than Donna Margarida, the dressmaker, 
 although she has nothing. It would not do to ask 
 him, for we should have our trouble for our pains. 
 Our little church is poor. Alas, they have not yet 
 learned to give! When they leave Rome they think 
 to themselves, 'There, now, we are quit of the fees 
 and the taxes and all the other impositions of the 
 rascally priests!' They have not yet learned to ex- 
 press love by giving. Perhaps we are slow to ask 
 them also, for fear to alienate them by going to them 
 for money, when they should be the ones to come to 
 us to offer voluntarily according as the Lord has blessed 
 them. 
 
 "Then there is Senhor Joaquim; but his daughter 
 lies ill this long time and he is not able truly, though 
 his will is good. Of the others I know none save Senhor 
 Thiago, and as he has but recently joined us I fear to 
 ask him." 
 
 Horacio got up and reached for his hat. 
 
 "Wait, wait!" cried the minister hopefully, "the 
 coffee is at the door. We shall find a way out of the 
 difficulty somehow." 
 
 The young man reached for the coffee and gulped
 
 THE CONVICT 111 
 
 it as he stood with his hat in his hand. "Wait for 
 me here," he said; "I shall be back in a little mo- 
 ment," and vanished through the door. 
 
 Making his way down the street he came at last to 
 his old associate 's place of business, the store of the 
 dealer who had received his skins and who was now 
 keeping his horse for him. Pushing his way through 
 the group at the counter, he plucked Sor Francisco 
 cautiously by the sleeve and drew him aside into his 
 little office. 
 
 "What wilt thou give me, with Bonito as surety, 
 for the sake of old times? If I redeem him not in 
 two years he is thine, and thou hast the use of him 
 meanwhile in exchange for the use of thy money, which 
 I need to get out of town." 
 
 Senhor Francisco looked hard at Horacio, for he 
 did not recognize him at first: then he said, "Why 
 didst thou not hide until dark and then we might 
 talk at leisure? Now thou wilt have the police at 
 thy heels ere thou canst get away. The town is for 
 Father Joao." 
 
 "What care I for the town? I have a pardon from 
 the President! There is naught to fear by day. But 
 I must get away, as thou knowest. Canst thou help 
 me? I was stripped of what I had by those whom the 
 jail window pardoned three months ago." 
 
 The trader pursed his lips and thought a while. 
 Finally his features relaxed and he drew a roll of bills 
 from his pocket. Laying three notes of fifty milreis 
 upon the counter he asked, "Is it a bargain?"
 
 112 HORACIO 
 
 "I had thought to have more. The animal is none 
 of the common." 
 
 "Yes, but old. Is it not so? Thou hast had .him for 
 six years and he was more than a colt then." 
 
 Horacio gathered up the money. "Say that I may 
 redeem him at any time, and it is a bargain:" 
 
 "Well, well, for old time's sake let it go at that! 
 Good luck to thee!" and the two gripped hands upon the 
 compact. A moment more and Horacio was hurrying 
 back to his friends. 
 
 Entering the house, he waved the notes before their 
 wondering eyes and bade them pack their valises. The 
 little man smiled and rubbed his hands with satisfaction, 
 but Jose Capitao shook his head and smiled the half-sad 
 smile of disillusion which comes with age. 
 
 "Thou wilt need more than that," he said, "to make 
 a preacher. It is but one grain in the bin." 
 
 "Not so, Sor Jose," replied Horacio cheerfully. "I 
 shall repay thee what thou hast spent on my case already, 
 and thou shalt ride with us to Brotas. Dost thou think 
 to walk those twenty leagues on thine old legs while my 
 young ones ride?" 
 
 "Tut, boy! Though thou hast been a soldier, four 
 legs carried thy two, but the old man has run up a 
 distance-record which thou canst never equal. I shall 
 take it easy and there are friends along the way who 
 will be glad enough to entertain me. Besides that I 
 have books to sell ! See, here, the minister has arranged 
 this full sack for me and it will be quite a business for 
 me on the way, also there are words to speak in the
 
 THE CONVICT 113 
 
 Master's name. Fear not for me, but get thyself ready 
 for to-night's train." 
 
 'The little man smiled and nodded. "Let him be, 
 Horacio !" he said, rubbing his hands briskly. "Let him 
 be ! Keep your money for books and clothing : you will 
 need it all and more beside. As for me, I am bound for 
 Presbytery and have my ticket-money laid by, so it costs 
 me nothing to take your matters in hand as well. 
 
 "But here is Helena, come to say that breakfast is 
 served. Have the goodness to pass to the other room 
 and share our humble fare. Vamos todos!" and the 
 little man smiled them out to the hospitable but frugal 
 midday meal.
 
 VII. 
 THE STUDENT. 
 
 THAT afternoon they quietly slipped out of the town 
 on the mixed train, leaving the old man with smiling, 
 tear-stained face looking after them, with his kind old 
 trembling hands crossed upon the knob of his old cane, 
 ere he shuffled with his old feet along the platform and 
 down the street to fetch his pack and set off on his 
 weary journey to his distant home. 
 
 As for his companions, the next day saw them dis- 
 embarking from the train in the great capital and mak- 
 ing their way to the hospitable home of the Reverend 
 Manoel Camargo, where a room was ready for Senhor 
 Ribeiro. A hurried word of explanation ensued, and 
 Horacip was cordially welcomed and invited to share 
 it with him. 
 
 Welcomed indeed he was before the words of explana- 
 tion and introduction, for such is the hospitable custom 
 in Brazil, which has its inconveniences occasionally as 
 well as its conveniences, for oftentimes one may live in 
 a family for a fortnight without being able to learn 
 the names and relations of those who form the home 
 circle. 
 
 That very day the two ministers and their charge 
 went to call upon Dr. Street, the superintendent of the 
 
 114
 
 THE STUDENT 115 
 
 American Schools. They could hear the old man scold- 
 ing about something which did not please him as they 
 entered. 
 
 "Unpropitious moment, Vicente?" whispered the Rev- 
 erend Manoel, nudging his companion and looking at 
 him inquiringly. Before the other could answer with 
 anything but a smile and a gentle friction of the hands, 
 the old man hurried them into his presence with a sharp 
 query. 
 
 Looking up from a heap of disordered papers Dr. 
 Street frowned welcomingly at his visitors, and then 
 half rose and extended a grudging hand. Horacio's 
 hopes began to wane; nevertheless he imitated his com- 
 panions in accepting a chair in the crowded little office 
 and the Reverend Manoel broke the silence with a ner- 
 vous little ' ' Well, Doctor, we 've brought you a new pupil 
 for the superior course, the upper school." 
 
 The doctor frowned again, this time unmistakably. 
 "More of your theological candidates with big bank ac- 
 counts, I suppose," he answered, and finished with a 
 grim smile. 
 
 The smile, such as it was, was some encouragement, 
 and the little man smiled and rubbed his hands in re- 
 sponse while the Reverend Manoel went on: 
 
 "It is too true that our boys are not rich as a rule. 
 I don't know why it is that rich boys don't want to 
 preach the gospel, although, now that I stop to think 
 of it, I suppose it is that old question of the needle's 
 eye in another form." 
 
 "I suspect it is the same the world over," suggested
 
 116 HORACIO 
 
 the doctor cynically. "When you can't make a living 
 in any other way you can go to preaching as a last 
 resort." 
 
 All this was striking Horacio as something of a revela- 
 tion. He had given his all, when he was doing well in 
 a small way, in order that he might be free to preach the 
 gospel. 
 
 "Well, what does this young man know?" went on 
 the doctor. "What preparation has he? How much 
 can he pay each month? Who responds for his char- 
 acter?" 
 
 "We can easily respond for his character, Doctor," 
 replied the Reverend Manoel. "As to what he knows, 
 he is here and you can ask him. He is, I think, un- 
 able to pay anything excepting to purchase the neces- 
 sary outfit of clothes and books, but I am expecting that 
 the Presbytery will make some arrangement to assist 
 him to necessary clothing and books for the rest of the 
 time, when they have heard his peculiar story." 
 
 The doctor pressed the top of his bald head with the 
 palm of his hand, all the fingers spread out, and snorted, 
 "This is no charity school! We've got to have money 
 or bust, I tell you! Here I am, rushed to death and 
 breaking down with overwork, and on top of that I 
 must be sticking my own money into this thing year aft- 
 er year, with no returns. Never expect to see it again," 
 he added abruptly. 
 
 Then he gathered breath and went on: "You see 
 these papers on my desk? I haven't got out my quar- 
 terly report yet, although it ought to have gone six weeks
 
 THE STUDENT 117 
 
 ago. I can't take a moment to talk with you now about 
 any new pupils unless there is money in it. Money is 
 what we want! The Board doesn't even send me the 
 money they have collected in New York. There is that 
 new building I had to put up this year and borrow 
 money on my own name to do it. I told you the other 
 day, Manoel, that this thing must stop. I can't receive 
 another boy! What is it you want for him anyhow? 
 Board and lodging, books and clothes, tuition and cash 
 advanced for dentist's bills and cigarettes? Only this 
 and nothing more, eh ? " 
 
 Horacio drew back his lips and showed his gleaming 
 teeth for the Doctor to see sound as when they were 
 first set in his firm jaws and spoke out rather sharply, 
 "I don't smoke!" But this did not quiet the 
 Doctor. 
 
 "Humph!" grunted the doctor, "so they all pretend." 
 Then he turned again to the minister, while he rubbed 
 his palm with renewed vigor on his bald pate. 
 
 "Do you think I am made of money? How do you 
 suppose this school runs? Stuff a boy in one end, turn 
 a crank, pull him out of the other, eh? All it costs is 
 the crank!" Then he spread his hands out, Israelitish 
 fashion, palms up. 
 
 "I have no money, and I can't get any money! Why, 
 there'll be a deficit of seventeen contos this semester, 
 with all I can do. Where am I to get it? Where am 
 I to get it, can you tell me ? No ! You can tell me how 
 to spend it, but no one seems to bother about the other 
 side. How many charity pupils do you suppose I have
 
 118 HORACIO 
 
 here now? You'd be astonished to hear. You would 
 be astonished, I say, to hear!" 
 
 The ministers could answer nothing to this argument 
 and reluctantly rose to go. Horacio's heart was sub- 
 merged in a sea of hopelessness. His companions be- 
 gan their compliments for departure. 
 
 "How are you getting on at Jahu, Vicente?" the 
 doctor inquired. "How is that old skinflint Baldomero 
 old rascal! I remember how " and here the doctor 
 launched himself into the relation of a long and spicy 
 story which ended up with a tremendous laugh. His 
 guests remained standing. The Doctor went on with his 
 reminiscences until an hour had passed away and his 
 guests had dropped back into their chairs, fascinated with 
 the wonderful flow of anecdote and totally unable to 
 move to take their departure. Presently the old man 
 directed himself amiably to Horacio and drew from him 
 an outline of what he had learned in the army school. 
 
 "You will have to work hard and be tutored a little 
 in order to keep up with your classes here," he said at 
 length, and Horacio's heart bounded. "The classes 
 begin day after to-morrow. Take this card and Sor 
 Camargo will take you over to the dormitorio and intro- 
 duce you to the house-master, who will assign you a 
 place. Manoel, I depend upon you to see that Presby- 
 tery does all that is possible for him, for my burdens 
 are very heavy. I don't know how long I can keep him, 
 but we shall see." 
 
 The three petitioners saluted the doctor and took 
 their departure.
 
 THE STUDENT 119 
 
 "This way, Horacio," said the Reverend Camargo, 
 turning abruptly to the left and leading the way along 
 a path which ran down between chicken-houses and 
 garden, between sweet potatoes and strawberries, across 
 a bit of meadow where two Jerseys and a donkey were 
 grazing, and through a gate along the football ground 
 to the college buildings. 
 
 Mackenzie College, a massive, ugly, rectangular ed- 
 ifice, of dirty-pinkish pressed brick, stood on an eminence 
 overlooking the splendid city, and, beyond the long 
 streets of thickly-crowded houses, the valley of the Tiete 
 sloped down from the Serra do Mar to the winding 
 stream at the bottom. Jaragua loomed up among the 
 hills, and the visitors ere they turned in at the door 
 caught a passing glimpse of its lofty crown through the 
 thick branches of the bamboos which grew along the 
 campus walls and overhung the street. 
 
 The upper floors of the building, fitted up as class- 
 rooms, were used temporarily for dormitories, and 
 already a number of students were arranging their few 
 possessions about the heads of their beds and upon the 
 little tables that stood there. 
 
 In the office they found the house-master, busied with 
 preparations for the opening of the term. He was a 
 student of one of the upper classes who was working 
 his way through college. The minister explained the 
 purpose of their visit and presented Horacio and the 
 card on which Dr. Street had scratched a few hasty 
 words of instruction. 
 
 Following the house-master, they all ascended to the
 
 120 HORACIO 
 
 top floor, where he designated an iron bed, a hay mat- 
 tress and a small table and chair for the new student. 
 
 "Here is where I shall put you," he said. "You can 
 send your box when you will. I shall be down-stairs to 
 receive it. You will need a blanket : the college furnishes 
 the rest. Bring towels, however, and anything else you 
 may be likely to need. ' ' 
 
 They thanked him and took their departure, pausing 
 a moment to catch a glimpse of the splendid view from 
 the upper window as they descended the stairs. 
 
 Returning to the city, Horacio made a few necessary 
 purchases and, refusing the hospitable invitation of his 
 new friend to stop at his home until the opening of 
 school, returned to the college with his small bundle of 
 effects and found his purchases already there. A small 
 box, or trunk, some clothing and bedding and a few small 
 odds and ends made up the list. Thrusting his hand in- 
 to his pocket, he drew out the remains of his capital and 
 spread the dirty, ragged notes upon his knee as he sat 
 upon the edge of the bed. 
 
 "Ten and ten are twenty and twenty are forty, and 
 here I have six more and some nickels. Not very much 
 to begin with! Well, a bad beginning may make a 
 good ending. We shall see." 
 
 The bell rang for dinner and Horacio followed the 
 sound to the refectory, which was situated at a short 
 distance from the main building. Here half a dozen 
 students gathered at one of the smaller tables with an 
 American professor at one end and the house-master 
 at the other. All remained standing until grace was
 
 THE STUDENT 121 
 
 said, when they took their seats. In a moment the soup 
 went around and the conversation which had begun was 
 lost in the sound of sucking from spoons. 
 
 All the students excepting Horacio were evidently 
 either those who had remained during the holidays or 
 those who had made an early return for some special 
 reason, nevertheless they showed but little interest in the 
 newcomer. A plain but plentiful dinner of roast beef, 
 rice, beans and another vegetable followed the soup, and 
 black coffee was the only dessert. After dinner the boys 
 gathered about Horacio and asked a few good-natured 
 questions, with which his initiation was complete. 
 
 The day of the opening of the school was always re- 
 served for the setting of the lessons and the designation 
 of text-books. A group of professors stood about the 
 office with books and papers in their hands and Dr. 
 Street sat at his desk writing, answering questions, and 
 giving instructions. The electric bells rang and the boys 
 rushed to their class-rooms. 
 
 Horacio made his way to the First Year room and 
 sat down at a vacant desk. Boys of all ages, from 
 thirteen years to twenty-five, filled half the seats. No 
 more than half the class was present, as punctuality 
 is not a Brazilian virtue. In a few moments a half- 
 dozen girls from the Girls' Building, in another part of 
 the city, filed in with their chaperone and took their 
 places. 
 
 Instantly every head was turned and a buz* of low- 
 voiced comment ran around among the boys. "Oh, see 
 Mathilde and Emilia!" "I never thought that Marga-
 
 122 EORACIO 
 
 rida would get up from below!" "Oh, what beautiful 
 eyes Isabella has!" "What a beauty Clara is! Um! 
 Urn!" etc. 
 
 The girls were demure and seemingly oblivious, but 
 the chaperone flushed and looked sharply at the boys, 
 whereat there was a momentary lull in the hum of voices. 
 The door opened with a bang and the Doctor thrust 
 his head in and as quickly withdrew it. 
 
 A hush had instantly fallen upon the class, but the 
 hum began again when the door was shut. In another 
 moment the door was reopened and the Doctor appeared 
 with a strange professor, evidently a foreigner. 
 
 "Mr. Willcox, boys and ah young ladies," with a 
 dry, quizzical smile toward the latter. "Mr. Willcox 
 will have the classes in English. As he has but recently 
 arrived and speaks no Portuguese, I shall explain for 
 him what books you are expected to secure." 
 
 When he had finished the Doctor withdrew and con- 
 ducted the new professor to another class-room, while 
 the professors of French, Algebra, Portuguese, Latin, 
 History, Drawing, Bookkeeping, etc., followed in rapid 
 succession, with quick words of greeting and infor- 
 mation. The Doctor then returned and dismissed the 
 class, waiting while the girls filed out and then throwing 
 the door open for the boys. 
 
 Horacio had taken a careful note of what was re- 
 quired, and when he had secured his books from the 
 house-master he found himself only the somewhat dis- 
 mayed possessor of the nickels which he had so carefully 
 counted after making his purchases in the city. That
 
 THE STUDENT 123 
 
 evening he went to the house of the minister in order 
 to bid farewell to his friend from Jahu, who was return- 
 ing to his home that day, after the session of Presbytery. 
 
 "Well, how goes it?" inquired the little man cordially, 
 rubbing his hands and smiling. Horacio smiled back 
 rather doubtfully, and thrust his hand into his pocket 
 to draw forth the nickels which remained of his capital. 
 
 "Well, well, that is better than being in debt! Pres- 
 bytery has voted you thirty milreis (about $7.50) a 
 month, on the condition that you spend your vacations 
 in evangelization, of which work you will make a careful 
 report to them." 
 
 A load was lifted from the student's heart. The 
 amount was small but it would suffice. He thanked 
 his friends warmly and, after a short visit with them, 
 bade the little man farewell and returned to the school 
 to have a dig at his books. 
 
 The days went swiftly for the new student, and habits 
 of study, systematic thought, and attention came to 
 him gradually. He became only slightly acquainted 
 with the other boys at first because for him there was 
 no time for football strange and fascinating game nor 
 for any other sports or recreation. Splendid health and 
 iron nerves stood him in good stead, for he must needs 
 distil from midnight oil the ointment for the axles of 
 learning. He was ashamed to stand among the little 
 boys, who thought him slow. 
 
 He spoke to no one of himself and his past life. The 
 football captain would have sought him out had he 
 suspected his strength and agility, but meekness and
 
 124 HORACIO 
 
 shabby clothes will bury a Grant or a Napoleon, and 
 Horacio came and went about his daily duties and ex- 
 cited but little comment 
 
 Once, indeed, the pet clown of the school marked 
 him for a caipira, or hayseed, and tried to use him as 
 a butt for jokes. Each day at lunch Horacio found all 
 the bananas of his table piled beside his plate. Bananas 
 were bad at that season, hard and coarse, and none of 
 the boys cared very much for them. The young man 
 was puzzled at this objectless bit of horse-play such as 
 boys delight in, but, although he flushed a little at 
 sight of the great heap of somewhat immature fruit, he 
 said nothing and selected the ripest for his lunch, then 
 broke his bread into his coffee and finished his meal. 
 
 Each day he chose his fruit from about a bushel that 
 was piled about his plate. Each day the boys with mock 
 courtesy collected and presented their offerings. Only 
 Horacio ate bananas for a week or so, and then they 
 tired of their play and let him alone. 
 
 After study-hall, in the evenings, the students smoked 
 in the dormitories, and although the rules against it 
 were strict there were few exceptions to the lawbreak- 
 ers. Horacio did not smoke at all. 
 
 Some few days after the opening of school four of the 
 leaders were called before the Dean and reprimanded. 
 They all denied the fact, but their denial was not be- 
 lieved. That night a council-of-war was held among the 
 boys. Horacio was studying at his little table and gave 
 no heed to the hum of voices. Presently a young man 
 who was leader and spokesman of the dormitory of the
 
 THE STUDENT 125 
 
 school, in fact, being a cousin of the President of Brazil 
 Cesario de Souza, touched him ceremoniously on the 
 shoulder and beckoned him to the group. 
 
 Horacia laid down his books with a sigh and, run- 
 ning his fingers through his unkempt hair, approached 
 the little conclave. De Souza struck an attitude, inflat- 
 ing his chest and thrusting the thumb of his left hand 
 into the armhole of his vest, waving the other hand in 
 what was fancied to be a gracefully impressive gesture. 
 
 "Colleague!" he began, "the honor of this dormi- 
 tory has been ruthlessly outraged and trodden under 
 foot. It is evident that we have a spy and telltale 
 among us. Of all of us you are the only one who does 
 not smoke and disobey the rules. Consequently ahem ! ' ' 
 with another majestic sweep of the hand "you alone 
 can be suspected of this base betrayal. What have you 
 to say?" 
 
 "Nothing," replied the young man simply. 
 
 "You confess your guilt?" cried the spokesman, 
 amazed, for denial is expected in all cases, and they were 
 planning to have a little mock-trial, with witnesses and 
 learned counsel on each side. 
 
 "I did not say that," said Horacio. smiling calmly. 
 "I was merely going to ask what concern it is of yours." 
 
 A general murmur of astonishment was heard, here 
 and there, from the boys. Their leader stammered out 
 an explanation: 
 
 "Why, esprit du corps, nobility of sentiment, class- 
 pride should prevent such ignoble and ungentlemanly 
 behavior."
 
 126 HORACIO 
 
 "Muito bem! Muito bem! Apoiado!" came from all 
 sides. 
 
 Horacio shrugged his shoulders as though he consid- 
 ered it entirely useless to carry on an argument where 
 such sentiments received cordial and unanimous approv- 
 al, and turned to go back to his work. 
 
 "I have no time to give to such nonsense," he said 
 briefly. 
 
 A bomb could not have caused greater consternation. 
 The President's cousin flushed with anger and sprang 
 toward Horacio, pulling him around again by his sleeve. 
 Horacio colored, but turned to meet him. De Souza 
 was white with wrath and stammered out, "We are not 
 through with you yet, Senhor Hayseed ! As for myself, 
 it matters nothing. My physician has told Dr. Street 
 that I must be permitted to smoke, and I have his per- 
 mission, but I speak for my fellows. We want no sneaks 
 here!" 
 
 "What are you going to do about it?" asked Horacio. 
 He was very quiet and his quietness deceived the boys. 
 
 "Do? Do?" stammered De Souza, for he had not 
 thought about that. "You will find out soon enough. 
 Sneak!" 
 
 "Look here !" said Horacio, who was tired of the affair 
 and anxious to go back to his studying. "You fellows 
 go at this thing your own way and no doubt it is a very 
 good way, but if you want to call me ugly names you 
 will have to prove facts or eat words. See? As for 
 you, Senhor de Souza, I'll let you off this time on con- 
 dition you go slow in the future."
 
 THE STUDENT 127 
 
 The young man turned his back contemptuously and 
 started for his books. This coolness and contempt were 
 too much for the student-athlete and leader. Reach- 
 ing forward, he caught Horacio by the collar and pulled 
 him backward, expecting to bring him ignominiously to 
 the floor. To his surprise Horacio 's body was stiff and 
 resisting under his hand. Like a flash the country boy 
 turned and caught his assailant by collar and handsome 
 scarf, raising him from the floor and shaking him like a 
 rat with both hands; then, setting him down hard on a 
 wooden chair, he said without quickening a breath, ' ' You 
 sit there and think!" and then he laughed a good, 
 frank, hearty, open laugh. "Now, fellows, I don't like 
 your smoking. It isn't right and, if I were asked, I 
 should tell what you are doing; but I am no sneak and 
 tattletale, and I tell you that once and for all. Never- 
 theless I think I can tell you how the Doctor found out 
 about the matter. Manoel, look behind your trunk! 
 Joao, look behind yours! Pedro ah! you don't need to 
 look: you know what is there! Why should any one 
 be accused of talebearing with all those cigarette stumps 
 for the house-master to see?" 
 
 The boys looked at one another sheepishly, while De 
 Souza sat still upon his chair and looked dazed. 
 
 Horacio turned his back for the third time and soon 
 lost himself in his books. The next day the football 
 captain asked him to join the eleven, but he declined. 
 
 Three months after the opening of school Mr. Wilcox, 
 having learned a few sentences of Portuguese, was made 
 house-master of the building. This was a grand lark
 
 128 HORACIO 
 
 for the boys. The new professor was a little man and 
 very lady-like. He also suffered greatly from home- 
 sickness, and wept often when he went to call upon the 
 American teachers down at the girls' school. His mod- 
 esty hung out a never-failing red flag at the slightest 
 call. 
 
 One night Horacio was returning from his monthly 
 call at the Minister's to receive his allowance from Pres- 
 bytery. Entering the school building, all seemed strange- 
 ly quiet below, but from above came a distant sound 
 of dancing and laughter. The young man wondered 
 that Mr. Willcox was not about, but slowly mounted the 
 stairs on his way to his room. The noise grew in volume 
 as he ascended, and at last only the dormitory doors 
 stood between him and pandemonium. Slowly he turned 
 the knob and entered. No one noticed his quiet appear- 
 ance on the scene, so he paused for a moment and gazed 
 upon a group which carried his memory back to the 
 days when the bugres were his nearest neighbors. 
 
 There, in the center of the floor, stood little Mr. 
 Willcox, suffused with blushes, while about him, chant- 
 ing a dismal measure, danced the inhabitants of all the 
 dormitories, joining hand with hand, and boasting no 
 other raiment than that which nature had given them. 
 Horacio appreciated the situation and the suffering of 
 the little house-master at a glance, and at the same 
 moment that he grasped the meaning of the perform- 
 ance he also grasped a pitcher of cold water and, with- 
 out a word of warning, threw the entire contents over 
 the nude young scamps.
 
 THE STUDENT 129 
 
 A howl of dismay arose and the circle broke and 
 fled. At first they thought it was the Doctor who had 
 come upon them, but when they saw who it was there 
 was an attempt for a moment to contest the ground. 
 Pulling a slat from one of the beds, Horacio herded 
 them out of the dormitory, and, gathering up the night- 
 clothes of those who belonged in his room, he flung 
 them out after them into the hall, bidding them put 
 them on before they attempted to return. A remem- 
 brance of the strength of his arm brought them dis- 
 cretion, and laughter took the place of anger as they 
 hastily scrambled into their garments. 
 
 Poor Mr. Willcox, meanwhile, sat upon a chair with 
 his head bowed upon the table, and as Horacio could 
 speak no English and he no Portuguese, he could find 
 no way to comfort him. 
 
 A knock came at the door, in which Horacio had 
 turned the key. He stepped forward and opened it, 
 laughing as he saw the long string of night-robed boys 
 waiting to enter. The boys laughed too. 
 > "Now, fellows," said the young man persuasively 
 "Meestare Veelcox is very badly hurt. I think you 
 ought to do the fair thing. Don't you think so? Here, 
 Guilherme, you speak English, come and interpret! 
 Meestare Veelcox!" he called to the mortified and dis- 
 comfited house-master. 
 
 Mr. Willcox lifted his head and Horacio beckoned. 
 The little professor came toward him and Guilherme 
 advanced shamefacedly from the group of students. 
 
 "Mr. Willcox," said the interpreter, "the boys want
 
 130 HORACIO 
 
 to say that they are sorry and hope that you won't say 
 anything to the Doctor." 
 
 This last was a stroke of diplomacy, but the house- 
 master's face immediately cleared and brightened. 
 
 "Oh, of course not," he said eagerly, "unless he asks 
 me about it, for he may hear of it in some other way. 
 But I do hope you boys will be a little more orderly! 
 I cannot talk to you in your language or it would be 
 easier for all of us." 
 
 Guilherme interpreted, and one by one the boys stepped 
 up and shook hands, mumbling sheepishly all sorts 
 of apologies, which only Horacio's presence kept from 
 being ridiculous in their tenor, for the students would 
 often take advantage of a teacher's lack of knowledge of 
 the language to solemnly get off all sorts of absurdities 
 or even obscenities in order to divert their comrades, 
 all of which the teacher must perforce accept as proper 
 replies until familiar with all the intricate, idiomatic 
 turns and twists of the language. 
 
 This ceremony finished, Mr. "Willcox went down the 
 stairs to his own room and Horacio turned to his studies. 
 
 Six months of school life soon passed away, and by 
 dint of the hardest labor and the most earnest applica- 
 tion the young student made up the studies in which 
 he stood behind his class, and made such further prog- 
 ress, with the aid of Mr. Willcox, who laid out for him 
 special reading and gave him night classes, that at the 
 beginning of the second semester he was able to take 
 his place among the students of the Second Year. Math- 
 ematics had been his bete noir. History, Latin and
 
 THE STUDENT 131 
 
 French were play for him, as they are for all Brazilian 
 boys, and in the English his new friends had given him 
 a substantial lift. 
 
 Life had now become less of a continual drudgery 
 to him and he was able to give time to football and 
 also to aid the Keverend ManoePs church. With the 
 beginning of the new semester he took up the study 
 of physics and chemistry with his class. Their pro- 
 fessor in these branches was a much-bedoctered but very 
 eccentric American, well liked and equally well tor- 
 mented by the boys. Horacio found it almost impos- 
 sible to contain himself at sight of the daily affronts 
 offered him by the young scamps. 
 
 "Manoel!" the teacher would say, "what is the prin- 
 ciple of the air-pump?" 
 
 " Manoel!" all the students would demand, in con- 
 cert, and imitating the peculiar Portuguese of their 
 instructor, "what is the principle of the air-pump?" 
 
 "Boys, he does not need our assistance!" cries the 
 Franklin. 
 
 "Boys, he does not need our assistance!" cries the 
 class in unison. "Everybody be silent!" With looks 
 of ludicrously exaggerated reproof each boy gazes in- 
 nocently about him at his comrades. 
 
 Silence for a moment and the teacher tries to 30 
 on. "Manoel. what is the principle of the air-pump?" 
 
 "The principle of the air-pump is " choruses the 
 class in a disorderly clamor. 
 
 "Manoel! Manoel, I said," interposes Mr. Franklin 
 nervously.
 
 132 HOBACIO 
 
 "Manoel, he said! Manoel! Only Manoel!" comes 
 from all sides, and then a great wad of filter-paper 
 sails over the heads of the class and alights upon the 
 teacher's desk, just missing his nose in its descent. 
 Boys leave their places and walk about the room on 
 a pretence of making sundry experiments, and bang 
 the apparatus noisily on the tables. 
 
 Horacio did what serious work he could, but felt 
 that his progress in these studies was slow. 
 
 Mr. Franklin, whose specialty was botany, had planted 
 an experimental garden, with rows of seeds of various 
 sorts, in a patch of ground which the Doctor had ceded 
 to him for the purpose. 
 
 One day Horacio passed that way and noticed the 
 long rows of little sticks with names of the various 
 plants. Others had noticed it also, and planned to 
 assist nature in giving the botanist a fine crop. That 
 night a deputation of boys skirmished about the dor- 
 mitories with a big basket, and then visited the oth- 
 er dormitory where the ninety small boys of the lower 
 school lived. 
 
 The next morning, as Horacio went to take his cof- 
 fee in the refectory, a strange sight met his eyes. On 
 the little botanical sticks were perched hundreds of old 
 shoes with their toes pointing in the same direction, 
 each little stick being provided with its own individual 
 shoe. A group of boys, convulsed with laughter, gath- 
 ered about the wonderful garden. 
 
 "Hush, boys! Here comes Meestare Frankleen," 
 cried one, as the fat little professor came waddling
 
 THE STUDENT 133 
 
 along toward the refectory. The group became silent 
 for a moment, but as Mr. Franklin approached one 
 of them, who was a little more audacious that the rest, 
 sidled forward and greeted him. 
 
 "Oh, Meestare Frankleen," he inquired innocently, 
 "what strange plants are these which you have set 
 out here?" 
 
 The Professor of Botany and many other things 
 gazed in astonishment at the strange freak of nature; 
 then, as the truth burst upon him, a feeble grin flick- 
 ered about his mouth and he shambled away in haste 
 to get his coffee, leaving the crop to be garnered by 
 the janitor. 
 
 Thus the year ran on and Horacio made steady prog- 
 ress. When the summer vacation began, in December, 
 with the consent of the minister he accepted employ- 
 ment in the city and gave all his spare time to study 
 and mission work. We cannot follow him through his 
 school life, but must look forward to the end of his 
 second year, when, on taking his examinations, he re- 
 ceived the diploma which would enable him to enter 
 the Seminary and begin his theological course.
 
 VIII. 
 THE COLPOETER. 
 
 HORACIO was hoping to be able to take the three 
 years at the Seminary in two, by working hard day and 
 night as he had done throughout his preparatory, and, 
 light of heart, he said good-by to his comrades and 
 started upon a long trip into the interior to sell Bibles 
 and other good books and do such humble preaching of 
 the gospel as he might be able. 
 
 Biding second-class on the train as far as Sao Manoel, 
 he found his faithful Bonito, who had been loaned 
 him for the journey by Sor Francisco and had 
 been sent to Sao Manoel in response to a letter from 
 the young man. Signs of age had begun to manifest 
 themselves in the sturdy beast, but to Horacio's joy 
 he gave every evidence of recognizing his old mas- 
 ter, and whinnied and caressed the young man as he 
 flung his arms about his neck. 
 
 The next day Horacio set out upon his journey, 
 with saddle-bags well stuffed with books, and turned 
 Bonita's head once more toward the sertao. At every 
 ranch and house along the way the colporter paused 
 to display his wares. The Bibles, furnished by the 
 Bible Society at much less than cost, were very attract- 
 ive, in leather and gold, with metal clasps; and the 
 
 134
 
 TEE COLPORTER 135 
 
 young man's ancient experience as a merchant came 
 in play again to gain him a hearing and a sale for his 
 books. 
 
 As night fell he found himself following between 
 interminable barbed-wire fences with endless coffee on 
 either hand, and at last came to the fazenda-house of 
 some rich proprietor. Although he would have pre- 
 ferred a humbler dwelling there seemed to be no choice, 
 and so he turned his horse's head toward the house 
 and rode up the long avenue, between beds of flowers, 
 fountains and long rows of orange-trees laden with 
 their golden fruit and fragrant blossoms. 
 
 An almost palatial mansion met his eyes at last, and 
 as he approached the building and clapped his hands 
 to attract attention, the bookkeeper came from his of- 
 fice on the lower floor and inquired what he would 
 have. 
 
 The young man explained that he was traveling and 
 selling books and, as night had overtaken him, would 
 like to have a bed and food for himself and feed for 
 his horse. 
 
 The bookkeeper courteously bade him dismount and 
 he would call the manager, who, upon hearing what 
 the stranger had to say, ascended to the principal 
 floor and consulted with the owner, an elderly Brazil- 
 ian lady who was reputed to be the wealthiest person 
 in the whole country. 
 
 Horacio already knew her palatial home in Sao Paulo 
 by sight and was somewhat taken aback at thought 
 of thus thrusting himself upon her hospitality; but
 
 136 HORACIO 
 
 the manager came down in a moment and bade him 
 enter, while he called a servant to take his horse to the 
 stable. 
 
 The old lady greeted him pleasantly upon the up- 
 per veranda and sent a servant with him to a small 
 room at the back of the house, bidding him haste, as 
 dinner was about to be served. 
 
 Horacio made his way somewhat awkwardly across 
 the gleaming marble floors, and after a wash, in which 
 part of the red dust came off in the soap-and-water 
 and a more than equal amount on the handsome towels, 
 came forth to seat himself at the great table, covered 
 with fine linen, porcelain and glittering silver. 
 
 A number of guests sat at the table and also the 
 manager and his daughter, who acted as the personal 
 attendant of the old lady. The blazing gaslights, nu- 
 merous well-trained servants gliding noiselessly about, 
 and the play of badinage and repartee, all combined 
 to cause the young man to shrink into himself. His 
 hostess raised her tortoise-shell lorgnette to discover 
 if he were well served. Horacio winced and almost 
 dodged. 
 
 "You have no wine, young man! Maria, fill his 
 glass!" 
 
 "Thank you, but I do not take it," replied Horacio 
 nervously. 
 
 "Ah! Perhaps you will have beer? Maria, open 
 a bottle and set it there!" 
 
 "Thank you! I do not take anything save water," 
 protested the young man, much embarrassed.
 
 TEE COLPORTER 137 
 
 "Here is sweet wine," insisted his hostess, with a 
 look of ill-concealed astonishment. "I do not know 
 what it is, Oporto, or Madeira. Maria, set the decant- 
 er near him!" 
 
 The terrible lorgnette turned away before Horacio 
 could stammer out a word of refusal, and he had to 
 let the glass which the servant had filled stand by his 
 plate untouched. He was too timid to ask for water 
 now, although very thirsty from his hot and dusty ride. 
 
 His hostess had lowered her lorgnette and joined 
 in the conversation with a bit of spicy gossip. A rip- 
 ple of laughter greeted the old lady's sally. Horacio 
 had heard such stories, in grosser language, at the camp- 
 fire and in the barracks. 
 
 The plates were deftly removed as soon as emptied, 
 or even whenever the knives and forks were accident- 
 ally laid side-by-side upon them for a moment. Each 
 time that a fresh plate, knife and fork were set before 
 him he perceived with a little start of surprise that the 
 meal was not finished, as he had supposed. He also no- 
 ticed for the first time that the guests here did not 
 put their knives in their mouths. In the school this 
 had not been brought to his attention, although he had 
 learned the use of a napkin there. 
 
 From time to time the old lady paused in her con- 
 versation and directed her lorgnette at his plate, plun- 
 ging him into momentary panic. At last the dessert 
 came upon the table. Horacio was fond of "doce" 
 and quickly emptied his plate. Again the terrible lor- 
 gnette !
 
 138 HORACIO 
 
 "Will you not have more?" she asked. 
 
 ''Obliged!" replied Horacio hesitatingly. 
 
 "Obliged, yes, or obliged, no?" queried Donna Vir- 
 ginia. "Ah, you say nothing! Then it is obliged, 
 yes is it not? Carlos, pass his plate to me!" Horacio 
 smiled and made no resistance. 
 
 Shallow glasses with long stems stood near each plate, 
 and the colporter had been wondering what could be 
 their object. A yellow liquid was now poured into them, 
 and as it bubbled and sparkled all of them raised their 
 glasses and saluted one another about the table, sipping 
 from their glasses and clinking them together before 
 putting them to their lips. This was a novelty, and 
 cold beads of perspiration stood out on the young man's 
 brow as he noticed that the eyes of all were fixed upon 
 him. 
 
 Again the glasses were raised and the salutations ran 
 around. A gentleman waved his glass toward Horacio, 
 muttered a polite phrase, and waited. All eyes were 
 now again turned toward the colporter in amused ex- 
 pectancy. 
 
 "Do you not accept?" asked the gentleman of Horacio. 
 
 The young man seized a glass of water that stood 
 at his neighbor's place and drank so hurriedly that some 
 of it spilled and ran down his chin. The younger mem- 
 bers of the family snickered audibly and their elders 
 could not altogether restrain their amusement, but there- 
 after they let him alone. Presently the old lady asked 
 him whither he would be going. 
 
 "I am on my way to the sertao," he replied, "and
 
 THE COLPOETER 139 
 
 in two days I hope to be in the forest. I am selling 
 books. ' ' 
 
 "Books! What kind of books? Will you show them 
 to us after dinner? Perhaps we may buy some." 
 
 "With pleasure," answered the colporter, "but they 
 are Protestant books. I have many nice Bibles. It is 
 the translation of Padre Figueiredo, approved by the 
 Queen of Portugal and the Archbishop of Lisbon." 
 
 "Ah!" said Donna Virginia, smiling, "we entertain 
 everybody here. One day it is a priest and the next 
 it is a heretic. I am glad to see that your hands are 
 clean, young man! The priests do not always have 
 clean hands. Oh, I do wish our padres would keep 
 themselves clean ! ' ' 
 
 "Mother!" exclaimed a matronly daughter 'depre- 
 catingly. 
 
 "No, no, don't * mother' me! It does seem to me 
 that priests ought to be clean though all the world 
 beside be soiled. There was Padre Antonio, who stopped 
 here the other day. His hands were dreadful, and 
 his linen oh, it was a sight, I do assure you. He ate 
 with his knife and murdered his Portuguese. 
 
 "No, I don't like that kind of priests any better than 
 I like heretics begging your pardon, young man! 
 for I presume you are a heretic if you sell Protestant 
 books. What do heretics believe anyway? I have al- 
 ways had a great curiosity to know." 
 
 Horacio flushed at finding himself the center of at- 
 tention again, but answered valiantly, "We believe in 
 the Bible. We believe that all men are sinners and
 
 140 HOBACIO 
 
 can by no possibility enter heaven through their own 
 virtues or by any other means save the death of Jesus 
 Christ. We believe that He died that we, by repentance 
 and belief, might be saved. That is all. We do not 
 believe in the traditions of the Church of Home nor in 
 the worship of the Saints and the Virgin." 
 
 "Santa Maria! He has his creed on his tongue's 
 end," laughed Donna Virginia, "and yet it is not bad, 
 what he says. I do not know why the priests should 
 make such a fuss about it " 
 
 "Mamae!" interrupted a young granddaughter, ap- 
 pealing to the matronly lady who had tried to restrain 
 Donna Virginia a moment before, "mamae! Eponina 
 wanted to get married to Joaozinha to-day. ' ' 
 
 "What!" exclaimed several in chorus, "she is only 
 eleven, and he can't be more than fourteen." 
 
 "That is what Padre Joaquim said," continued the 
 little miss demurely. "He opened her dress at the neck 
 and told her to go home and wait a year. ' ' 
 
 "Cruz e credo! There, that will do! You are too 
 young to be concerned about such matters," exclaimed 
 her mother with embarrassment. 
 
 "I saw something funny the other day," interposed 
 one of the gentlemen hastily, to create a diversion. "I 
 was going up to Sao Raphael and we had to stop for 
 a couple of hours at Cordeiros for the other train. There 
 was a group of Italians hanging about a house that was 
 being built across the way. Presently we heard a great 
 fussing and chattering over there and so we all went 
 across to investigate.
 
 TEE COLPORTEB 141 
 
 "We found a fellow stamping around, wringing his 
 hands and weeping yes, crying like a great child 
 kicking the loose bricks and mortar with his toe and 
 staring at the ground." 
 
 "What was the matter? Was he crazy?" asked 
 one of the ladies, as he paused for an instant. 
 
 "Crazy! Not much, as you will see! I asked what 
 the trouble was. It seems that the fellow had always 
 kept a twenty-franc gold-piece to remind himself of 
 home, and somehow or other he had lost it in the rub- 
 bish. 
 
 "'Oh, San Genaro!' he was wailing. 'Oh, San 
 Genaro! Giva me ma twenty liri back again!' and 
 all the time he was kicking the bricks and mortar around 
 and wringing his hands. Presently he stopped and put 
 his hands together like a child in prayer, and said, ' Oh, 
 San Genaro, giva me ma vinti liri and I giva thee one 
 for thine altar. Coma now, good Saint! seeka the gold 
 for me ! ' 
 
 "He looked about on the ground but did not find 
 the money. Then he tore his hair and wept some more, 
 but by-and-by he stopped and prayed again : ' Oh, coma 
 now, San Genaro, seeka me ma leetle piec,a monnee, ma 
 one lettle pieqa monnee! I giva due liri!' Again he 
 looked on the ground, with the same success as before, 
 and so he went on, wheedling the Saint and gradually 
 increasing his bids until he had promised the whole 
 piece for its restoration." 
 
 "Que engragado! And he found it then, of course?" 
 queried Donna Virginia incredulously.
 
 14* HORACIO 
 
 "You may laugh all you want, tia mine," replied 
 the young man with a smile, "but the actual fact is 
 that the poor fellow had no sooner promised the en- 
 tire gold-piece than he kicked it out of the ground 
 where he had been trampling it all the while." 
 
 "I don't see why not," murmured one of the young 
 ladies; "he was probably sincere in appealing to the 
 Saint." 
 
 "Wait until you hear the rest, cousin," laughed the 
 narrator. "Well, then, when he got the coin between 
 his thumb and forefinger you ought to have seen the 
 play of emotions on his face! First, I think it was 
 incredulity mingled with awe, which slowly faded into 
 a sly leer of cupidity and craft. 'Ah, ha!' he cried, 
 addresing the Saint, 'San Genaro, you old rogue! So 
 you thoughts to put up a jobba on me! Corpo di 
 Baccho! You coma getta the monnee! I giva to you 
 when you coma getta. Addio ! ' and the sly rascal thrust 
 the coin into his pocket and made off down the road 
 as if he expected the Saint to take after him." 
 
 A roar of laughter went up from the table, but Horacio 
 noticed that the young ladies looked frightened. 
 
 "What happened to the man then?" suddenly asked 
 the young lady who had spoken before and whose 
 interest had been intense, turning an eager, naive 
 face toward her cousin. A second shout of laughter 
 greeted her query, and in great confusion she retired 
 behind the epergne and a deep blush. Her mother came 
 to her rescue. 
 
 "There, never mind, Paulina! They ought not to
 
 THE COLPORTEB 143 
 
 laugh. 'Tis only a case of 'beads in the hand and the 
 devil in the heart.' Why, only the other day I heard 
 of a similar case. Donna Ernestina Franco lost her 
 comb and prayed to the Saint to find it, and shortly 
 afterward she found it just where she had looked 
 a moment before. Well ! She laughed and said, ' Pooh ! 
 If I 'd looked sharper the first time I should have found 
 it.' The very next day she lost it again and never 
 found it!" 
 
 "Cruz e credo!" exclaimed Donna Paulina, jump- 
 ing up a wee bit in her seat and provoking another 
 laugh at her expense. 
 
 Coffee having been served, a company of musicians 
 selected from the Italian laborers on the great plan- 
 tation struck up a schottische in the music-room be- 
 neath. The company adjourned to the large sitting- 
 room and Donna Virginia bade Horacio show them his 
 books. 
 
 A servant went to fetch the saddle-bags, and, in the 
 hush between two pieces of music from the band, a 
 sound of distant singing came from the direction of the 
 village or colony. 
 
 The young people rushed to the door, and all went 
 out upon the veranda to see what was going on. 
 
 Far off across the lake a long train of flickering candles 
 bobbed in a wavering line down the village street, to 
 the accompaniment of a weird and mystic chant which 
 rose and fell in charming harmony, to which the dis- 
 tance lent a most enchanting effect. 
 
 For a moment the procession paused at the chapel,
 
 144 HORACIO 
 
 then turned toward the house and came down upon 
 the long causeway, across which the little points of 
 light fluttered ever nearer and nearer. 
 
 Donna Virginia called the manager, as soon as she 
 saw that the procession was turning toward them, and 
 bade him illuminate the front of the building. In a 
 few moments the brilliant acetylene gas-lights flared out 
 at numerous points over the doors and at the angles of 
 the mansion, and slowly the procession swayed toward 
 them across the long causeway. The young ladies were 
 in an ecstasy of delight, and to the most indifferent 
 there could not fail to be a certain charm. At the 
 great black cross in the garden it paused again, and 
 by the wavering candlelight Horacio read the white 
 letters upon it, "O crux, ave spes unica nostra." 
 
 The weird chant came ever nearer and nearer, and 
 now the persons gathered upon the veranda could make 
 out the litter with the image of the Virgin, borne upon 
 the shoulders of four maidens at the head of the pro- 
 cession. Upon arriving in front of the house they 
 paused again and finished their song, then all cried to- 
 gether, "Viva Donna Virginia!" and passed on again 
 along the driveway toward the village. 
 
 The band now played another selection, and Horacio 
 spread his books upon the table while all gathered around 
 to see them. 
 
 "Is this the Bible?" queried Donna Paulina, touch- 
 ing a handsome volume gingerly with the tip of her 
 dainty finger. 
 
 "Yes, that is the complete Bible," replied the col-
 
 THE COLPORTER 145 
 
 porter, holding it out toward her. The young lady 
 drew her hands behind her and shuddered slightly, 
 turning away. Some of the others, however, turned 
 its leaves with ill-constrained curiosity. 
 
 "What is this copy worth?" asked Donna Virginia, 
 lifting a large Bible, in limp morocco, which she had 
 been examining. 
 
 "It is worth a fortune, senhora, but I sell it for four 
 milreis. ' ' 
 
 "Four milreis!" cried the lady in astonishment; "you 
 cannot mean this one. Why, that is giving it away!" 
 
 "The gospel ought to be free, senhora," replied 
 Horacio. "These books are sold at less than cost to 
 the publisher in order that all may have the privilege 
 of buying and reading." 
 
 "I shall take this one," she said, smiling, for she 
 was not too rich to be pleased at the thought of get- 
 ting a bargain, then added, as if in excuse for her action, 
 "I want to tease Padre Joaquim a bit" 
 
 One of the gentlemen purchased one also, and then 
 Horacio put his books away. 
 
 The next morning he continued his journey, after 
 a delightfully cold shower-bath. He was too much of 
 a Brazilian not to know better than to offer any com- 
 pensation other than his most cordial thanks for the 
 hospitable entertainment which he had received, and 
 Donna Virginia gave him a hearty shake of the hand 
 and hospitably bade him visit her again whenever he 
 might pass that way. 
 
 At about eleven o'clock he ate his breakfast at the
 
 146 HORACIO 
 
 humbler dwelling of a small farmer where he had paused 
 to sell some books, and there he urged the acceptance 
 of remuneration for the meal, but the kindly caboclo 
 would not accept a vintem. That night he approached 
 an extensive and well-kept fazenda and rode up to the 
 door to ask hospitality. A large, dark-featured man 
 came to the door, in response to the clapping of his 
 hands, and bade him dismount and enter before he 
 would even listen to what he had to say. 
 
 Horacio finally managed to make his wants known 
 and the man shook him cordially by the hand. 
 
 "Come in! Come in!" he cried heartily, drawing 
 him toward the door. "Never mind about your horse! 
 Joao, come here and get the gentleman's horse! I 
 suspect you are one of those fellows from Sao Paulo, 
 from the American School. The old man is here to- 
 night, but that don't make no difference. He won't 
 care. He likes to have a chat with any one that win 
 talk with him, and we have plenty of room for you in 
 the house." 
 
 "The old man?" said Horacio interrogatively. 
 
 "Why, yes, his Reverence, to be sure. Didn't you 
 know that this place belongs to Padre Malachias, Canon 
 of the See? You know the Church of the See, there 
 in the Largo da Se in Sao Paulo? Haven't you ever 
 seen the old man there in the city?" 
 
 "Yes, yes, of course. I remember now, but I was 
 not expecting to find him away up here in the edge of 
 the sertao." 
 
 "Well, here he is! This fazenda is his by inherit-
 
 THE COLPOBTER 147 
 
 ance; he didn't get it out of the poor jolly old beggar! 
 He'll never get much that way. His living costs him 
 a pretty penny all the time, and if it were not for this 
 fazenda he would not be Canon of the See. I'd hate to 
 know what it cost him in the first place ; it would make 
 me feel too bad ; but if the old chap sticks to it, and the 
 price of coffee stays up, he may come to be a bishop 
 by the time his tonsure has spread all over his noddle 
 and his back is bent double. 
 
 "But come inside! Here I am keeping you stand- 
 ing all this time, talking your head off; but then, you 
 see, there are not many come this way and I am as 
 bad as his Reverence to enjoy a crack with them." 
 
 Hardly understanding the cordiality of his welcome, 
 Horacio followed the man, whom he rightly assumed 
 to be the administrator, or manager, of the fazenda, 
 into an inner room, where he pointed out to him a small 
 iron bed and toilet articles, and bade him make him- 
 self at home, as dinner would soon be ready. 
 
 At the table he was presented to the priest, a jovial- 
 looking old man, portly and blear-eyed, somewhat broken 
 with age, but full of life and interest in the things of 
 life. The administrator's wife and three young girls, 
 his daughters, made up the number of those who took 
 their seats at the table, and Horacib seemed to see some- 
 thing familiar in the faces of all, something which he 
 was entirely unable to explain. 
 
 "You c-c-oome from Sao P-p-paulo, young man?" 
 mumbled Father Malachais, with a half stutter pecul- 
 iar to him.
 
 H3 HORACIO 
 
 "Yes, Senhor Padre," replied Horacio, dreading the 
 next question; for he was not at all sure that even 
 the sacred privileges of hospitality were sufficient to 
 assure him of respect were the nature of his business to 
 become known. 
 
 "Y-y-you mushed-mushed-must have seen me there 
 some t-t-time, young man, b-b-but I d-d-don 't remember 
 you," went on the old gentleman. 
 
 "I remember you very well, Senhor Padre. I used 
 to belong to the Batahao de Nossa Senhora do Car- 
 mo, in barracks at Sao Paulo for two years, and I 
 have seen you many times in the Church of the See. 
 I have also seen you many times on the street, but 
 of course you would not remember me," and Horacio 
 laughed at the thought of it. 
 
 "No, no. Just so, but my m-m-memory is pretty good, 
 isn't it, Zacharias?" 
 
 "Splendid!" asserted the administrator, laughing, 
 ''but I'll wager you ten milreis, Senhor Padre, that you 
 can't remember a thing that you never knew." 
 
 The old man chuckled. "I c-c-can remember a whole 
 lot of th-th-things that you n-n-never knew I knew 
 at any rate," and he looked sharply at his employe, 
 who blushed without exactly knowing why. 
 
 "M-malachias and Zacharias! Zacharias and M-mal- 
 achias! It's easy enough to m-make p-p-poetry out in 
 the roc.a. I always had a t-t-turn for the arts, Zacha- 
 rias, you knew that?" 
 
 "Yes, your Reverence, to be sure. Your Reverence 
 could paint a portrait of yourself so realistic that all the
 
 TEE COLPORTER 149 
 
 women-folks about the house were continually dropping 
 down upon their knees to get its blessing." 
 
 The priest looked hard at his old retainer to see if 
 he might detect the least sign of insincerity in his face, 
 but Zacharias was as solemn as a tombstone. 
 
 "Where is that p-picture I p-painted when I was a 
 lad, Zacharias? It used to hang in the sala." 
 
 "It is there now, Senhor Padre; you can see it after 
 dinner. ' ' 
 
 "Young man," resumed the priest, after mumbling 
 his food in silence for a few moments, "are you an 
 engineer?" and then, without waiting for a reply, he 
 went on, "because I have a very important coal-mine 
 here on the fazenda. I discovered it myself." 
 
 "I am afraid, Senhor Padre, that you must be mis- 
 taken about the mine," interrupted Sor Zacharias. "I 
 have hunted everywhere since you were here the last 
 time, and I can't find a trace of it." 
 
 " Mif-mif-mistaken, am I?" said the old man testily. 
 "Lots you know about it! You always want to make 
 an issue with me on scientific questions you, who are 
 a person of no education whatever." 
 
 "That is true, Senhor Padre, but this time I think 
 you are mistaken." 
 
 "Of course! Just so! That is the way every time. 
 There was that hole I had you dig, as you very well 
 know, where the kerosene ran in on the water that 
 gathered. Legitimate kerosene, young man," he con- 
 tinued, turning to Horacio as if in disgust and impa- 
 tience at Zacharias' incredulity, "pure and legitimate
 
 150 EORACIO 
 
 kerosene, young man! You are an engineer, you said! 
 Not Oh, you are not an engineer! Well, my nephew 
 is an engineer graduated at the Polytechnic at Rio 
 and he says that wherever there is keresone there you are 
 sure to find coal. So I have a very important coal-mine 
 somewhere on the property." 
 
 The administrator grunted dubiously, and then made 
 haste to press upon the priest a favorite sweet, as the 
 old man turned on him angrily. Padre Malachias took 
 the "doce," but resumed the argument with an imme- 
 diate demand to know why his statement should be 
 doubted. 
 
 "Well, for just this reason, Senhor Padre. There 
 was one of those fellows here the other day that be- 
 long to the State Bureau of what-do-you-call-ems jel- 
 logists ? j ollogists, eh ? " 
 
 "Geologists?" suggested Horacio. 
 
 "Yes, that's it! jollogists. Well, he said that the 
 kerosene had nothing to do with the coal : that idea 
 is all played out. So I took him down to the hole 
 there behind the house and showed him that shiny 
 scum on the water, and he said it was nothing but 
 iron-rust and that I could find it anywhere in this State. 
 Sure enough, I've been looking out for it ever since 
 and I see it everywhere. I wouldn't give that for your 
 old coal-mine," and he snapped his fingers contemptu- 
 ously. 
 
 Father Malachias choked to get out what he had to 
 say in reply, but finally gave it up and accepted a cup 
 of coffee. "I've g-g-got a m-m-arble mine, anyway,"
 
 TEE COLPORTEB 151 
 
 he muttered sulkily to himself, as the coffee ran down 
 his trembling chin. "I know I have a m-m-marble 
 mine, for this hill b-b-back here on my p-p-place 
 b-belongs to the same system of hills as " 
 
 " Stick to coffee, Father Malachias! Stick to coffee!" 
 cried Zacharias cheerfully; "the crop is extra good this 
 year. ' ' 
 
 The old man was easily led to drop the subject of 
 his mines and take up that of his beloved coffee-trees, 
 and to this he stuck until they left the room and went 
 to the sala. 
 
 Here the old man was again reminded of his work 
 of art and took up a position before the huge oil-painting 
 of himself as a young man which he had made before 
 a mirror when he was in the flush of his early vigor. 
 Cocking his head languishingly on one side he gazed 
 idolatrously at the portrait. 
 
 "I was a fine-looking young m-m-man, Zacharias," 
 he said pensively, "a fine-looking young m-m-man in 
 every respect. You remember me, Zacharias, how I 
 was then? Tell our young friend how you remember 
 me." 
 
 "Remember you, your Reverence! How old were 
 you then?" responded the administrator with a mis- 
 chievous grin. 
 
 "Let me see, I was thirty, Zacharias, and a fine-look- 
 ing young fellow. You remember me?" 
 
 "How old are you now, Senhor Padre?" inquired 
 the younger man, without replying directly to the priest's 
 question.
 
 152 HORACIO 
 
 "How old am I n-n-now? "Well, I'm seventy-five 
 seventy-five years old!" 
 
 "Well, I'm forty, Senhor Padre, so that picture was 
 painted five years before I was born, and I can't re- 
 member exactly how you looked at that time. Did your 
 Reverence have a bad toothache when it was painted 
 or what is it that makes that lopsided bulge on the 
 jaw there? and one eye is looking one way and the 
 other is busy about something else. They must have 
 fed you badly too, for it looks as ghastly as a corpse. 
 No, I can 't say that I think you were very good-looking. 
 I suspect that is where your Reverence got your repu- 
 tation for sanctity." 
 
 The old man smiled an indulgent smile and dropped 
 into an easy-chair. "Where is your b-boy, Zacharias? 
 Is he at school still in the same place?" 
 
 "Yes, your Reverence, he is still at the American 
 School, in the city." 
 
 "The American School!" exclaimed Horacio in great 
 surprise; "then I must know him. What is his name?" 
 
 "His name is Alvaro Silveiras. He is in the upper 
 course." 
 
 "Oh, then, I know him very well. He is a splendid 
 fellow." 
 
 The administrator's face beamed with pleasure, but 
 he answered modestly. "We think a heap of him here. 
 So you are from the school also? How is the boy?" 
 
 "He is well," Horacio replied, but Father Malachiai 
 interrupted him: "It b-b-beats me how these P-p-pro- 
 testants can t-teach a boy how to g-g-get ahead in the
 
 TEE COLPORTEB 153 
 
 world! There is no use in t-t-talkmg! Ave Maria! I 
 wish our p-p-people could get onto their t-tricks. But 
 you d-d-don 't send your girl to them ? The heretics have 
 not g-g-got a hold on you, my d-d-dear ? ' ' and he turned 
 to the eldest girl, who sat silently in a corner of the 
 room. She laughed and shook her head. 
 
 "No, no!" her father answered for her, "it's a bar- 
 gain between the wife and me: she goes to the Sacred 
 Heart, but the boys have to know something, so they 
 go to the American School, or at least Alvaro goes now 
 and the other will when he is big enough." 
 
 "And what are you d-d-doing so far from Sao 
 P-p-paulo, young m-man ? ' ' asked the priest, and Horacio 
 decided to answer frankly and take the consequences, 
 so he spoke out boldly, "I am selling Bibles and other 
 good books during my vacation." Horacio feared the 
 effect of his answer. 
 
 The old man laughed. "Humph!" he said, "I won- 
 der what the B-b-bishop would say if he knew I was 
 entertaining B-b-bible-sellers ? Well, I suppose it is a 
 b-business like any other, and, after all, I don't know 
 what harm the b-book ever d-d-did except to set some 
 of us p-priests by the ears. Alice, can't you g-g-give us 
 a little m-m-music, or haven't the Sisters d-d-done their 
 d-duty by you?" 
 
 "Come, Alice, jerk your repertory," said her father, 
 to forestall any bashfulness, dragging the stool to the 
 piano and pulling down her music for her. "She isn't 
 half bad," he explained proudly, "when she knows a 
 thing, but when you catch her on something she hasn't
 
 154 HORACIO 
 
 learned, there's more different kinds of snarled-up noise 
 in a minute than yon could unravel in a week." 
 
 Horacio had heaved a long sigh of relief at the easy 
 way in which the old priest took the knowledge of his 
 occupation, and now he leaned back comfortably in his 
 chair and enjoyed the really excellent music which the 
 young girl furnished. 
 
 The next morning he took leave of them all with 
 cordial expressions of good-will on both sides.
 
 IX. 
 
 ALFREDO. 
 
 FOLDED neatly in the inside pocket of his coat was 
 Horacio's first sermon! Whatever prejudices the other 
 boys might have against written addresses, he was de- 
 termined to confine himself to notes until he could learn 
 to confine himself to his subject and not go wandering 
 off into a maze of meaningless words. In an informal 
 talk it seemed to him that it might be well for a lad to 
 speak without them, but in a more pretentious address 
 he did not as yet feel like deserting them. 
 
 His first sermon was to be preached at a little chapel 
 at Bella Vista, whither he had been sent with a letter 
 to an elder who dwelt hard by. This little congregation 
 was the most numerous and important of all the little 
 groups of believers in the edge of the great sertao. The 
 minister at Lengoes had a general oversight of the 
 church, which comprised some forty members, and at 
 rare intervals he filled the pulpit on his itinerations 
 through the wilderness. At other times he managed oc- 
 casionally to send some one to give them the Word, but 
 the chief portion of the time they must needs shift for 
 themselves and make the neighborhood prayer-meeting 
 take the place of a regular service. 
 
 The bricks of the little chapel had been moulded 
 
 155
 
 156 HOBACIO 
 
 and burnt and the building itself had been erected by 
 the church members' own hands, and it was located 
 near the center of a little glade in the forest. Only the 
 house of a small farmer who acted as caretaker, or 
 sexton, stood near by, the remaining members of the 
 congregation being scattered upon small holdings lying 
 near and far in every direction. 
 
 Horacio bore a letter from the pastor to the Resident 
 Elder, as has been said, and on Saturday afternoon he 
 found himself approaching the place. The road led 
 up and down across creeks and over ridges and finally 
 through a heavy bit of timber to the colony of Sor 
 Joao Ribeiro. 
 
 This group of ramshackle, tumble-down, thatched 
 houses, piled together without regard for the road that 
 ran through it, with wallowing and squealing pigs and 
 fluttering hens in animated confusion, was the outlier 
 of civilization. Beyond the little colony the whole val- 
 ley showed signs of recent cultivation. 
 
 There was a lack of finish to the fields and to the 
 stumps and trunks which plentifully bestrewed them: 
 there was a lack of finish to the coffee-trees that grew 
 among the corn: a lack of finish to the houses, to the 
 fences and even to the pig-pens and the pigs themselves : 
 a lack of finish to the road, where the snubby trunks 
 and roots still protruded and tripped the horses or jolted 
 the carts: in short, worthy Sor Joao Ribeiro was "form- 
 ing" his fazenda, and hence money was short although 
 food might be abundant, and anything in the way of 
 luxury or style must wait for better times.
 
 ALFREDO 157 
 
 Down across a bit of meadow the tiled roof of a 
 very unpretentious plantation-house showed itself against 
 the dark green of the creek-bottom. Near by, the thud, 
 thud, thud, at intervals, of an industrious monjolo al- 
 ternated the splash of its emptying water. A little 
 farther on, down by the creekside, a combined saw and 
 grist-mill showed the enterprise of the owner, and far 
 beyond, against the uprising, dark line of the forest, a 
 wee bit of a building, scarce seen in the distance, would 
 upon closer inspection prove to be the district-school; 
 which also owed its life to the public spirit of Sor 
 Joao, who was a member of the distant Municipal Coun- 
 cil. 
 
 As Horacio drew rein before the fazenda-house the 
 door emptied forth a group of men and a clear voice 
 called across the dooryard, "Ah, colleague! good day! 
 How have you passed?" 
 
 Surprised at the salutation and yet half recognizing 
 the owner of the vibrant voice as one of his schoolmates 
 whom he would least care to see, he looked harder at 
 the group and presently found his suspicions verified, 
 as a tall lad of unusually pleasing appearance detached 
 himself from them and sauntered nonchalantly toward 
 him. 
 
 "Ah, Horacio, an embrace!" he murmured ere Sor 
 Joao could cry, "Dismount! Dismount!" 
 
 Horacio was obliged to return Alfredo's oppressively 
 warm and friendly embrace before he could give his 
 hand to Sor Joao and fumble for his letter of intro- 
 duction.
 
 158 HORACIO 
 
 "So this is one of your colleagues, come to hear you 
 preach, I hope, Sor Alfredo ? ' ' said the hospitable f azen- 
 deiro. l ' Here ! just give me your horse 's rein and go in- 
 side." 
 
 The hand which held the letter of introduction let 
 it slip back into his pocket and then dropped to his 
 side. He glanced at Alfredo with a puzzled expression 
 on his face. 
 
 "Come inside," said the latter with a gravely pat- 
 ronizing air, as he drew his arm through his. 
 
 Horacio followed his companion wonderingly and was 
 presented to the group at the door sons and nephews 
 of the fazendeiro, a friendly colporter and the district- 
 school teacher, who was also an authority in literature, 
 science and the arts by virtue of his once having taken 
 six lessons in Algebra. Horacio piled his equipage in a 
 corner and sat down upon a bench. 
 
 "So glad you came along," remarked Alfredo amiably 
 as he dropped into a place beside him. "Do you know, 
 I was feeling very lonesome. They want me to preach 
 for them on Sunday morning, so I hope you will share 
 the pulpit with me." 
 
 Horacio almost thought he could hear the leaves of 
 the sermon in his pocket rustle with indignation, but 
 he was too proud to make a contention for the place. 
 After all, it was probably a misunderstanding and a 
 conflict of territory. Why should not Alfredo speak T 
 he was first on the ground. But was there any neces- 
 sity for him to remain and listen? Yes, he must re- 
 main, as the morrow was Sunday. The women were
 
 ALFREDO 159 
 
 already laying the coarse cloth when Sor Joao returned 
 to the house from the stables. 
 
 "You must pardon the intrusion, Sor Joao," said 
 Horacio, rising, and determined now not to make use 
 of his letter of introduction. "I very much fear you 
 are crowded." 
 
 "Capaz! Just you make yourself at home. There's 
 always room for one more here. We are right glad 
 to see you. Sit down, sit down! We are luckier than 
 we deserve. The Reverend Gentil wrote that one of 
 you young men would be along, but we thought that 
 we should be disappointed until Sor Alfredo came, and 
 now we have you as well. Let me see, what is your 
 grace ? ' ' 
 
 " Horacio de Castro, your servant, sir," replied the 
 younger man. 
 
 "Well, Sor Horacio, we can have two sermons to- 
 morrow. Sor Alfredo can preach in the morning and 
 you can preach in the evening. How will that suit 
 you?" 
 
 "That will do very well," replied Horacio, grimac- 
 ing inwardly. 
 
 "But come and sit down! Dinner is on the table. 
 Come, everybody, and sit around ! ' ' 
 
 The young men crowded at once to the table, for 
 among the middle classes of Brazil the women eat in 
 the kitchen. 
 
 The head of the house bowed his head and mum- 
 bled a long and nearly inaudible blessing. In his lap 
 he held his youngest child, a little girl a year and a
 
 160 HORACIO 
 
 half old, who fed from his plate and wiped her grease- 
 daubed fingers on his beard. 
 
 The food was abundant and palatable chicken, veget- 
 ables and eggs, with coffee and milk to finish. In honor 
 of their guests all were on their best behavior as to 
 manner, and Sor Joao must needs rebuke the pedagogue 
 for scraping his plate on the floor for the benefit of the 
 dogs that lay under the table and scratched for fleas, 
 because the crunching of the bones was annoying during 
 polite discourse. 
 
 "Take that fork out of your mouth and eat with 
 your knife like a Frenchman! "Who taught you man- 
 ners?" he cried to his youngest son. "One would think 
 you didn't know anything just because you live in the 
 roc,a. It's terrible what disgusting tricks some people 
 do have," he continued with a sigh of pity. "That 
 reminds me how I come to be a believer. Leastways 
 that wasn't all they was to it, but that was what set 
 me a thinkin'. " 
 
 He stripped a drum-stick with his strong teeth and 
 went on between bites: " 'Twas over to Campinas, where 
 I used to live then. There's a famous church near by, 
 you know, the Penha, where lots of folks go to get healed 
 and to gamble during the season. Judging from the 
 number of wax figgers there is a-hangin' up in the end 
 of the church, I should think Our Lady would be too 
 busy with her healin' to tend to the gamblin', but it 
 seems she finds time for both. 
 
 "Well, I was over there one day when I was still 
 in darkness still in Rome, you know and what do
 
 ALFREDO 161 
 
 you think I saw? Why, there was two women come 
 in there, and a man with 'em more shame to him! 
 for you might overlook it in a woman, as their feelin's 
 is more delicate and sensitive, they say." 
 
 He made a wry face and a digression to see that 
 everybody had a full plate. 
 
 "Well, one of these women had made some sort of a 
 vow, or else they both had like as not if there should 
 be an heir in the family or something of that sort 
 and the two of them got down on their knees at one 
 end of that church and stuck out their tongues and 
 licked that dirty floor from end to end three times 
 thirty meters each way, at least leaving a long wet 
 streak behind 'em, and always careful to work toward 
 the altar so as not to hurt God's feelin's by turnin' their 
 backs to Him. 'If this is piety,' says I to myself, says 
 I, 'I'm goin' to be a heathen!' and I lit out of there on 
 the run, and the first man I met on the street hollered 
 after me and sold me a Bible. I think he was waitin' 
 there outside that place just to pick up such backsliders 
 from Romanism as me." 
 
 Dinner being finished, the host handed a large, heavy 
 Bible with gilt clasps to Horacio and laid a pile of hymn- 
 books on the table. 
 
 "You can read us a chapter and make us a little talk 
 on it," he suggested. 
 
 Horacio took the book and selected a Psalm at ran- 
 dom, after which he explained what he thought David 
 meant by it. His audience seemed better satisfied than 
 he did, and he turned with relief to the little hymn-
 
 162 EORACIO 
 
 book and gave out a familiar number. Here he was 
 in his element, and sang with such good-will and mel- 
 ody that they caught the spirit of the hymn, which 
 was entirely new to all excepting Alfredo, and before 
 he had reached the third stanza not a single voice was 
 silent. 
 
 One song followed another until a dozen had been 
 sung, and two hours had vanished like an instant; then 
 he called on Alfredo to offer prayer. 
 
 A moment later steaming pots of coffee, boiled with 
 milk, and platters piled high with crisp fried-mush 
 sprinkled with brown sugar, were set on the table and 
 suffered a terrible onslaught, after which all dispersed. 
 
 In the room off the sala seven narrow beds were 
 standing and it was here that space had been made 
 for Horacio. On each bed were one or two hens, And 
 these were hustled, cackling and angry, out of the "win- 
 dow, protesting in vain against the filling of all of the 
 beds with nothing but human beings and jumping in- 
 stantly to the sill again in a further attempt to dis- 
 lodge the intruders, which attempt, although earnest 
 and fearless, was entirely ineffective, for their enemies 
 piled indignities upon them by snapping towels in their 
 faces ( !) and silence soon reigned in all the house. 
 
 The next morning, after coffee, family-worship was 
 held without remarks on the Scripture-reading, and 
 afterwards breakfast was served earlier than usual, in 
 order that all might prepare for their five-mile walk to 
 the chapel, for not a wheel nor a hoof might stir on all 
 Sor Joao's place on the Lord's day.
 
 ALFREDO 163 
 
 Horacio thrust his precious sermon into his pocket 
 and set off down the dusty road with the others, and 
 in the course of an hour and a half all of them were 
 come to the modest little building where the people 
 worshipped. 
 
 At Alfredo's earnest insistence the young man took 
 his place with him in the pulpit, although he rather 
 resented his companion's ministerial long black coat, 
 which he considered premature and out of place. 
 
 All the boys bought Prince Alberts when they first 
 entered the preparatory, whether they could afford it 
 or not, and cultivated narrow white ties. Horacio could 
 not do it for two reasons because he did not have the 
 money and because he wished to maintain his self- 
 respect. Alfredo was two years below him at school 
 and had not even been instructed to undertake any 
 practice-preaching, so far as he was aware, but his home 
 was not far away and he had evidently borrowed a 
 horse and set out on his own responsibility, without 
 knowing that some one had been specially sent to do 
 the work. Almost any other Sunday there would have 
 been no one in the way. 
 
 While these thoughts, scarcely ministerial, were flit- 
 ting through his mind his companion suddenly inter- 
 rupted them by leaning over and asking him to make 
 the long prayer when the time should arrive. Horacio 
 nodded, then remembered his dry and dusty throat and, 
 beckoning the caretaker or sexton, asked him to bring 
 him a glass of water. To his dismay, the water came in 
 a long-spouted tin coffee-pot or "bule," with no cup
 
 164 HORACIO 
 
 or tumbler. He looked at it for an instant, then boldly 
 put the top to his lips, and, having satisfied his thirst, 
 passed it to his companion. Alfredo gazed at it doubt- 
 fully, as he had done, then put the long spout to his 
 mouth and gravely tipped it up. 
 
 It was now time to begin the service, and, a goat 
 having been dislodged from its position on the stool, 
 the wheezy little organ, much out of repair, was per- 
 suaded to lead the music as well as its quavering notes 
 would respond to the keys. Presently Alfredo arose 
 to deliver his address. Horacio could see that he had 
 no notes and that all his fine self-assurance had faded 
 away, leaving him in a sad state of trepidation. 
 
 "My dear hearers," he began, and jerked his hand 
 loosely into a quick gesture, recovering it again before 
 it was fully extended, as though he had suddenly 
 changed his mind about letting it go. "My dear hearers, 
 I wish to invite your attention to the first verse of the 
 eighteenth chapter of the Gospel according to Saint 
 Luke: 'Men ought always to pray and not to faint.' 
 
 "I will now give you a striking instance of the power 
 of prayer. Jonah, my dear hearers" the loose- join ted 
 arm jerked in irrelevant gesture and continued to do 
 so at singularly inappropriate intervals throughout the 
 discourse "Jonah, my dear hearers! Jonah was a man 
 that was a prophet! The Lord told Jonah to go to 
 Nineveh, that great and wicked city, and preach re- 
 pentance to the inhabitants. But Jonah was afraid 
 and fled from the face of the Lord! He took a steam- 
 boat, my dear hearers, and went out upon the ocean;
 
 ALFREDO 165 
 
 but there came a great storm, my dear hearers" gasp 
 and a long breath "my dear hearers! A great storm 
 came! The winds blew and the floods came and beat 
 upon that house steamboat, I mean and the great 
 waves came up against it. It thundered and lightened 
 and the steamboat pitched about until they all thought 
 they would be drowned. Then they fell upon their 
 knees and called upon their gods, and there wasn't any 
 one to steer the boat, so Jonah cried out that he had 
 sinned against his God, and it was all his fault, and so 
 they pitched him overboard, my dear hearers, into the 
 angry waves. 
 
 "But a great fish came, my dear hearers, and im- 
 mediately swallowed Jonah, and after three days and 
 three nights it vomited him up on the beach in front 
 of the city of Nineveh, my dear hearers. Then Jonah 
 went and preached to the people and they all repented, 
 my dear hearers ! That great and wicked city of twenty- 
 five thousand inhabitants all repented in sackcloth and 
 ashes ! 
 
 "But Jonah was angry, my dear hearers, so he went 
 up on the hill, where the sun was very hot, and he 
 prayed to God to slay him; but God sent him a gourd- 
 tree which grew over him, so that the sun would not 
 bother him. So here you see this striking answer to 
 prayer, my dear hearers, and then an animal came and 
 gnawed the tree and it died. 
 
 "Here is another striking answer to prayer, my dear 
 hearers. When Christ was on the mountain in the 
 garden, they came against him with shot-guns to take
 
 166 HORACIO 
 
 him, and they took him and delivered him up and cruci- 
 fied him. So he prayed, 'Father, forgive them, for 
 they know not what they do.' 
 
 "All this teaches us, my dear hearers, that we ought 
 always to pray and not to faint. 
 
 "Let us sing hymn number one hundred and twen- 
 ty-seven, hymn number one hundred and twenty-seven 
 the first three stanzas!" 
 
 The weather threatened rain so ominously that they 
 all set out immediately after the service to return to 
 the fazenda, as it seemed injudicious to attempt to wait 
 and hold an evening service. 
 
 At the cross-roads they stopped for a moment to 
 await a stranger who signalled to them from a distance. 
 A large iron cross stood at the parting of the ways, 
 and, as Horacio looked at it and wondered to see such 
 a substantial emblem, Sor Joao explained : 
 
 "There used to be a wooden cross there, but my 
 neighbor over here, when he got religion, couldn't bear 
 to see no such Roman fixin's here, so he just come over 
 and chopped it down 'the groves and the high-places,' 
 you know. Sor Elias, what put it up there, he didn't 
 know who it was that done it, so he set up another 
 one and kep' an eye on it, and then my neighbor he 
 come over again and chopped the other one down and 
 burnt it; but Sor Elias he knew who it was that done 
 it this time, and he sent into town and got this iron 
 one, and then he sent word to my neighbor to just leave 
 it strictly alone or he'd fill him full of buckshot. So my 
 neighbor he thought he had gone as far as -duty called
 
 ALFREDO 167 
 
 him" a chuckle from the narrator gave all necessary 
 comment on his neighbor's valor "so he let it alone 
 thereafter. 
 
 "For my part, I don't believe as how we have any 
 call to do no such violent acts as that. The cross 
 ain't to blame for nothin'; it's just the misuse of it, I 
 take it. What do you think about it, Sor Alfredo?" 
 
 "I think you are quite right," replied Alfredo, puff- 
 ing himself. 
 
 "You see those peanut-shucks there in the road," 
 continued Sor Joao; "that just shows how these Ro- 
 manists mix things up. There's that same fellow, Sor 
 Elias, what put up that cross there, has gone and thrown 
 them shucks at the cross-roads so that all the people 
 that goes by on both roads will tread on them and 
 make his crops larger, and, if that fails, why maybe 
 the cross will help him out. But here's why blessed 
 if it ain't Emilio! Mornin', Emiloi How have you 
 passed?" 
 
 "Morning!" replied the newcomer, a brother-in-law of 
 Sor Joao, "how have you passed?" 
 
 He shook hands and embraced and was presented 
 to the students. Together they went on toward the 
 sitio and reached it just as the clouds began to pour 
 down a heavy rain. 
 
 Sor Emilio, like the young man with whom we have 
 already made acquaintance, was a district-school teach- 
 er, and had walked over from his distant field of labor 
 to attend church, but had been delayed upon the way. 
 
 After a lunch of coffee and fried-mush, family-wor-
 
 168 HORACIO 
 
 ship was again held, and then one and another called 
 for a favorite hymn. Thus the hours were passed until 
 the added darkness, due to the declining sun, warned 
 them that the table must be laid for dinner, and so 
 they cleared away their books from it that the women 
 might spread the cloth. 
 
 Sor Emilio's voice, perhaps, aided in doing away 
 with any lingering reluctance to bring the sacred con- 
 cert to a close. Sor Emilio was very fond of sing- 
 ing and very proud of his voice, and it was some- 
 thing of which to be proud indeed! He handled the 
 four principal parts with equal ability simultaneously 
 and intermittently. Keys were, to his mind, properly 
 employed in opening doors and drawers, but in music 
 they had but little place. He fluted and flounced and 
 trimmed the tunes with ribbons and plumes, and his 
 voice in any part was penetrative and prevalent. Only 
 Horacio's correct ear and smooth, strong voice kept 
 the tunes upon their feet with the aid of their staves 
 and even then they halted somewhat. He welcomed 
 the diversion and gladly laid down his book. After 
 dinner family-prayers came again and the evening passed 
 as before, with discussion and singing.
 
 THE PRETENDER UNMASKED. 
 
 THE next day was too stormy for work or for trav- 
 elling, and about nine o'clock, as they were gathered 
 in front of the house, a horseman splashed through 
 the mud and rain, slipping and sliding as though the 
 animal which he bestrode would fain exhibit his terp- 
 sichorean proficiency and accomplishments slide upon 
 slide, stagger upon stagger, here a leg and there a leg, 
 and hard to say where the next would be and whether 
 he could bring himself back to the vertical again. 
 
 The rider paid no manner of attention to his erratic 
 progress, but swayed his body in unconscious accord 
 with the vagaries of his march, for a single-footing 
 horse on a stretch of wet clay travels like a light- 
 headed caboclo who has lingered too long at the cachaga. 
 
 In short, if one will ride on clay, with weeping 
 skies o'erhead, let him put spurs to his steed and re- 
 gard not the manner of his going nor that adage which 
 would persuade him that the more haste the less speed, 
 for mathematics will not save him. 
 
 The messenger drew rein and slid the last half-dozen 
 meters of his journey down to the door where Sor 
 Joao stood watching him. 
 
 "Dismount!" he cried, "dismount and come inside! 
 
 169
 
 170 HORACIO 
 
 It's deep to wade and shallow to swim this morning." 
 
 He gave his hand to the horseman, who leaned from 
 the saddle to grasp it but would not dismount. 
 
 Sor Joao stepped back again into his slippers and 
 the protection of the doorway, which he had left to 
 salute the stranger, for the drip of the eaves had caught 
 his bald pate as he stepped out into the mud in his 
 bare feet. The messenger was a lad from Sor Samuel's, 
 two leagues back in the forest. 
 
 "I cannot stop," said the young man hastily and 
 with a grave face, as Sor Joao urged him to dismount; 
 "Sor Samuel's woman has gone home. She passed 
 away yesterday and must be buried to-day, for she 
 won't keep. We heard that there were services yes- 
 terday and I came to see if the Reverend Gentil would 
 go to the grave. Is he still here? I must go on and 
 let Manoel know, that he may make the grave. They 
 will be here with the deceased in about two hours. They 
 started when I did." 
 
 "Ah. I grieve to learn of our brother's loss. But 
 the Reverend Gentil is not here to-day. He sent a 
 young man from the Seminary. Perhaps the young 
 man will go. Sor Alfredo! You will go to the grave 
 is it not so?" 
 
 The young man arose and came forward. "Really, 
 you must excuse me," he said, with a slight shrug 
 of his shoulders, "I have not the book of services." 
 
 "Don't let that trouble you," answered his host; 
 "I have the book here. All you need to do is to read 
 the service, make the prayer and give out a hymn.
 
 TEE PRETENDER UNMASKED 171 
 
 I could do it myself, but the good Lord didn't cut me 
 out for speechifyin'. " 
 
 Alfredo gazed out into the storm. The wind blew 
 the rain in sheets and the water skurried down the 
 road and over every slope in torrents. 
 
 "Beally, I think the service might be dispensed with 
 on a day like this. Where is the cemetery?" 
 
 " 'Tis a bit further on, about two kilometers down 
 the lower road. The funeral will pass us here on the 
 other side of the corrego, along the foothill road. You 
 can see them comin' when they pass the turn up there, 
 a quarter of an hour away, and cross the bridge and 
 join them down below." 
 
 "But will they come a day like this? How far is 
 it to the house where the woman died?" 
 
 "Oh, two leagues or thereabouts. Yes, they will 
 come. She will not keep and no one knows how long 
 it will rain. They cannot wait on the storm." 
 
 Alfredo fidgetted from one foot to the other. "I am 
 not feeling very well this morning," he murmured, 
 "my throat huh! huh! " fetching a cough, "has been 
 bothering me for some time." He coughed again once 
 or twice in demonstration. "Let them do as they would 
 have done had we not been here." 
 
 Sor Joao looked toward Horacio. "And how is it 
 with you? Have you a cold also?" 
 
 "I will go if you wish," he replied, disregarding 
 the latter part of the query. "Please let me have the 
 book so that I may glance over the service." 
 
 Sor Joao went to find the little volume, and the
 
 172 HORACIO 
 
 messenger dashed off through the mud, leaving the news 
 of the woman's death with the friends and neighbors 
 wherever he passed. 
 
 "Have you a Protestant cemetery nigh at hand?" 
 Horacio asked, as he took the little book from Sor 
 Joao. 
 
 "No, it is not a Protestant cemetery exactly. It 
 did belong to Rome and was consecrated ground, but 
 after the Empire passed away the Municipality took 
 it and made it free to all, only, to avoid trouble, we 
 take one side and our neighbors who still belong to 
 Rome take the other." Sor Joao began to chuckle and 
 there was a droll twinkle in his eye as some humorous 
 recollection came to his mind. 
 
 "Sor Elias come by here the other day," he said 
 at last, "and stopped off to bargain for a horse I 
 have. I disremember what started it ah, yes, that was 
 it! We was a-talkin' of the tatus that got into the 
 maize and destroyed a tremendous lot, burrowin' and 
 stealin'. 
 
 " 'Hum!' says he, 'I see they're a-burrowin' away 
 up in the graveyard,' says he. 
 
 " 'Yes,' says I, 'I noticed of it.' 
 
 " 'No doubt,' says he, 'but did you notice that they're 
 a-burrowin' altogether to get at the Protestants, while 
 they leave our people in peace?' says he. 
 
 " 'No,' says I, 'I took no notice of it' " 
 
 "'Of course not,' says he, with a grin; 'well, it's 
 gospel truth! How do you account for it that they 
 should go over to your side and not come to ours?
 
 TEE PRETENDER UNMASKED 173 
 
 I take it they can't bear to see a heretic corpse a-lyin' 
 in good soil what's been blessed and sprinkled by the 
 padre, so they've set to diggin' of 'em up to get 'em 
 out of there,' says he, and laughs as though he had 
 me there. 
 
 " 'Pooh!' says I, for he spoke first, and second- 
 hand is best in an argument if it isn't in clothes, 'I 
 know what the tatus are after,' says I. 'They knew 
 the' wa'n't no hope for you folks when the resur- 
 rection come, so they just set to, to open up a way 
 to make it easy for our folks to come forth, and bur- 
 rowed down in our graves and not in yours.' 
 
 "He hadn't nothin' to say to that, so I thought I'd 
 clinch the nail in him before he come up with some- 
 thing new, and so I just asked him why they buried 
 those two lepers outside the graveyard wall. They 
 was good Romanists, both of 'em, but they wouldn't 
 give 'em a place inside he, he! He got red in the 
 face and he says, says he, 'Why, it's ketchin', of 
 course!' but I laughed so hard he grabbed his hat and 
 rode away, and I fancy he ain't found out yet what 
 I was laughin' at. But go on with your readin', for 
 they'll be along by-and-by. I'll have your horse ready 
 out under the shed there." 
 
 Horacio set himself to his studying, and it seemed 
 but a short time until his hostess thrust her head in 
 from the kitchen, the rear window of which commanded a 
 view of the road on the other side of the corrego. 
 
 "Here comes the interment!" she called, and dis- 
 appeared.
 
 174 HORACIO 
 
 The young man hurried to the window and looked 
 out. Around the long slope of the hill a file of horse- 
 men made their way, splashing through mud and rain. 
 At the head of the procession two men with breeches 
 rolled to their knees above their bare feet and legs, 
 bore a long pole from which the corpse was slung in 
 a hammock. Behind them followed a half-dozen others, 
 ready to take their turn at the pole when their com- 
 rades were weary. Thus they had come those two 
 leagues and more that morning, and thus they would 
 go on until they reached the little graveyard. The 
 horses of those who were afoot were led by their friends 
 ttho were mounted, in order that they might not need 
 to walk back. 
 
 Horacio threw his pala over his shoulders and mounted 
 his horse to join them farther down the road. Sor 
 Joao and two of the young men accompanied him. The 
 others remained with Alfredo. 
 
 The little cemetery was surrounded with a white- 
 washed mud wall topped with tiles to shed the rain, 
 which would quickly destroy it if left unprotected. On 
 the farther side rude, weather-beaten crosses marked 
 the last resting-places of those who had died in the 
 bosom of Rome, while plain wooden slabs for the most 
 part indicated the sepulture of the Protestants. 
 
 The place was barren enough at its best, and in 
 the pouring rain presented but a disconsolate and for- 
 lorn appearance. A large group of friends was already 
 gathered at the grave, where one of the neighbors was 
 bailing with a large gourd the water which steadily
 
 THE PRETENDER UNMASKED 175 
 
 flowed into it from the upper strata of the surface soil. 
 
 " 'Tis not a dry bed she will have," remarked one 
 of the bystanders, as the bailer seemed to make no gain 
 on the influx of the yellow water. 
 
 "What matters it?" replied another. "She has gone 
 up higher!" 
 
 "True, true!" assented the other speaker, "but the 
 seeming of it is not pleasant. It is bad weather to 
 die in." 
 
 "For the pall-bearers?" queried the other, with a 
 grim chuckle 
 
 The head of the procession now appeared at the 
 cemetery gate and the bearers staggered and slipped 
 through it, digging their bare toes into the clay and 
 struggling up the path, while the mud-bedaubed ham- 
 mock swayed and strained at the pole. Having ar- 
 rived at the side of the grave, they laid their burden 
 down upon the ground and wiped their brows, steam- 
 ing with rain and sweat. 
 
 The corpse had been wound about with many cot- 
 ton cloths and wrappings, and was now divested of 
 the hammock and stretched beside the muddy opening 
 in the earth. 
 
 A hasty consultation ensued between the family and 
 Sor Joao, and the latter presented Horacio. An um- 
 brella was produced, and beneath its protecting shelter 
 he opened the little manual and read the service for 
 the dead amid a silence only broken by the splash of 
 the falling rain and the rush of water as the grave-digger 
 emptied his gourd,
 
 176 HORACIO 
 
 In spite of the inauspicious circumstances there was 
 a certain solemnity about the little service, which was 
 concluded with the hymn: 
 
 "Jesus resusitou! Certas as novas sao!" 
 The corpse was then gently lowered into the water 
 which still remained in the grave in spite of all the 
 efforts of the bailer, but it would not sink to rest on 
 the bottom. It was necessary to retain it in position 
 with the shovel until the earth which was thrown in 
 upon it weighed it down into place. In a few mo- 
 ments the excavation was closed and the little com- 
 pany of believers scattered. 
 
 The rain continued throughout the day, but toward 
 night the sky cleared and the clouds broke away, giving 
 hopeful promise for the morrow. 
 
 As it grew dark a couple of neighbors passed on 
 their way home from a distant sitio. The younger 
 of them bore under his arm in a waterproof case a 
 little guitar, or viola as it is called, which immediately 
 attracted Alfredo's attention. With sparkling eyes ho 
 turned toward the newcomers. 
 
 "Oh, let us have a modinha! You sing, don't you?" 
 he cried. 
 
 The young man shuffled his feet uneasily and glanced 
 first at Sor Joao and then at the older man. "Yes, I 
 sing a little," he admitted deprecatingly. 
 
 "Let us have a modinha then, won't you? There 
 is nothing I like so much," insisted Alfredo. 
 
 The young man still hesitated and turned his in- 
 strument over and over in embarrassment, without tak-
 
 THE PRETENDER UNMASKED 177 
 
 ing it from the case. His older companion glanced at 
 him in some amusement and finally said, "Give him a 
 song, Celestino, if he wants it." 
 
 Celestino drew the instrument slowly from its case, 
 ran his hand across the wires and hunched up close 
 to his companion. Striking a vigorous prelude, he 
 sang in a wierd falsetto of one So-and-so who had a 
 grudge against So-and-so. 
 
 His companion caught up the tail-end of this sinister 
 statement and chanted it mournfully after him, so that 
 he had time to repeat it and catch up with the other, 
 and thus they finished it together, with a quaint har- 
 mony; but the fact was no sooner established than 
 the falsetto announced quickly that So-and-so stuck 
 his knife in the armhole of his vest and started off to 
 So-and-so's house. 
 
 This second statement was immediately established 
 in the same manner as the first, and then the falsetto 
 went on to affirm that after So-and-so had courteously 
 saluted So-and-so with a few choice Brazilian exple- 
 tives, a second knife was produced by the gentleman not 
 on horseback, whereupon the cavalier proceeded to dis- 
 mount and there was trouble and disaster, and the 
 dying rhythm of this latter well-established fact faded 
 away into a strain whose mournful cadence might well 
 have served as the unfortunate So-and-so's requiem. 
 
 Alfredo was delighted and so indeed were a num- 
 ber of others, but Sor Joao was not pleased. An almost 
 unintelligible ballad of an African love-adventure fol- 
 lowed, and then the travellers remounted and continued
 
 178 HORACIO 
 
 their journey, after gulping down the inevitable coffee, 
 but Sor Joao had disappeared with Sor Emilio in the 
 rear of the house to attend to his chores. 
 
 "We don't have profane music here any more since 
 we came out of Kome and her vanities," explained one 
 of the boys. 
 
 "But did you notice Sor Joao 's feet a-shuffling to the 
 music?" added one of the younger ones, grinning. 
 
 An hour had passed after this unfortunate trespass 
 of the world, the flesh and the evil one, when the 
 sound of approaching hoofs was again heard and the 
 Reverend Gentil rode up to the door on his sturdy 
 little nag. With an exclamation of mingled pleasure 
 and surprise Sor Joao sprang forward and assisted 
 him to alight. 
 
 "Ohe!" he cried, "what good fortune brings you 
 here? We shall have the house full of preachers to- 
 night!" 
 
 "What! is Horacio still here? You will be over- 
 crowded," the minister said, wringing the presbyter's 
 hand. 
 
 "Capaz! There's always room for one more, and 
 for a dozen if they bring the Word with them." 
 
 "Thank you! Well, if you are sure I do not in- 
 commode? I did not expect to come this way. The 
 bridge is down on the Rio Negro, and I must needs 
 let the believers on the other side wait until I can go 
 that way again. You must let me know if they rebuild 
 tfie bridge soon; if not, I must go around by the Ponte 
 Alta next time. What! you here, Alfredo?" He had
 
 THE PRETENDER UNMASKED 179 
 
 been shaking hands around, and exclaimed at sight of 
 the tall student. 
 
 "Oh, yes, I'm here. I thought I would come over 
 and do what I could to help." 
 
 "Ah, that is good! I am glad to see you. An em- 
 brace, Horacio! So you fleshed your maiden sword 
 yesterday? Sor Joao, did he do the Presbytery credit?" 
 this jokingly. 
 
 Horacio flushed and felt ill at ease, but Alfredo's 
 composure was perfect. Horacio wondered why his 
 school-fellow had been nervous in the pulpit. Sor Joao 
 looked inquiringly from one to the other and was about 
 to speak, but the minister, evidently comprehending the 
 situation, went on: 
 
 "By the way, Alfredo, how is Sor Reynaldo's horse? 
 He is much distressed about it." 
 
 "What horse?" asked the young man, with admirable 
 poise. 
 
 "The horse you borrowed last week to ride home, 
 and were to have returned to him, but it was too sick 
 to send over. He showed me your letter and was 
 anxious about the horse. The animal is a great pet 
 and favorite, it seems." 
 
 "Ah, yes, to be sure," said Alfredo, with a frank 
 smile, "the horse was doing nicely when I left. I shall 
 send him home as soon as I return." 
 
 "Where has Sor Joao gone?" suddenly inquired the 
 minister, missing him. 
 
 "He has just gone around to the stable with your 
 horse," said Henrique, one of the boys.
 
 180 HORACIO 
 
 "Ah, I must have my saddle-bags! I will go after 
 them." 
 
 "It is not necessary, Sor Gentil! I will go if you 
 want, but father will bring them when he comes," said 
 the son, but the minister was already through the door 
 and halfway along the side of the house. 
 
 When he returned the table was prepared for sup- 
 per and had been lengthened by adding a couple of 
 boards supported on boxes. All seated themselves and 
 the minister returned thanks. 
 
 "Sor Joao tells me that you did not preach for them 
 on Sunday after all," said he presently, as the knives 
 and forks began to fulfill their offices. He looked at 
 Horacio, who flushed but said nothing. 
 
 "He was to have preached in the evening," said 
 Alfredo calmly, "but the weather was unpropitious. " 
 
 "Sor Alfredo preached in the mornin'," added the 
 host, with a bit of pork between his teeth which par- 
 tially obstructed the statement. "He got here first, you 
 know. Did you send Sor Horacio also?" 
 
 The minister looked from one to the other of the 
 two young men. Horacio certainly seemed to be at 
 least a criminal, if one might judge from his face, 
 while Alfredo seemed at least a saint. His serene 
 self-confidence was undisturbed. 
 
 "Did you give my letter to Sor Joao, Horacio?" the 
 minister inquired, at last. 
 
 "No, senhor," replied the student unhesitatingly; "I 
 found that Alfredo had already arranged for the morn- 
 ing service and so I kept the letter. It seemed to me
 
 TEE PRETENDER UNMASKED 181 
 
 there had been a mistake and I saw no need to say 
 anything. Sor Joao opend his house to me most hos^ 
 pitably without any letter," and he smiled at his host 
 to smooth away the awkwardness of the situation. 
 
 The Reverend Gentil said nothing but looked vol- 
 umes. Presently he turned to Alfredo and remarked 
 indifferently, "How like your horse is to Sor Rey- 
 naldo's! I saw it just now in the stable." 
 
 ''Yes, it is very much like his," replied the student, 
 with unwavering eye; "I always thought they looked 
 alike." 
 
 The minister did not pursue the subject further, but 
 a sudden chill seemed to settle down between Alfredo 
 and the rest of the company. 
 
 The next day Horacio went on his way and the 
 minister took the road in the opposite direction, but 
 Alfredo borrowed a gun from his host and went off 
 in the woods to shoot. 
 
 Towards the middle of that day the colporter be- 
 gan to get well into the edge of the sertao, or virgin 
 forest, only broken in isolated spots by clearings for 
 coffee planting. Here the corn grows among the charred 
 ruins of the forest, and only the decay which time can 
 bring finishes the work which the axe and fire begin. 
 
 In the little square holes, roofed over with minia- 
 ture log-cabins of sticks to protect them from the sun, 
 the young coffee-trees were thrusting their brilliant, 
 waxy-green leaves up though the interstices of their 
 houses, while all the ground between not occupied by 
 the fallen timber was devoted to beans or corn.
 
 182 HORACIO 
 
 The great hoes fell heavily upon the ground, littered 
 with last year's stalks and rubbish, as men and women 
 labored to prepare the ground for the coming seed- 
 time and harvest. The corn must battle with the woods 
 in a life-and-death conflict, for plows were unknown 
 and hands could not be spared to keep the surface 
 clean. 
 
 In the damp spots, where the ground lay low by 
 the margins of the countless streams, the little patch- 
 es of rice grew thick and abundant. In June it would 
 be harvested, and men and women laborers, with knife 
 in hand, would grasp its tall stalks with one hand, and 
 gathering them into bunches with their fingers would 
 sever them from the root with the other, leaving only 
 an uneven stubble behind. 
 
 A great patch of smooth clay would then be pre- 
 pared and the grain beaten in handfuls to liberate 
 the fat fed kernels of rice. Flails would free it from 
 its husks and then it would be thrown high into the 
 air for the wind to bear the chaff away. All this he 
 could see with the eye of his memory and imagination. 
 
 From fazenda to fazenda and from sitio to sitio the 
 road now led through the primeval forest. Often he 
 clutched at Bonito's mane and lifted a hand to cast 
 loose his carbine as a deer bounded across the path, 
 but the carbine was long laid away. Bonito pricked 
 his ears and looked back at his master inquiringly, to 
 know the cause of his seeming indifference. A whir 
 of wings, and a brace of jacus flew into the lofty branches 
 of a jequitiba from out the jaboticabeira where they
 
 THE PRETENDER UNMASKED 183 
 
 had been feeding and preening. Deep in the forest he 
 heard the shrill call of the inambu, and the macuco 
 begged a shot from him as she flaunted her fine figure 
 only twenty paces away. The instinct of the hunter 
 knocked again and again at his heart, and for a moment 
 the traveller thought not of his high calling but dreamed 
 again of the chase. 
 
 Coming to himself at last, as the jolting of his sad- 
 dle-bags called his attention to their need of adjust- 
 ment, he noticed that his stock of books was lower 
 than he had dared to hope, and, giving the rein to 
 Bonito, he spread his little gains upon the pommel of 
 his saddle smoothing and counting the dirty notes. 
 
 The metallic "tank, tank!" of the araponga from 
 a neighboring tree-top thrilled his heart with a note 
 of sadness, carrying his memory back to that scene 
 of desolation when he had come upon the ruins of his 
 childhood's home. Thoughts of those who had been so 
 dear to him filled his heart, and among the dimly-seen 
 faces which memory pictured there, two great dark eyes 
 framed in the sallow face of a young girl stood out 
 more clearly than all the rest. Gathering up the reins 
 that lay loosely upon Bonito 's neck, he touched him 
 into a gallop to ride away if he could from the oppres- 
 sion and the pain of it, but the pounding saddle-bags 
 soon brought him into the quiet travelling pace which 
 was more agreeable to man and beast. 
 
 Little by little the road grew narrower and the jungle 
 encroached more and more upon it. Although used for 
 ox-carts, the traffic was not very great and the road
 
 184 HORACIO 
 
 was sadly in need of repair. The great knobbed tires 
 of the carts, aided by the flow of abundant surface- 
 water from the frequent rains, had cut it down in 
 places into enormous ruts through which his horse could 
 hardly squeeze his way, and it was necessary at times 
 for him to draw up his own legs lest he bruise them 
 against the sides. 
 
 From the great trees on either side the tangled cables 
 of the cipos hung down or writhed their great coils in 
 tangled masses about the trunks. Many of the trees 
 were clothed in brilliant blossoms. High above all others 
 the great smooth shafts of the jequitibas rivalled the 
 corrugated trunks of the cedars, the spindling palms 
 thrust their graceful, plumed tops up toward the sun, 
 striving to come up to the shoulders of their greater 
 brethren, and underneath all the dense thickets of 
 taquara mingled their canes in inextricable confusion. 
 A break in the foliage presaged a clearing, and presently 
 the young man emerged from the shade of the forest 
 and came in sight of a humble dwelling in the midst of 
 a feeble attempt at cultivation. 
 
 As he approached the hut a swarm of little negroes 
 emerged and as quickly scampered away, all save one, 
 who put his little hands together, bowed his head and 
 murmured, "A bencjio!" then he too turned and fled. 
 A tall negress appeared at the door. 
 
 "Good afternoon!" called Horacio, coming to a halt. 
 
 "Good afternoon, senhor," replied the woman lan- 
 guidly.
 
 TEE PRETENDER UNMASKED 185 
 
 "Is there any means of preparing me a little cof- 
 fee?" he inquired. 
 
 "Why not?" she answered. "Be pleased to dismount 
 and enter, ' ' and Horacio flung the reins upon the ground 
 and came to the door. 
 
 "Be seated," said the negress hospitably, dusting a 
 black and greasy box with her skirt. Horacio noticed 
 that her smiling, white teeth were all filed to a point 
 an African custom still surviving in parts of Brazil. 
 It gave her otherwise pleasant face a somewhat feline 
 expression, but as it could not possibly influence her 
 temper or character its effect was only upon the imag- 
 ination. Among the blacks it is supposed to add greatly 
 to the personal attractions. 
 
 "The coffee will be ready in a little moment," she 
 said. ' ' Will you have it with mixture ? ' ' 
 
 "Yes, thank you," responded the young man, hast- 
 ily consulting his stomach. 
 
 The children, in various stages of nudity, gathered 
 with timid curiosity in the doorway which led from 
 the living-room into the little kitchen behind it. Horacio 
 tried to coax them forth to shake hands with him, but 
 like a covey of young partridges, they broke and fled 
 again at his first advances. 
 
 "Que criangada!" exclaimed the mother, observing 
 their behavior. "They see but few strangers here," 
 she explained apologetically. "Come here and say 'Sao 
 Christo' to the gentleman!" she called, marshalling them 
 in again. 
 
 Encouraged by his smile and a glimpse of his white
 
 186 HORACIO 
 
 teeth, which are an attraction no sane person can re- 
 sist, the little Afro-Brazilians came forward one by 
 one, and after clasping together hands which nature 
 had doubly darkened once at birth and diurually, ever 
 afterwards, with the abundant soil about the place 
 murmured "Sao Christo" as directed and retired to a 
 corner of the room. 
 
 "Would you like to learn a song?" suggested the 
 young man, hoping to break through their reserve. 
 "Now I shall say a line of it and then you can say 
 it, and then, when we have learned a verse, I shall 
 ing it. Now then ! Prompto ! ' ' 
 
 The children displayed a willingness to obey, as well as 
 a lack of understanding. 
 
 "Prompto!" echoed the larger ones promptly. 
 
 Horacio laughed. "That's right," he said, "but 
 'prompto' doesn't belong to the song. Now then, I shall 
 begin. Here you are: 'Vinde meninos. Vinde a Jesus!' 
 All say it!" 
 
 Two or three made a stumbling effort. "Now, once 
 again all together! 'Vinde meninos. Vinde a Jesus!' 
 There, that is better. ' Elle ganhou-vos bengaos na cruz. ' 
 
 " 'Vinde meninos. Vinde a Jesus! 
 
 Elle ganhou-vos bengaos na cruz.' 
 That is very good! Now another 
 
 'Os pequeninos Elle conduz, 
 Vinde ao Salvador!' " 
 
 The children repeated, and the young man resumed, 
 "Very good! That is the verse, and then we sing a 
 chorus :
 
 THE PRETENDER UNMASKED 187 
 
 'Que alegria! sem peccado ou mal, 
 Reunir-nos todos a final! 
 Na santa patria celestial, 
 Com nosso Salvador!' " 
 
 A few moments of practice and the lattle parrots had 
 the verse and chorus: then Horacio sang, over and over 
 again, the sweet hymn, 
 
 ' ' Come to the Saviour, make no delay ; 
 Here in his Word he's shown us the way; 
 Here in our midst he 's standing to-day, 
 
 Tenderly saying, 'Come!' " 
 
 The tune was easy and attractive and Horacio had 
 it well fixed in the memory of the older children before 
 the coffee boiled. 
 
 " Please to excuse," said the negress, handing him 
 a gourd of steaming coffee; "we have no crockery in 
 which to offer it." 
 
 "Better as it is," said the young man, smiling and 
 thinking of the frail porcelain at Donna Virginia's 
 which had filled him with apprehension and made the 
 meal unpleasant for him. 
 
 "Here is the mixture," added the woman, setting a 
 gourd of farinha de milho, with an iron spoon, upon 
 the table. 
 
 A soldier's fare had accustomed Horacio to anything 
 but high living, nevertheless two or three spoonfuls of 
 this corn-meal, pounded in water, fermented and dried, 
 were enough to make him believe that he was no longer 
 hungry. 
 
 "Well, I must be on my way," he said, picking his
 
 188 HOEACIO 
 
 whip from the dirt-floor where it had fallen, "and what 
 do I owe you for your kindness?" 
 
 "Ah, that is nothing! Do me the favor to excuse 
 the insufficiency." 
 
 "Qual! Then permit me, at least " and he pressed 
 a nickel into the hand of the eldest child. The mother 
 smiled appreciatively. He shook hands all around, made 
 them sing the song once more, and rode off.
 
 XL 
 
 THE FIRST SERMON. 
 
 IN HIS pocket Horacio bore a half-dozen letters to 
 believers scattered here and there through the sertao, and 
 that night he proposed to make use of the first, remain- 
 ing with a professed Christian who had already been 
 advised of his approach in order that he might gather 
 in the neighbors for an evangelistic service. 
 
 A long stretch of forest intervened between the set- 
 tler's hut where he had taught the hymn to the children 
 and the place of his destination, and Horacio wondered 
 where his audience could come from in a region so 
 sparsely inhabited; but as the afternoon drew on he 
 was turning toward the Tiete again, and every hour or 
 so, each of which marked off a league of journeying, 
 brought him to some small fazenda or group of sitios, 
 so that the country seemed almost populous in com- 
 parison with that through which he had been making 
 his way. The road improved also, for the outlet of this 
 district was in the direction of the river. 
 
 About four o'clock he turned aside to the ruins of 
 what had once been a rather fine house and, upon an- 
 nouncing the purpose of his visit, was received with 
 the warmest cordiality. Nothing was purchased from 
 him, but his entertainer, after serving coffee, called in 
 
 189
 
 190 HORACIO 
 
 a numerous family and requested the young man to 
 conduct a short service of prayer, announcing himself 
 a believer and a member of the church. Horacio was 
 delighted to oblige him in this way, and after the little 
 service was finished they sat and chatted for a few min- 
 utes before he went on his way. 
 
 His host was a magnificent specimen of manhood, 
 broad-shouldered and erect, with a splendid, crisp black 
 beard and a mass of jet-black hair. His eyes were 
 bright and full of intelligence and his every movement 
 governed by native grace. Eight boys, ranging in age 
 from six to twenty, were gathered about the room taking 
 an eager interest in everything that was said or done, 
 and Horacio was surprised to learn that all of them were 
 sons of his young-looking host. 
 
 "Yes," said he, with a look of fondest pride, in 
 answer to Horacio 's question, "they are all mine and 
 all of them with good Scripture names. Here is one 
 of the Major Prophets I'll give you three guesses." 
 
 Horacio laughed and discovered in two guesses that 
 the boy was called Jeremias. 
 
 Thus the little impromptu game continued until he 
 had guessed them all save one. 
 
 "This is the son of a patriarch," said his host. 
 
 Three guesses were not enough to determine the iden- 
 tity of this personage and so he went on guessing, while 
 his host was giving him hints and crowing over his in- 
 ability to name the man. He had finally learned that 
 he must be one of the sons of Abraham, Isaac or Jacob ; 
 and beginning with the grandfather and naming Isaac
 
 TEE FIRST SERMON 191 
 
 and Ishmael, had finally reached the last of the sons of 
 Jacob, as he supposed. 
 
 At last he protested, "I have named them all now. 
 You must be fooling me." 
 
 "No!" said the proud father, laughing, "you have 
 missed one of them." 
 
 "Then it must have been a son of Abraham by 
 Keturah, and I confess I can't remember their names." 
 
 "Abraham didn't have any more sons than Isaac and 
 Ishmael," asserted the host firmly. 
 
 "Oh, yes, he did," replied Horacio, "but I can't re- 
 member their names." 
 
 "No, he had no more sons," reiterated the man, with 
 an air of profound conviction. 
 
 "You will have to have the Bible for it then," said 
 the young colporter, laughing, and he reached for the. 
 Book and began to turn its leaves. "Here you are! 
 'And Abraham took another wife, and her name was 
 Keturah. And she bare him Zimran and Jokshan and 
 Medan and Ishbak and Shuah.' There! is it one of 
 them?" 
 
 The father of many Biblical sons stared at his guest 
 in ill-concealed mortification. He had thoroughly en- 
 joyed patronizing the young man and testing his knowl- 
 edge of the Scriptures, and now his visitor had scored! 
 
 "No!" he said somewhat testily, "it is none of them 
 but you have forgotten one of the sons of Jacob 
 Issachar. ' ' 
 
 ' ' Sure enough ! ' ' assented the traveller cheerfully, and 
 arose to take his departure. His host's good-nature re-
 
 192 HORACIO 
 
 turned instantly : he thanked him cordially for the visit 
 and bade him call again on his return. "My name is 
 Mathathias," he said in parting, and Horacio shook 
 hands with the numerous family and mounted. 
 
 Toward nightfall he came to his destination and was 
 welcomed with open arms. Dropping wearily upon a 
 bench, after saluting the various members of the family 
 of Sor Rufino, he thought to rest himself for a few 
 moments until something could be prepared for him 
 to eat. 
 
 "You bring books, I was told," his host at once be- 
 gan. "The Reverend Gentil wrote me that you would 
 have some hymnals. We are sadly in need of them 
 here." 
 
 Horacio nodded and pulled his saddle-bags toward him. 
 Spreading his little stock upon the table, he selected the 
 hymn-books and showed them to his host. At this mo- 
 ment the inevitable coffee was served them. The book-sale 
 went on and with it a bit of chat. 
 
 Horacio was wearied of the staple topic of coffee : how 
 it had flowered; whether the flowers had "stuck"; what 
 harm the frost of the preceding winter had done ; who had 
 sold; what it was bringing at Santos; when would the 
 Sorocabana be able to move the accumulation, and how 
 foreign countries could be persuaded to drink more and 
 thus bring up the price, but for the rest of the journey 
 he was to hear little but religion ; whether So-and-so was 
 orthodox, and why Some-one-else did thusly, when he 
 must know that it was inconsistent. 
 
 "Did you stop at Sor Mathathias', as you came along?"
 
 THE FIRST SERMON 193 
 
 asked Sor Rufino finally, as he selected three of the little 
 hymnals and put them aside. ' ' He will be here to-night. ' ' 
 
 ' ' Where is that ? ' ' queried the colporter. 
 
 ' ' Oh, a bit back along the road about two hours. Let's 
 see! it will be three-quarters to Mario's and a half to 
 Jaime's, and a half again to Mathathias'. Two leagues 
 that makes, lacking a quarter. 'Tis a good house, going 
 to ruin, a piece back from the road, on the big creek where 
 there is a fallen bridge and one gives a turn about to 
 ford it." 
 
 "Yes, I remember now. I stopped there to offer them 
 books and he said he would be along to-night. The be- 
 lievers must be much scattered hereabouts." 
 
 "Yes, they be a bit sprinkled, as it were, but they are 
 most all believers, most all the dwellers hereabouts. Did 
 Mathathias offer you coffee ? ' ' 
 
 "Yes, he gave me coffee," replied Horacio with some 
 surprise. 
 
 * * There, woman, see there ! I maintain it and I ostain 
 it that man hadn't ought to do that! But it seems like 
 he wants everybody else to be just like himself. I declare, 
 it ain't Christian no, it ain't!" 
 
 "Maybe he don't know how it looks and what harm 
 he might do, ' ' suggested the wife charitably, as she flirted 
 a bit of a dubious-looking cloth across the end of the table, 
 in preparation for serving Horacio 's supper. 
 
 "Capaz!" retorted the man, with a languid show of 
 contempt. "He knows no one better! Ain 't it been in 
 his family these three generations and gone down to the 
 children and to all them they married with? And now
 
 194 HORACIO 
 
 the Coutinhos has it and the Portugals and that girl of 
 Ferreira's. No, don't tell me that he don't know, and I 
 say as how that's what sets the Romanists against us. 
 We've got to be awful careful when everybody is a- 
 looking for some loose end to get a hold on. ' ' 
 
 "I do not understand. What is it all about?" de- 
 manded Horacio with some curiosity. 
 
 "Why, will you believe it that that fellow, Mathathias 
 splendid fellow, ain't he? big and strong and fine- 
 lookin' you wouldn't never believe it! he's a mor- 
 phite." 
 
 "Oh, a leper?" asked the astonished young man. 
 
 "Yes, a lepered," replied his host, easily, "he and his 
 wife and all those fine boys of hisn, and his sisters and 
 his brothers and his cousins and uncles and aunts and 
 grandparents, back to who knows where. Why, that 
 fambly was rich, young man ! They owned this land here, 
 and all the land up these waters, and down to the Tiete. 
 'Twas six leagues and more to ride across it and who 
 knows how much to go the other way. But it seemed like 
 as if they sorter lost their grip when this thing come into 
 the family and just let things go to the dogs, selling it 
 off bit by bit or trading it away, until now they have 
 only that old house that was good once and about a 
 thousand acres of land that they don't do nothin' with 
 worth mentionin '. ' ' 
 
 "Are you sure it is really leprosy that they have?" 
 asked the young man doubtfully. 
 
 "Sure enough to swear to it," replied his informant 
 with cheerful grimness. "Eitah! Just get Mathathias
 
 THE FIRST SERMON 195 
 
 to roll up his pants legs! He's a sight! The kids are 
 turning blue already, if you look close. Oh, it's sure 
 enough! They spent an enormous pile of money 
 a doctorin', but it wa'n't no good. Then Mathathias, 
 when he seen it wouldn't do, just turned hard and bitter, 
 and now a queer streak is on him. It seems just as 
 though he was a-wanting everybody else in the neighbor- 
 hood to be like him. 
 
 "He asks everybody, that haint no necessity, to come 
 in and have a cup of coffee, especially strangers, and 
 it's shake hands and shake hands and more coffee, and 
 shake hands again, until you'd think there was no bet- 
 ter fellow in the Province State, I mean. I can't get 
 over callin' it 'Province,' you know! 
 
 "I got at the Reverend Gentil, last time he was here, 
 for to have a talk with Mathathias, but he's scared to 
 talk with him about it for fear of hurtin' his feelin's 
 and drivin' him away from religion. He goes there 
 himself to hold services and eat, and even spent the 
 night there once. I'm a-thinkin' the neighbors ought to 
 do something, but no one likes to make the first move. 
 That's where the pig's tail twists!" 
 
 "I shall speak to him when I see him, if you are cer- 
 tain as to the facts," said Horacio firmly. 
 
 ''Well, I don't envy you your job, but 'quern aconselha 
 nao paga custas' (he who gives the advice does not pay 
 the bills) as the sayin' is. You can ask anybody about 
 the facts. I'm not the only one who knows about it. I 
 like Mathathias. I always liked him, except for that, 
 and it does seem as though his trouble had touched him
 
 196 HORACIO 
 
 here " and he put his fingers significantly to his 
 forehead. 
 
 The beans and rice were now upon the table, together 
 with a chicken which had been slain for the guest. 
 Horacio did full justice to the repast, aided by his host, 
 who had come late from the roca and had not dined. 
 The meal was half over when a clatter of hoofs was 
 heard and a horseman paused at the door. 
 
 "Ah, there is Sor Chico! Dismount, Sor Chico, and 
 enter ! How have you passed ? ' ' 
 
 "Well, thank you. Are you well? Are all well?" 
 
 "All well, thank you. Have you dined? No? Then 
 you are just in time. Sinha! another plate for Sor 
 Chico!" 
 
 A tall, thin, Don-Quixote-sort-of-a man divested him- 
 self of his heavy pala and, having given a hand around 
 sat down on the chair that was offered to him as though 
 his hinges were rusty, and drew a groan from some- 
 where back of his wry visage. 
 
 "What, not rid of the fever yet?" exclaimed Sor 
 Bufino, in cheerful sympathy. 
 
 "No, I'm not rid of it yet. 'Tis six weeks now that it 
 is hounding me. Aches and pains in my bones, head- 
 aches, can't eat, can't do anything!" 
 
 "Oughtn't to be out in the dew-f allin ', " suggested 
 Sor Rufino tentatively. 
 
 "Worship is more important than bodily health," 
 rejoined the other in a melancholy tone. 
 
 "Seems like as though we can worship better when 
 we are well. Leastways, that's how it strikes me."
 
 TEE FIRST SERMON 197 
 
 "I am in hearty accord with that sentiment," aid 
 Horacio, smiling. 
 
 The long man moved his hands aside to make room for 
 the plate which was placed before him; then, disregard- 
 ing the probability that grace had already been asked, 
 joined them together over it and interrupted some state- 
 ment of Sor Rufino with a second invocation, loud and 
 lengthy. He then fell to upon what there was remaining 
 of the meal in a fashion which betrayed at least a tran- 
 sient alleviation of his loss of appetite. 
 
 Various believers now began to ride or walk up to the 
 door, according as their homes were far or near. The 
 table having been cleared of the dishes, it was moved to 
 the end of the sala and a clean towel, with crotcheted 
 ends hanging down, was disposed across its center. Upon 
 this was placed a large Bible, a hymn-book and two 
 candles. Benches, chairs, stools, boxes, and boards laid 
 across blocks of wood were arranged in front of this im- 
 promptu pulpit, and Horacio was then invited to take 
 charge of the service. The hymns were sung with a 
 hearty good-will and thorough enjoyment, and when he 
 had read the Scripture-lesson Horacio looked about over 
 his little audience and prepared to preach his first ser- 
 mon. 
 
 At the close of his address a woman rose hastily to her 
 feet and exclaimed, "Look here, now, you people have 
 this religion, and that's all right, but you know every- 
 body here has religion too. You just keep still and we 
 don't mind at all, but we don't like you to say anything 
 about it."
 
 198 HORACIO 
 
 She sat down in a great flutter, but apparently quite 
 persuaded that she had forever settled the serious ques- 
 tions which had long been agitating the neighborhood. 
 
 Late that night, after all were gone save the long, 
 thin man with the melancholy visage and the ailment, 
 and Horacio had already lain sleeping for an hour or 
 so in the bit of a chinky room off the sala which they had 
 given him, he awoke with a start and that conviction that 
 he had been snoring which sometimes comes to us as a 
 last, lingering rattle dies away in our waking throats. 
 
 The voice of his gossipy host fell on his ears : ' ' Now, 
 do you think so? As for me, I liked it very well. To 
 be sure, the text was not a new one John 3 :16, but all 
 he said was plain and simple, and even the kids could 
 take it in.' 5 
 
 "A talk for children! Just so! That was just what 
 I didn't like! All gospel and nothing well doctrinal, 
 I suppose I may say. Now, there is the Reverend 
 Gentil! He is just the man for me." 
 
 "He's all right, to be sure," replied the other; "words 
 just run out of him like water down the corrego. He 
 don't need to do any thinkin' for him to talk. There 
 ain't a word he says has less'n seven syllables in it, I 
 fancy." 
 
 "A fine choice of words indeed," responded the long 
 man in a tone which seemed to have been brought on 
 by his ailment. "Gives one food for thought. Why, I 
 spend hours hours? yes, days, I tell you in thinking 
 of what he said and trying to make out what he meant. 
 Why, I can't find some of the words in my
 
 THE FIRST SERMON 199 
 
 dictionary, and it's a good one too, whereas this 
 youngster just used common, everyday words and I 
 could tell in a minute just what he was trying to get at 
 without doing any thinking at all. He didn't have a 
 black coat either. ' ' 
 
 Horacio lost the rest of what was said, for he fell 
 asleep again, but when he awoke the next morning it was 
 still fresh in his memory and he determined to think 
 about it as he journeyed and decide wherein he had 
 fallen short.
 
 xn, 
 
 AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE. 
 
 THE NEXT morning the long man with the ailment ac- 
 companied Horacio for a few leagues on his way, after 
 both had made the rounds of the houses in the hamlet, 
 embracing all the men and accepting coffee from each 
 housekeeper. Their host accompanied them upon these 
 visits of ceremony, and at last bade them farewell with 
 cordial embraces. 
 
 "Adeus! Adeus! and a thousand thanks!" cried 
 Horacio, riding off. 
 
 "Until to-morrow," cried the long man, who was to 
 return that way when he had attended to some business 
 down the road, "if God wills; and if not, until the day 
 after," and he too rode off. 
 
 A distant thunder-storm grumbled gloomily from over 
 the forest, in the direction of the Tiete, but the young 
 man was due at a certain sitio that same evening and 
 could not delay his journey, so they set off, accompanied 
 also by the gloomy grumbling of the long gentleman with 
 the ailment. 
 
 "Father Joao, of Jahu, is holding a 'mission* hard 
 by, in the New Chapel," said Sor Chico, as they jogged 
 along, jerking his thumb toward a cross-road to indicate 
 the direction. "They are getting worked up over this 
 
 200
 
 AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 201 
 
 district and want to try and bring it back again into 
 the fold." 
 
 "Is it far to the chapel?" asked Horacio, attracted 
 by the name of his ancient enemy and wondering if their 
 paths were to cross again in this manner. 
 
 "Far? No! It stands down by this road a quarter 
 of a league or so. Don't you want to sell some Bibles 
 to him?" and the long man chuckled sadly. 
 
 Horacio smiled in answer, then suddenly checked his 
 horse. "It is going to rain," he said, glancing uneasily 
 at the sky. "Let us turn back to the chapel and hear 
 Father Joao : I don't want to wet my books, and I should 
 like to hear what he has to say if I can slip into a shady 
 corner; for I know his Reverence very well and do not 
 care to have him see me." 
 
 His companion seemed nothing loath to beard the 
 lion, for the clouds were gathering rapidly and the first 
 drops had already begun to fall. Together they turned 
 their horses ' heads toward the cross-roads, and a quarter 
 of an hour later, as the rain began to fall heavily, they 
 drew up under the great shed, or rancho, hard by the 
 chapel, and made their horses fast among a half -hundred 
 others before they entered the little church. 
 
 The priest was mounting the pulpit for his sermon as 
 they entered. The long man drew Horacio into a shad- 
 owy corner, although the whole church was dark be- 
 cause of the storm, and whispered in his ear, "'Tis a 
 good Presbyterian audience come to hear him! There 
 are Julho and Mario and Augustinho and a dozen more 
 beside; but there are no women here excepting Roman-
 
 202 EORACIO 
 
 ists. I wonder what Father Joao expects to do with our 
 people. I expect " 
 
 The voice of the priest interrupted the long man, who 
 drew back into his corner to listen unobserved. Father 
 Joao's voice was clear and pleasant and his well-rounded 
 and stalwart figure protruded magnificently from the 
 pulpit as he leaned out over his audience. 
 
 "My children," he began, "once upon a time there 
 was a dirty monk called Luther, the same who is the 
 spiritual father of the blowhard Protestant preachers, 
 and consequently father-in-law to the petticoated 
 shepherdesses of the reformed religion; and this monk 
 was crazy to get married. 
 
 "Of course he was not able to do this because, at the 
 time in which he lived, the only known form of marriage 
 was that administered by the Roman Church. Besides 
 this, Brother Luther was very poor and he would have 
 to support the future dear-half and also the pack of 
 babies that might come. 
 
 "So Brother Martin said to himself, 'I will invent a 
 new religion, in order that I may have the means to 
 eat, drink and sleep my fill. I, she, and those that may 
 be added to us will pass the time more happily than can 
 be imagined. In order to accomplish these things I 
 shall take a Bible and translate it according to my views 
 and plans. I shall alter its punctuation and take out all 
 the texts that may not accord with the doctrine which I 
 am going to teach the people. In place of these texts I 
 shall insert others which suit my purpose better and 
 accord with that new life which I shall lead when I
 
 AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 203 
 
 have laid aside this insupportable frock and hung it upon 
 the last nail I find as I go out of the door of this detest- 
 able convent, to throw myself body and soul into the 
 free air, where I shall live happily and light of heart 
 as a little bird out of its cage. 
 
 "And in order that I may bring many people to my 
 way of thinking, I shall lay down as the fundamental 
 dogma of my new religion the principle of Justification 
 by Faith teaching that man may cover himself with 
 vices and become the greatest wretch on earth, but never- 
 theless he will certainly go to heaven if he only have 
 FAITH! 
 
 " 'To loose-minded priests I shall say that they must 
 forsake, once and for all, this folly of ecclesiastical celi- 
 bacy, and put in practice that patriotic text which says, 
 "Increase and multiply." 
 
 " 'With these doctrines insuring the most ample lib- 
 erty I am sure that in a short time I shall have running 
 after me a great number of dissolute padres, an infinite 
 multitude of criminals of all classes, and a vast army 
 of lost women, which will swell the ranks of the believers 
 of the true gospel, which I intend to found.' 
 
 "Thus spake Luther, and acted accordingly, and in 
 this way he built up that sect of which we hear by the 
 name of Protestants, who are, finally, nothing more than 
 the receptacle for the dregs of Komanism, which pours 
 into this unclean vessel all that which is without value in 
 the pure and holy Catholic Church. All this I defy 
 any one to contradict ! ' ' 
 
 The priest paused and gazed triumphantly about. At
 
 204 HORACIO 
 
 his last words and challenge to the people, Horacio, who 
 had been smothering his indignation with a great effort 
 throughout the discourse, sprang forward, but the long 
 man's tentacle-like arm shot out and drew him back 
 into the shadow. 
 
 Shaking his head dolefully at the lad, Sor Chico strode 
 forth into the middle of the church, drawing a book from 
 his capacious pocket. 
 
 "Here is Luther's Bible!" he cried, waving it in the 
 air, "and here is what it says on the doctrine of Justi- 
 fication by Faith: 'Faith without works is DEAD!' I 
 denounce the statement made by Father Joao as a base 
 and malicious falsehood, and challenge him to produce 
 a Komanist Bible if he has one and show me wherein 
 it differs essentially from this." 
 
 The meager form of the long man with the ailment 
 seemed to swell into imposing proportions. His eye 
 flashed fire and he waved the Bible menacingly toward 
 Father Joao. In a moment the church was in an up- 
 roar. The Protestants, restrained until now by the in- 
 fluence of what was, at least in name, a sanctuary, burst 
 into cries of applause and loud vivas: the Catholics, on 
 the other hand, indignant at what seemed to them an 
 outrage and profanation, and forgetting that Padre 
 Joao himself had challenged the refutation of his own 
 statements, drew heavy whips and great knives for the 
 vindication of their creed. In a moment there might 
 have been bloodshed, had not the priest himself hurried 
 down from the pulpit and thrust his burly form between 
 them. It was not to his interest to have the responsibil-
 
 AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 205 
 
 ity for a scene of this kind in a neighborhood where 
 four-fifths of the inhabitants were Protestants, so he 
 chose the alternative of hurrying the opposition forth 
 from the building, in the interest of peace, and, when 
 quiet had been restored at last, went on with his dis- 
 course to his own liking, but minus the larger part of his 
 audience. 
 
 In the bustle and confusion of this incident Horacio 
 had slipped out to the shed, where he was now rejoined 
 by the long man, and, as the shower had ceased, they 
 mounted and continued on their way. 
 
 At the house of a believer where Horacio breakfasted 
 his companion bade him farewell and turned off upon 
 another road, while the young man went straight on. 
 
 Jogging along upon his way, he was easily overtaken 
 by a young caboclo going in the same direction and not 
 so much inclined to spare his beast. 
 
 "Good afternoon!" said Horacio pleasantly. 
 
 "Good afternoon!" replied the other, looking at him 
 with that infantile curiosity which every stranger calls 
 forth in a countryman. The caboclo reined his horse 
 back to keep abreast of the colporter. 
 
 "Are you peddling? Have you shirts?" he asked, 
 eyeing the saddle-bags. 
 
 "No," answered Horacio, "I have no shirts. I am 
 selling books. Can you read?" 
 
 "Yes, a little, but I don't read often only a stray 
 newspaper, once in a while, when I get hold of it. 
 What books have you?" 
 
 "Only the Bible, now, and hymn-books. The rest
 
 206 IIORACIO 
 
 are all sold. Have you ever fallen in with these 
 Protestants?" 
 
 "Oh, yes! There's a lot of them hereabouts. I hain't 
 got nothin' agin' 'em." 
 
 "Did you ever talk with them about what they be- 
 lieve?'' urged the young man, as he saw that his com- 
 panion was not disinclined to conversation. 
 
 "I can't say as I have, very much," replied the 
 young countryman. "It don't bother me what folks 
 think as long as they treat me decent. ' ' 
 
 "Perhaps it ought to bother you though," insisted 
 the student. "If a man were thinking that he had 
 left ten contos of reis in that hollow log for you, 
 wouldn't it be worth while paying attention to what 
 he thought?" 
 
 The caboclo laughed. ' ' No such luck, ' ' he said ; ' ' folks 
 ham 't leavin ' fortunes around like that in hollow logs, ' ' 
 and he cocked his eye knowingly at the log, as though 
 to size up its capacity. 
 
 "There!" said Horacio, laughing, "you are think- 
 ing about that imaginary fortune already. Just look 
 here! In this little book you can learn how to find 
 a much greater fortune than that. I want to sell it 
 to you!" 
 
 The caboclo 's eyes opened with wonder. "What 
 might it be?" he asked with awe; then, brightening 
 with supposed understanding, "Tells you how to pick 
 the lucky numbers in the Lottery, no?" 
 
 "Better than that! It tells you how to come to the 
 City with streets of gold and walls of jasper, whose
 
 AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 207 
 
 gates are gems, and where everybody is happy forever. 
 It tells how to be rid of our sins and find a Saviour 
 and all for a mil five!'' 
 
 "A mil five!" cried the astonished caboclo; "why, 
 it's all leather and gold! You're joking! You can't 
 sell it for three milreis, I know. I'll give you that much 
 for it!" 
 
 "No," said the colporter, "I only want a mil five 
 no more and no less. Is it a bargain?" 
 
 The young fellow took the book and turned the leaves 
 with curiosity, then drew two dirty notes from his pock- 
 et and handed them to Horacio. ' ' Here ! " he said, eyeing 
 him doubtfully, for fear it might be a hoax. 
 
 Horacio took the money and bade him find a place, 
 past the middle of the book, where it said "Sao 
 Mattheus," to begin his reading. 
 
 At this moment they passed a turn of the road and 
 came in sight of a little cabin in the midst of a small 
 clearing. In the roga, far away, a woman was work- 
 ing with a hoe. From the cabin came the sound of 
 singing, and the cheerful notes of a lively Protestant 
 hymn, sweet and familiar, reached the ears of the 
 horsemen. 
 
 "Let us stop here!" said the colporter to his com- 
 panion, "I may sell some books. Oh, the house!" he 
 called. 
 
 The singing continued, but at a second cry it sud- 
 denly ceased. Horacio approached nearer to the door. 
 
 "Give license?" he inquired. 
 
 "Why not?" came in a cheerful voice from within.
 
 208 lluRACLO 
 
 "Have the goodness to dismount and enter! Excuse, 
 for I can't go forth to meet you." 
 
 Horacio and his companion dismounted and entered. 
 The house was more than usually neat. The sala, 
 or living-room, in which they now stood, was floored 
 with good sawn planks, and the walls were white- 
 washed around. Overhead a ceiling of woven rushes 
 gave the place an air of finish, and in the middle of 
 the room stood a section of a great log, hollowed out 
 like a canoe and full of water. In the water sat a 
 middle-aged man, with a wooden tray across the log 
 in front of him, on which were placed a Bible and a 
 little hymn-book. 
 
 "Have the goodness to excuse," said the man again; 
 "I can't leave the water very well. You see, I have 
 the fogo selvagem (wild-fire.) " 
 
 Horacio now noticed that the man's skin was a deep 
 color of inflammation, as though he had been stung 
 by nettles. 
 
 "Are you poisoned? he asked sympathetically, seat- 
 ing himself upon a bench. 
 
 "Some sort of poison, I suppose," replied the man. 
 "No one knows just what it comes from, but it never 
 leaves a man until it finishes him," he went on with 
 the same air of cheerfulness as if the new faces had 
 momentarily lessened the suffering:. 
 
 "Does it pain you much?" asked the caboclo with 
 interest. 
 
 "Oh, it's not so very bad as long as I can stay in the 
 water. When I get out it is like a thousand needles
 
 AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 209 
 
 stinging day and night; but praise the Lord! it ain't 
 as bad as it might be." 
 
 "But how do you get along? Are you all alone?" 
 asked Horacio, full of wonder. 
 
 "No, no praise the Lord! My good woman works 
 in the roc.a, and at night when she comes home she 
 fixes up the house. I do what I can at the sewing, though 
 it isn't much. Praise the Lord ! we have no children now 
 to make matters worse, although there are three laid 
 away in the ground. We have all we need, and when 
 I am gone her folks are well enough able to take her in. 
 I have these blessed books, and yet I was grumbling 
 just now because, although I can read the words, I have 
 only this little hymn-book without the music. I know no 
 more than a half-dozen tunes that my wife learned at 
 the meeting. But praise the Lord! what a state I 
 should be in if I didn 't know any ! 
 
 "Can you read the music?" asked Horacio, with a 
 curious tug at his heart. 
 
 "That I can!" replied the sick man. "I learned to 
 play the horn years ago, in the band at Rio Claro, but I 
 have never yet seen a hymn-book with music." 
 
 "I have one in my saddle-bags now," said the col- 
 porter. "I shall fetch it for you." He turned and went 
 out. "Twelve milreis! Twelve milreis!" he kept saying 
 to himself as he went. 
 
 Of all his books the hymn-books alone cost him any- 
 thing, the others being furnished gratis to the theologi- 
 cal students to help them out in their course. On the 
 hymn-book the margin of profit was very small and
 
 210 HORACIO 
 
 the prices were high. For this book at twelve milreis 
 he must pay ten milreis on his return, yet the sight of 
 this poor man in his great tub of water was too much 
 for him. 
 
 Beturning to the house with the book in his hand, he 
 reached it out to the sick man. "Take it," he said, "it 
 is yours ! ' ' 
 
 The poor wretch in the tub grasped the precious 
 book with trembling hands and turned its leaves with 
 eager haste, then looked anxiously toward the giver. 
 
 "But you have them to sell? You are a poor man 
 also? No, I cannot take it without payment. I have 
 money. I shall pay you. What does it cost?" 
 
 "That is no matter," replied Horacio, flushing at 
 thought of revealing the price of the book. 
 
 The man seemed to divine his thought. "Tell me, or 
 I cannot accept it," he said seriously. 
 
 "I sell them for twelve milreis ($3.00). They are 
 not cheap," said the young man, after a pause and a 
 moment of hesitation. He saw in the face of the sick 
 man the effect of his words a cloud which passed over 
 it on hearing the sum named. 
 
 "Let us arrange it another way," he suggested, as a 
 thought struck him, "the senhor will pay me one half 
 and I shall present him with the other. ' ' 
 
 The man's face instantly brightened and the cloud 
 passed from it. "Go to the shelf," he said, pointing 
 toward it, "and you will find some money in a bowl. 
 Take the six-milreis, and may God bless you! Twelve 
 was more than you or I could afford, I fancy, but I ac-
 
 AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 211 
 
 eept with pleasure the half of the book," and he began 
 humming a snatch of a hymn here and there as he 
 turned the leaves caressingly. 
 
 "Now I shall sing you something you may not have 
 heard. It is new among us. Turn to number 403, " said 
 Horacio, and then he sang : 
 
 "I am far frae my hame, and 
 I'm weary a f ten whiles 
 For the langed for hame bringin' 
 An' my Father's welcome smiles." 
 
 This hymn has been translated into Portuguese, to a 
 suitable meter, and is sung to "Suwanee River." 
 
 The poor sufferer followed the words with rapt at- 
 tention, exclaiming at last, "Sou eu! Sou eu! It is I!" 
 in a voice chocked with emotion, while tears which 
 the fogo selvagem could not bring to his eyes ran down 
 his cheeks and mingled with the water in which he 
 quenched the fire of his malady. 
 
 The young men now arose to take their departure, 
 much to the regret of the invalid, who urged them to 
 await his wife's coming, when she would prepare coffee 
 for them. Time pressed, however, and they could not 
 wait, so they bade the man farewell and mounted their 
 horses, but, before they were out of hearing, the voice of 
 the sufferer was heard singing cheerfully: 
 
 "I have found a friend in Jesus; 
 He's everything to me: 
 He's the chiefest of ten thousand to my soul!" 
 
 "He has found the tune on the opposite page, number 
 402, and it will comfort him," said Horacio, laughing 
 contentedly.
 
 212 HORACIO 
 
 "Do you know the whole book?" asked his companion 
 wonderingly. 
 
 "Pretty nearly," replied Horacio, "but there are 
 many hymns and some of them are very fine. The Prot- 
 estants sing them in their meetings. Do you appreciate 
 music?" 
 
 "Yes, I like it. I play the viola a little and can sing 
 some modinhas passably well, but I should like to learn 
 these here hymns if they can make that poor fellow 
 merry." 
 
 "Come with me to Sor Erasmo's to-night and you will 
 hear plenty, and also other good things, the way of life 
 and the secret of happiness. Do you believe in God ? ' ' 
 
 "Yes, I believe there is a God else how could we 
 live? But I know nothing of him save what the padres 
 say, and they are always talking of the Saints and Virgin 
 and fingering the pennies with their sticky fingers. What 
 does it cost to be a Protestant?" 
 
 "It costs nothing. The religion of Jesus is free." 
 
 "What! does it cost nothing to be baptized or married 
 or buried?" 
 
 "Nothing whatever. You may give of your own free 
 will to help sustain the cause, but that is all. Repent of 
 your sins and accept the sacrifice of Christ, then confess 
 his name. That is what it takes to be a Protestant." 
 
 "I will think about it, but cannot go with you to- 
 night. I turn off here and must play at a baile near by 
 but I'll go some other time. Do you know your road 
 to Sor Erasmo's?" he concluded, as he turned his horse's 
 head at the cross-roads and drew rein for a moment.
 
 AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 213 
 
 "Oh, yes," replied Horacio, pulling at Bonito's rein, 
 ' ' and if not, I have a map and compass and can find it. ' ' 
 
 "Do not kill any rattlesnakes by the way then," said 
 the caboclo gravely. 
 
 "Why not?" inquired the other in surprise. 
 
 ' ' They say the venom of the snake will take the power 
 out of the needle, if any one who has a compass kills 
 one." 
 
 Horacio laughed. "I have no fear of that! Well, 
 good-by! A pleasant ride to you! Do not forget to 
 read the Book!" and he leaned across from his horse 
 to shake hands warmly and spurred on his way. 
 
 The caboclo turned also, then shouted back over his 
 shoulder to Horacio, who checked his horse to hear what 
 he had to say. 
 
 "Better keep a-movin'!" called the young country- 
 man. "There's a bad place on the road this side of Sor 
 Erasmo's." 
 
 * ' What is it, a mud-hole ? ' ' asked the colporter. 
 
 "No, it is far worse! There was a man had a grudge 
 against another man and killed him: then he cut the 
 corpse in pieces and hung them there, on the branches 
 of a tree by the road. ' 9 
 
 "I am not afraid of a dead man," said Horacio, 
 laughing at the awe in the caboclo 's voice and manner : 
 "I have been a soldier. Is that all?" 
 
 "No, it is not all. A neighbor went to hew out a 
 monjolo close by the spot, and when he had worked 
 three or four weeks and finished it, he went to fetch his 
 oxen and drag it out, but when he came back with the
 
 214 EORACIO 
 
 team, there was the devil, or the spirit of the dead man, 
 in the form of a goat, on top of the monjolo. He got out 
 of there as fast as he could with his oxen and left it 
 where it lay. You can see it there yet, all rotten. ' ' 
 
 Horacio laughed again, to the great scandal of his 
 new friend, and thanked him for his warning, leaving 
 him shaking his head dubiously at his incredulity.
 
 XIII. 
 JUDGMENT. 
 
 THE excitement at the chapel having been quieted, and 
 the sermon resumed, no further interruption disturbed 
 Father Joao, so he was able, as we have said, to finish 
 his address to his own entire satisfaction and to the 
 evident edification of his audience, now relieved of dis- 
 senting elements. 
 
 After descending from the pulpit the great priest, 
 whose bulk had been somewhat softened into podginess 
 by advancing years and self-indulgence, stood about and 
 chatted with various groups, discussing the incident 
 which had disturbed the harmony of the meeting, slap- 
 ping men heartily on their backs, chucking maids under 
 their chins and joking the mothers about their husbands 
 and babies. 
 
 There was a batch of these last to be christened and 
 two or three couples to be married, as well as a dinner to 
 be eaten at a neighbor's. 
 
 The babies were soon disposed of, and the fat fees, 
 for big and little babies alike, jingled in the pockets of 
 the good padre's soutane. The weddings waited not for 
 the civil ceremony, although the ecclesiastic knew 
 enough common law to be perfectly well aware that his 
 form of words was legally valueless without it. His 
 
 215
 
 216 HORACIO 
 
 charge was the same in either case, and his hearty laugh 
 shook the tiles on their bamboo slats above his head 
 when some one hinted of the necessity for going first to 
 the magistrate. 
 
 The laugh shook* the last lingering doubts out of the 
 minds of the faithful and was frank and hearty enough 
 to restore confidence even to a woman in hysterics. The 
 priest had soon cleared these little matters out of the 
 way and was on his way to dine with a well-to-do planter 
 in the vicinity. 
 
 ' ' What is not on the table is excused, ' ' said the padre, 
 by way of grace, as he glanced at the loaded table and 
 heaved a sigh of satisfaction, for he had labored well and 
 felt that he had demolished all the fortifications of the 
 enemy and deserved his reward. The viands were cer- 
 tainly abundant, if not very choice and delicate. 
 
 "Sample this pinga, Father Joao!" cried his host, 
 pouring into a large glass the transparent liquid which 
 conceals such deadly effects in such innocent guise. "It 
 is a special brand of my own. Eitah! what a flavor!" 
 and he smacked his lips and rolled his eyes in apprecia- 
 tion of his own product, as he handled the brimming 
 glass to the padre. 
 
 The priest's rotund face took on a tragic look of mild 
 despair which was almost pitiful. "God gives nuts 
 to him who has no teeth, and teeth to him who has no 
 nuts," he said, with another sigh: "the doctor, alas! 
 has ordered me to leave off pinga to reduce my bulk." 
 Then his face cleared and he measured his great girth 
 as far as he could with his two hands. "I've quit for
 
 JUDGMENT 217 
 
 two weeks, now," he went on joyfully, "and gone down 
 three centimeters think of that!" 
 
 "Ah, that is nothing, nothing at all," said the other. 
 "You could squeeze yourself in more than that with 
 the tape-line without knowing it. Better throw your 
 doctor over and take a drink ! ' ' 
 
 Father Joao gazed wistfully at the glass which stood 
 before him on the table and for a moment he wavered, 
 but his host took pity on him at last and cried out, 
 "Come, my father, here is a religious duty for your 
 Reverence to perform! Drown the devil and see the 
 Blessed Virgin," and he handed him a porcelain cup 
 filled with red wine. 
 
 ' ' How is that ? ' ' cried the priest with a perplexed grin 
 the perplexity at the man's saying, and the grin at 
 the wine. "Ha, ha! I see now! But where is the 
 Blessed Virgin?" 
 
 " Drown the devil and you will see her! Tip it up, 
 Father Joao, tip it up ! " 
 
 The priest "tipped it up" with a hearty good-will, 
 and as the grateful liquor passed gurgling over the 
 devil that was painted on the inside edge of the cup, a 
 figure of the Virgin appeared painted on the bottom. 
 At sight of her the priest took in the point of the joke 
 with the wine, and gave a snort of appreciation, taking 
 a generous gulp of the liquor the wrong way at the 
 same time. 
 
 Instantly he was coughing and sputtering and laugh- 
 ing all at once, while his host slapped him on the back 
 to bring him to, and cried, "Pretty good, isn't it? I
 
 218 EORACIO 
 
 thought you would like that! I brought it from town 
 yesterday just for your Reverence." 
 
 "You must give it to me then, my son," said Father 
 Joao, when he had recovered a little. "In my business 
 one needs oft to drown the devil," and he winked slyly 
 at his host 
 
 Then ensued such a drowning of Satan that even an 
 electric battery would not have sufficed to resuscitate 
 him when the good father was at last ready to go on 
 his way: for he meant to sleep a couple of leagues 
 farther on that night. 
 
 "Well, let us be off then," he grumbled at last. 'O 
 necessario e precise!" and he arose with the help of 
 his hands on the table; but it required some little engi- 
 neering to put him in his saddle, and the knees of his 
 horse swayed perilously as he dropped heavily into the 
 seat 
 
 Two of the men who had dined with him were to 
 escort him, and the little company of horsemen got away 
 just as dusk fell upon the forest. 
 
 When they had ridden along the road a bit and gos- 
 siped of one thing and another, of a sudden one of his 
 companions spoke up. 
 
 "Were I alone," he said, "you would not get me to 
 go this road to-night, but by good-luck Father Joao is 
 with us." 
 
 "Nor I," assented the other, "not without Father 
 Joao: for 'the devil flies the Cross.' ' 
 
 "How is that?" asked the priest with a leer, expect- 
 ing some piece of rustic witticism.
 
 JUDGMENT 219 
 
 " 'Tis the anniversary of the murder of Riberao 
 Fundo, ' ' was the reply. 
 
 "What of it?" asked the priest; "but talk of some- 
 thing pleasant ! ' ' 
 
 " 'Twas here ahead of us a bit," said he who had 
 spoken first, "where he hung the pieces on the tree." 
 
 ''And it is there, hard by, that the old monjolo stands 
 where the devil appeared to Chico Ribeiro," added the 
 other. 
 
 "What story is that of the devil, man?" asked the 
 priest with an uneasy laugh. "We drowned him this 
 day, sure enough! He'll not appear again." 
 
 His companions joined in his laugh with a marked 
 effort, but the sound of their mirth was weird to their 
 own ears in the night air of the forest. The moon was 
 nearly full and had just risen above the tree-tops, cast- 
 ing one side of the road into shadow and the other into 
 the light, while the night-birds called to one another from 
 gloom to gloom. 
 
 ' ' The whole trouble came of a pitiful goat a quarrel 
 over a goat! and he cut up Sor Pedro and hung the 
 pieces on that tree over the road," said the first man, 
 in a harsh whisper, and pointing as the much-dreaded 
 tree came in sight. 
 
 "And then the devil came, in the form of a goat, and 
 stood upon the old monjolo, there," said the second, 
 pointing in turn to the rude mass of wood that stood in 
 a little open space where its superstitious hewer had 
 left it long before. 
 
 "Talk of something pleasant, man!" hastily ejacu-
 
 220 JUDGMENT 
 
 lated Padre Joao, again, with an attempt at a laugh. 
 "Talk of cows or even pigs, but let the goats be!" 
 
 ''Hush ! what is that?" cried the man. 
 
 "What is what?" gasped the priest, with starting 
 eyes, for at this moment something white, with long 
 curved horns, sprang lightly upon the ancient block of 
 wood, terrifying the horsemen. 
 
 "Holy Mother of God! Exorcis " cried the priest, as 
 their startled horses sprang forward and dashed blindly 
 down the road. 
 
 His two companions gained rapidly on him, for their 
 horses bore lighter loads, and soon they had left him 
 well in the rear. 
 
 Mad with drunken terror, he struck his animal sav- 
 agely with his heavy whip. The poor beast swerved 
 suddenly under the blows, bringing his rider heavily to 
 the ground with his head doubled under his great shoul- 
 ders. 
 
 A sickening snap and the mass quivered and grew still, 
 in a queer unshapely heap hunched up against the foot 
 of a sapling. 
 
 The next morning the young caboclo who had ridden 
 with Horacio found the body of Father Joao, as he 
 returned that way from the dance. 
 
 He it was who let the neighbors know what had hap- 
 pened, and when they turned the body over a few 
 pieces of broken porcelain fell out of a pocket. On one 
 of these bits the face of the Virgin appeared, and on 
 another the largest of them all that of an evil, horned 
 creature with a diabolical leer.
 
 XIV. 
 FOUND! 
 
 THAT same night, our young colporter held a service 
 similar to that which he had conducted at Sor Bufino's, 
 and pressed on the next day toward the end of his jour- 
 ney, a couple of days ' ride farther on. 
 
 Sor Erasmo had given him minute directions for find- 
 ing the road, but either they were too minute or not 
 minute enough: in any case, as the afternoon waned he 
 found himself unable to recognize any of the landmarks 
 which Sor Erasmo had labored to impress upon his mem- 
 ory, and as he went farther and farther along his map 
 and compass told him that he had made a wide detour 
 and could not hope to arrive at his destination by fol- 
 lowing the road which lay before him. 
 
 Whether to return or to chance finding a stopping- 
 place a bit farther on at which to pass the night, was the 
 question which now engrossed him. 
 
 As he thought upon it Bonito brought him to a clear- 
 ing, and a glance ahead showed him a miserable house, 
 or cabin of poles, with a thatched roof. Fences in ruin 
 and a feeble effort here and there to bring the land to 
 a state of order indicated that the owner of the sitio 
 was one of those chronically indolent or discouraged per- 
 
 221
 
 222 HORACIO 
 
 sons to be found in all parts of the world, but especially 
 in Southern latitudes. 
 
 A couple of rakish poles in the quintal, striped with 
 black and red, supported squares of weather-faded cot- 
 ton cloth with crudely painted figures to replace the 
 usual prints of Saint John and Saint Anthony. These 
 curious works of art, indeed, looked rather like beetles 
 than men, but doubtless were fully as efficacious in 
 bringing good-luck as though they had been lithographed 
 in four colors. 
 
 However this may be, as the hour was late and he 
 was hungry, he determined to ask hospitality of those 
 who dwelt in the tumble-down house. 
 
 Drawing near to the place he perceived a man, well 
 on past middle-age, leaning against the casing of the 
 door. In the spare and languid figure, wasted by the 
 fever and bent by labor, Horacio was astonished to rec- 
 ognize his father ! 
 
 A sudden grip at the heart caught the words from his 
 lips; then he put the thought from him and assured 
 himself that a chance resemblance was all that there 
 could be in common between that stalwart, strong-armed 
 parent of his and this poor creature who seemed to be 
 trying to sustain his falling house, or perhaps they 
 mutually sustained each other. 
 
 "I have lost my way," he said, after saluting the man 
 courteously; "I must have passed a cross-roads without 
 noticing. I was going to pass the night at Sor Martinho 's 
 Sor Martinho Toledo. Have I gone far astray?" 
 
 "Yes, a goodish bit," replied the man, "a goodish
 
 FOUND 223 
 
 bit, indeed. The cross-roads is a good two leagues back, 
 then two leagues and a half, or thereabouts, would bring 
 you to Martinho's. You will find it hard to get there 
 to-night." 
 
 Horacio hesitated, and at this moment a woman ap- 
 peared in the doorway and gazed out over the old man's 
 shoulder. It was his mother ! An inexplicable, perverse 
 impulse moved him to restrain himself when he would 
 have dried out. 
 
 "Could you make shift to accommodate me here for 
 the night?" he asked at length, "or is there " a better 
 place he was going to say, then changed it to, ' ' any other 
 place farther on? I can sleep on my saddle-blankets in 
 any corner," he added, at sight of the troubled look on 
 the man's face. 
 
 The woman started as he spoke and gazed eagerly at 
 him ; then her face relapsed into its former impassibility. 
 
 Her husband or, as we may as well say at once, 
 Horacio 's father, looked inquiringly at the woman, then 
 straightened himself a bit and shambled down toward 
 the rickety gate. 
 
 "Well," he said as he approached, "we have not 
 much to offer but, such as it is, you're welcome to it. 
 It's full two leagues to the next place along this road, 
 and you can hardly make it to-night. Dismount, sir, and 
 enter! There's a bit of corn in the payol there for your 
 horse. Seems like I've seen that there beast before 
 somewhere," he added, running his hand over Bonito's 
 neck, who sniffed at him as though he too felt a vague 
 sense of recognition take hold of him.
 
 224 HORACIO 
 
 ''Like as not,'' replied Horacio indifferently, as he 
 slipped to the ground; "I borowed him from a man in 
 Jahu." 
 
 The man gathered up the reins to lead the animal 
 away. "I suppose that is where I've seen him," he 
 said, turning away; "I used to live nigh to Jahu a few 
 years back.'* 
 
 A couple of young girls had now appeared in the 
 doorway, and as Horacio shook hands all around he 
 found it difficult to recognize his sisters and more diffi- 
 cult to restrain the eager questions which were struggling 
 for voice. 
 
 Throwing his whip and saddle-bags upon a bench, he 
 dropped wearily beside them and gazed about the room. 
 Chinks between the poles which formed its frail walls 
 gave frank entrance to the air from without. The floor 
 was the solid earth, worn in ruts and hollows, upon 
 which a rickety table stood uneasily and as though there 
 were a continual controversy among its legs as to which 
 should help sustain it; for one of them, at least, always 
 refused to reach to the ground. Benches took the place 
 of chairs and a bottle in a tin holder, with a bit of cot- 
 ton wicking in it, stood upon a shelf. Several small ar- 
 ticles of little value hung about upon the walls, and, save 
 these poor things, there was no other furnishing. 
 
 Several small rooms besides the kitchen were evidently 
 partitioned off in the rear, and standing in the kitchen 
 with her back toward him was a woman, old or young 
 he could not clearly see in the obscurity, the outline 
 of whose figure caused his heart to thump in his bosom.
 
 FOUND 225 
 
 At this instant she turned, as he spoke in reply to a 
 question of his mother. "Yes," he replied to the ques- 
 tioner, "I am peddling, but only books." 
 
 His mother gave a half-sigh of disappointment. ''I 
 was hoping one of those Turks would pass this way, 
 soon," she said. "We have no money to buy books, 
 and there couldn't none of us read 'em if we bought 
 'em, but I'm needing some cotton-goods for the girls." 
 
 Horacio still kept his eyes upon the passage-way that 
 led out to the kitchen, but the woman had disappeared. 
 "I am sorry," he answered his mother, absently, "but 
 I have only books. ' ' 
 
 The old man now entered and sat down upon a bench. 
 Horacio wondered where his two brothers were. Per- 
 haps they were not living; he remembered the disaster 
 which had swept the family from their home. 
 
 "You are not well, sir?" he inquired of his host, 
 to make conversation. 
 
 "No, I can't say as I enjoy very good health here. 
 We seem to have settled in a right unhealthy spot. 
 When one of us ain't down with the maleita another 
 is, and mostly we have it all the time. See these 
 arms, young man! When I came here there was no 
 man hereabouts could show a likelier arm nor stick by 
 the hoe as long, and now look at them!" and he rolled 
 up his sleeves to display his meager and shrunken mem- 
 bers. 
 
 "And isn't the land good for crops either?" asked 
 his son, with growing pity. 
 
 "Good? None better! This land is as rich as one
 
 226 EORACIO 
 
 could wish; but what can you do without arms to till 
 it, and sick all the time? Helpers are mighty scarce 
 in these parts. They all go to the big fazendas near 
 the city, and we sertanejos must do our own work. 
 That's all right for them as has families, but them 
 that hasn't must rot like fallen timbers on the soil 
 and at last mix with it," and he looked sadly about 
 the place. 
 
 "But have you no one to help you, sir?" asked Horacio, 
 dreading the reply. 
 
 "No, I hain't no one," was the answer; "that is, I 
 have two boys" Horacio 's heart bounded "fine boys, 
 too, but they might as well not be mine for all the 
 good they do me." 
 
 "How is that?" asked his son wonderingly. 
 
 "Oh, it's a long story," responded the old man, and 
 I don't know as it's worth the telling;" then, encour- 
 aged by the show of interest, for even those who have 
 outlived most of the storms of life do not outlive the 
 mild frailty of responding to this sort of subtle flattery, 
 he went on: "You see, I had a fine little place over 
 nigh Jahu, as I said, but my other son got mixed up 
 in some trouble and his enemies fixed themselves up like 
 Injuns one night and came over and burned us out. 
 Only for the fact that we was warned we would have 
 been burned in our beds or shot down as we ran out, 
 for we lay hidden in the brush and heard 'em talking. 
 
 "Seems as though they thought we was burned with 
 the house, for they never troubled to follow us. They 
 killed my oxen and stole what they wanted, and all we
 
 FOUND 227 
 
 got away with was the bit of stuff we could put on the 
 horses, so we came over here and settled down where 
 no one knew us. I bought this bit of land from Sor 
 Andre, who lives two leagues farther on along this road. 
 He's the richest man in all this country, but he's hard! 
 Yes, he's hard not to say something worse; but then 
 I suppose I have no cause to complain. 
 
 "I was a stranger and I gave him some money, and 
 papers instead of the balance, for his land; and then 
 I left the boys, taking what cash I had remaining and 
 bought some things I needed tools and the like. Then 
 we all fell to and made the clearin' and put up this 
 temporary house, thinking to better it later on. Then 
 we began getting sick, and it's been the same old story 
 ever since. When the time came to make the payments 
 I couldn't do much of anything," and the old man 
 leaned forward and stared at the floor, shaking his head 
 wearily. 
 
 "So the interest grew," he went on at length, "and 
 then there was interest on interest, and, do all I could, 
 the payments I made him were small. So at last he 
 took the boys over to work on his place, to keep the 
 interest down. He only allows them nine hundred reis 
 a day and gives them a place to sleep and a part, of 
 what they need to eat. I furnish the rest. He keeps 
 their wages to apply on the interest." 
 
 "How long have they been there now?" asked their 
 brother, with all the indifference he could assume. 
 
 "Let me see! It is going on two years now," his 
 father answered. "Seems like, with all I have paid,
 
 228 HORACIO 
 
 that I ought to get ahead on what I owed, but it is 
 still bigger than it was at first." 
 
 "May I ask what interest you are paying?'* said 
 Horacio. 
 
 "Why not? It is two per cent, a month." 
 
 "That is a good deal. Was the amount great that 
 you owed him?" 
 
 "No, not very large It was four hundred milreis. 
 You see, I bought one hundred alqueires at ten milreis 
 the alqueire, and I gave him six hundred milreis that I 
 had from my brother, who died a year or so before we 
 came here; the rest of what I had I used in stockin' 
 the place. But stay, I'll show you the papers!" 
 
 With that open frankness common to country-bred 
 people everywhere, the old man went to a box in which 
 he kept some odds and ends along with the papers, and, 
 fumbling them over, brought forth some soiled and 
 worn documents which he handed over for his son's 
 inspection. 
 
 "I cannot read," he said, "but I pretty near know 
 them by heart, I have had them read to me so many 
 times." 
 
 Horacio read the papers with great care and found 
 them in proper form, as nearly as his good sense could 
 determine. On the back of the contract were indorsed 
 the payments, each receipt being accompanied by the 
 proper revenue-stamp. Reading aloud to the old man 
 the amounts and dates of payment, all appeared to be 
 perfectly correct. 
 
 "What are wages worth for farm hands hereabouts?"
 
 FOUND 229 
 
 he asked, when he had completed his examination of the 
 papers. 
 
 "Oh, two mil five and keep generally," replied his 
 father. 
 
 "Are your sons large and strong and good workers?" 
 inquired Horaeio, beginning to see light. 
 
 "That they are none better! But Sor Andre says 
 he has to keep them the whole year round and that 
 makes a difference; but I wish they might come to me 
 during the slack times over to his place that he talks so 
 much about." 
 
 * ' Then let me see ! three hundred and thirteen days 
 for the year, not counting Sundays, although I suppose 
 they work on Sundays the same as other days no ? ' ' and 
 he glanced inquiringly at his father. The old man 
 nodded affirmatively. "Well, never mind the Sundays! 
 Three hundred and thirteen by two men for two years 
 makes four times three hundred and thirteen, or twelve 
 hundred and fifty-two, times nine hundred reis, which 
 would make one conto and one hundred and twenty-six 
 mil eight hundred reis. Now we shall add to that amount 
 one conto six hundred milreis you have paid in cash, as 
 credited here on the back of the papers, and that makes 
 about seven times what you owed him originally, and all 
 this for interest, because he claims that you still owe 
 him more than the original amount. In addition you 
 say that the wages are worth at least three times as 
 much as he is allowing the boys. In other words, you 
 have paid your debt and he owes you a nice bit of 
 money besides."
 
 230 HORACIO 
 
 The old man gazed at his son with puzzled eyes, un- 
 able to take in the full significance of such a revelation. 
 
 "Sobre teres e haveres movew-se muitas demandas," 
 he finally philosophized. "It may be as you say, young; 
 man, but might is right here, if indeed it be as you say. 
 What can I do? He will take the land and turn us out, 
 and I have not a vintem with which to begin life else- 
 where. This is what the contract says ! Read it and you 
 will see that I have already forfeited the place and it is 
 only through his forbearance that I remain here." 
 
 " Humph!" ejaculated the young man; "a profitable 
 forbearance for him ! But from what little I have learned 
 at school I judge that his accepting your money with- 
 out taking advantage of the first delays in your pay- 
 ment constitutes a full renewal of your contract." 
 
 "Ah, you do not know our people here. You are from 
 the city, I take it? Sor Andre does not mind small ir- 
 regularities. If I protest, he will send his capangas to 
 burn the house over me. No, he must have his will! 
 Alas, I do not know what will come of it ! It is true there 
 is a way, but I do not know whether even that will suffice. 
 All this is come upon me because of that wild son of mine 
 who meddled with the affairs of his betters and in what 
 did not concern him. Oft have I been minded to curse 
 him for the evil he has wrought!" 
 
 The words which Horacio had been about to speak 
 died on his lips at the old man's bitter tone. A light 
 step was at the door and a young woman, who might 
 have been any age from twenty to thirty, brought a 
 cloth and spread it on the unstable piece o*" furniture
 
 FOUND 231 
 
 which did duty as a table and which was never at rest 
 upon the uneven floor. The old man gathered his papers 
 and put them away. The young woman did not look at 
 Horacio, but in spite of the aspect of her face, which was 
 haggard and wan, and the languor of her movements, 
 brought on by ill-health, he caught a glimpse of her 
 great dark eyes and knew that it was Anna. 
 
 "Good evening!" he said hesitatingly. 
 
 "Good evening, sir!" she replied, and extended a 
 limp and reluctant hand, which she released again as 
 quickly as she could from his warm and hearty grasp 
 and left the room. His sisters completed the serving of 
 the meal, and when it was ready father and son sat down 
 together to the humble fare. 
 
 Almost immediately afterward the woman arranged a 
 husk mattress, with a sheet and a bit of blanket, on a 
 homemade bedstead in an inner room, and bade their 
 guest choose his own hour for retiring. 
 
 The two men sat together for some time in aimless 
 conversation, the old man enjoying this little glimpse of 
 the outside world, while the young man answered ab- 
 sently as he turned his thoughts over and over in his 
 mind about one central axis. At last, desirous of 
 being alone, he arose and went out under the stars 
 to stroll about the curral, thinking intently of what 
 he should do. 
 
 Suddenly he heard a light step beside him and a 
 hand touched him on the arm. 
 
 "Horacio!" said a well-remembered voice softly, 
 "here is the package you left in my care."
 
 232 HORACIO 
 
 Horacio turned in wonder at the sound of his name 
 and caught the hand that held the package. 
 
 "Anna!" he cried, "what is this?" 
 
 "Let me be!" she answered coldly, but he would not 
 let her go, although she tried to withdraw her hand 
 and struggled for her liberty. 
 
 "Not until you answer my questions. Will you prom- 
 ise?" 
 
 "Yes," she said, in the same tone as before, "I will 
 answer your questions. You have the right to ask." 
 
 "What is this in this package?" he asked, releasing 
 her hand. 
 
 " 'Tis the little hoard of your savings which you left 
 hidden in the house where only you and I knew the 
 place." 
 
 "I had supposed it burned with the house! And so 
 you kept it all these years when in such dire need ? Why 
 did you not give it to my father?" 
 
 "It was yours," she said simply. Her loyalty touched 
 him. 
 
 "Anna," he said, with broken voice, "I have mourned 
 thee all these years." 
 
 "You never came," she answered coldly, and moved 
 away from him as though she would leave him "you 
 a hunter, not to find us!" 
 
 There was reproach in her voice and he was glad to 
 be able to answer frankly, "Anna! They conscripted 
 me by force the next day at Brotas, and it was only after 
 nearly four years of service that I could return, to find 
 the ruins of the house and learn that you had all been
 
 FOUND 233 
 
 slain by the bugres. Do not reproach me ! How could 
 I do otherwise ? ' ' 
 
 The constraint in the girl's manner lifted for a mo- 
 ment, then the old cloud fell across her face. He caught 
 at her hand, but she held it resolutely behind her back. 
 
 "Anna!" he cried again, "why dost thou remain in- 
 different? I have explained what must have seemed 
 cruel and heartless. Hast thou not forgiven?" 
 
 "I forgave thee then," she answered gently, "al- 
 though I could not understand. But it is too late now ! 
 I am going away to-morrow." She did not say what was 
 too late, but her voice was unutterably sad. 
 
 "Going away! Where?" 
 
 "I am going to marry Sor Andre." 
 
 Horacio staggered as though stunned with a blow. 
 His newly-revived hopes began to be dissipated like a 
 dream. But, no, he would not find Anna just to lose 
 her: he would protest: he would cry out against it: she 
 could not wish him to do otherwise. 
 
 "I came in good time!" he said firmly. "Thou shalt 
 never marry him! I will not have it so!" 
 
 "I must," she answered simply. 
 
 "Dost thou wish to do so?" he asked coldly. 
 
 "Do not ask me that. Thou hast no right." 
 
 "I have a right! Dost thou not owe me that much?" 
 
 "Do not remind me of my debt to thee. It is not 
 generous." 
 
 "That is true. Forgive me," he said with self-re- 
 proach, "but tell me, Anna, dost thou dost thou love 
 him?"
 
 234 HORAC10 
 
 The girl looked at him steadily for a moment and then 
 turned again to flee from him. Suddenly a thought 
 struck Horacio. 
 
 "Is it because of that miserable contract?" he cried 
 impetuously. "You do it to cancel the debt!" 
 
 The girl's face was telltale in spite of the darkness. 
 She tried to flee, but he ran after her and caught her 
 in his arms. 
 
 ''Anna, I say thou shalt not marry him! Thou dost 
 not love him!" 
 
 "Let me go! Let me go!" she cried, as she struggled 
 to be free. 
 
 "Wilt thou listen to me if I let thee go?" he asked 
 sternly. 
 
 "Yes," she gasped, with a sob in her voice, "I shall 
 listen." 
 
 "Anna, didst thou suppose that I could desert my 
 father, now that I have found him?" 
 
 "I did not know," she answered hesitatingly. "I 
 was afraid that is when thou didst not reveal thy- 
 self " 
 
 "I see. It was wrong; I do not know what possessed 
 me. At first I did not know him and I needed time to 
 think; but I shall ask his forgiveness, and I shall not 
 desert him. I have a plan which I have been turning in 
 my head all the evening: there only lacks one element 
 to insure success, and perhaps we may risk it. To-night 
 I shall not speak, for he has already retired. Meanwhile 
 let me see Anna, wilt thou do as I bid thee ? I prom- 
 ise that I will care for my father; wilt thou obey me?"
 
 FOUND 235 
 
 The girl hesitated for a moment and then said thought- 
 fully, "Thou art not the same Horacio. Thou art 
 changed. Thy very language and manner of speaking 
 are different. Thou hast the air of the city. How can 
 I tell?" 
 
 "How didst thou know me when I came?" 
 
 The girl laughed mischievously. "How, indeed? How 
 could I help knowing thee?" 
 
 ' ' Then if thou knewest me when my own mother and 
 father did not know me, I must be the same Horacio. 
 Wilt thou promise?" 
 
 "Thy mother did know thee," she said, to gain 
 time. "When she came to the kitchen she looked at me 
 and our lips formed the same word. Then a tear stole 
 down her cheek." 
 
 "Poor mother!" said the young man, and a shade of 
 sadness crept into his voice. l ' I shall not keep her wait- 
 ing long. Come, Anna, wilt thou promise to do as I 
 direct thee?" 
 
 "Yes," she answered at last. Horacio then revealed 
 his plan in rapid words. 
 
 "Good-night!" he said finally. "Permit me now as 
 a brother to embrace thee. We shall meet again." 
 
 He put his arms about her and kissed her on both 
 cheeks, but thought that she was not pleased. Neverthe- 
 less he pressed her hand again and turned away toward 
 the house. 
 
 Having hastily written a note by the light of the little 
 flickering lamp which hung against the wall, he laid it 
 upon the doorstep, and when he looked again it was gone.
 
 XV. 
 SOR ANDRE. 
 
 FOR a long time that night as he lay on his bed, 
 whose husks rattled uneasily as he turned from side to 
 side, Horacio courted sleep in vain. One wild plan 
 chased another through his troubled brain until he 
 finally fell asleep of sheer fatigue. 
 
 He was awakened by the rapid patter of pacing hoofs 
 approaching the door. The sun had long since crept 
 above the horizon and the family was stirring about the 
 house. He heard a masterful voice greet his father from 
 the gate of the little curral. Rising from his bed, he 
 put on the remainder of his clothing and went out into 
 the sala. His father had already left the house and was 
 leaning over the gate, talking with a man on horseback, 
 who held by the bridle-rein another animal bearing a 
 woman's saddle. 
 
 The young man stepped to the doorway in order that 
 he might have a better look at the stranger, and began 
 the inspection with the horse, as any ex-cavalryman 
 should do. The beast was a noble creature who arched 
 his proud neck and shifted uneasily about under the re- 
 straining hand of his rider. A handsome saddle mount- 
 ed with silver matched the luxurious bridle and was 
 overlaid with the skin of some animal, upon which sat 
 
 236
 
 80R ANDEE 237 
 
 negligently but securely a finely-formed man of about 
 forty-five. His swarthy skin betokened some admixture 
 of African or Indian blood, while the coarse black hair 
 which showed beneath his fine hat bore witness to the 
 same. 
 
 All this Horacio took in at a glance, as well as the short 
 repeating rifle which lay across the saddle in front of 
 him a weapon sufficiently uncommon in the hands of 
 a Brazilian to attract attention at any time, and espe- 
 cially from Horacio; but it was upon the man's eyes that 
 his glance lingered longest. Black, cruel, daring, but 
 cowardly eyes they were, and revealed the soul almost 
 aggressively. 
 
 An earnest discussion was evidently taking place. 
 Finally the man dismounted and, tying his horses to a 
 strong post, entered the gate and approached the house, 
 with the old man shambling along at his side. 
 
 ' ' Sor Andre dos Campos what is your grace ? I for- 
 got to ask," said the latter, turning toward his guest as 
 he waved his hand from one to the other in presenta- 
 tion. 
 
 "My name is Horacio your servant," the young man 
 replied simply, and, controlling his repugnance, shook 
 the proffered hand. 
 
 The old man started slightly as he heard the name 
 which the young man gave and looked at him sharply 
 for an instant. At the same moment he was undergoing 
 a piercing scrutiny from the black eyes of the local 
 magnate, who wondered at his presence in the neigh- 
 borhood. As it was common custom to give only one's
 
 238 HORACIO 
 
 baptismal name, no special notice was taken of Horacio's 
 failure to mention his surname. 
 
 Striving not to appear to notice the dual inspection, 
 he made some trivial remark on some commonplace sub- 
 ject, and the old man took his eyes from him and turned 
 toward the door near which they had been standing. 
 
 "Sinha!" he called toward the interior of the house, 
 and as his wife appeared in the kitchen doorway he 
 added, "Here is Sor Andre. Send Anna!" 
 
 His wife came forward slowly, wiping her hands on 
 her skirt. ' ' Good mornin ', Sor Andre ! How have you 
 passed?" she said, giving her hand to the rich fazendeiro. 
 "Anna is not here. I do not know where she is. I went 
 to her room a moment ago, but her bed had not been 
 slept in. Likely she is in the roc.a." 
 
 "What jugglery is this!" cried the dark man angrily. 
 "Would she spend the night in the roc,a? No! She knew 
 I was coming to fetch her, and you have put up some 
 trick between you to hide her. But take care! My 
 patience has not callouses." 
 
 "I assure you, Sor Andre, I know nothing of her," 
 said the old man piteously. " 'Twas only yesterday she 
 said she was ready to go with you, and I have not heard 
 a word since." 
 
 "Don't come to me with your pack of lies!" retorted 
 the fazendeiro brutally. "Go find the girl this instant 
 or I shall have no more words with you ! Off you go- 
 bag and baggage this very day! There are limits!" 
 
 The old man turned to his wife with trembling lip 
 and anxious mien. "Send the girls to hunt her, Sinh&,"
 
 80R ANDRE 239 
 
 he said in a broken voice. " Surely she cannot be far 
 away. She was here when I went to bed last night" 
 
 The woman turned to do his bidding, but halted at 
 the sound of Horacio's voice. 
 
 "You will not find her," he said quietly to his mother, 
 and thought that a faint flash of relief flitted across her 
 impassive countenance. 
 
 "What in the name of a thousand demons have you 
 got to do with it?" shouted the fazendeiro. ""Who is 
 this fellow?" turning to the old man. 
 
 "Sir, what do you know of her?" inquired the old man 
 anxiously of his son, disregarding his landlord's ques- 
 tion. 
 
 Without stopping to think, Horacio said calmly, ' ' She 
 is far away on the road to the city, as fast as my horse 
 can carry her," and instantly repented his indiscretion. 
 The fazendeiro 's face immediately lightened. 
 
 "Well," he said, "I don't know why you are mixing in 
 this affair nor what you hope to get out of it, but that 
 we shall settle afterwards. Pinhal, there, will bring me 
 up with her in a very short time, I fancy, and we shall 
 have an end of this nonsense. There are two roads to the 
 city, and that which she has taken will show the prints 
 of your horse's feet, chivalrous young meddler! So 
 long!" and he turned away. 
 
 Horacio sprang forward and caught him by the arm. 
 The fazendeiro turned and drew a long, silver-mounted 
 knife from its sheath. The women screamed and the 
 mother took a quick step forward. Horacio was stand- 
 ing with folded arms and a calm smile was on his face.
 
 240 HORACIO 
 
 His coolness disarmed the wrath of his opponent for an 
 instant. 
 
 "You will not follow her!" said the young man firm- 
 ly. "Do you wish to know why? This is why. See yon 
 bird!" and he pointed dramatically to a small hawk on 
 a distant tree-top. All turned their heads in surprise to 
 look, and, improving this opportunity, he reached quick- 
 ly forward and snatched the rifle from the astonished 
 fazendeiro. 
 
 Now it was that he marked the measure of his man, 
 for the fellow, at sight of the weapon in the hands of 
 his adversary, betrayed every symptom of arrant 
 cowardice. His color fled and left him like chalk, while 
 the keen knife fell from his trembling hand as he fixed 
 his eyes on Horacio, unable to take them from the stern 
 young face where bravery and determination were 
 written. 
 
 Without giving heed to the dismay which he had 
 caused, the hunter raised his arm, and, with joy in his 
 heart as the weapon came to rest against his shoulder 
 and his keen eye glanced swiftly along its sights, he 
 pulled the trigger. A flash, a report, and all eyes fol- 
 lowed his gesture. 
 
 "See there!" he cried. "Coitado! He never knew 
 what struck him." 
 
 From the distant tree-top a few feathers floated away 
 on the light breeze and the hawk's mutilated body fell 
 vertically to the earth. 
 
 "No one can shoot like that save my son, my Horacio!" 
 cried the old man in amazed uncertainty.
 
 80R ANDRE 241 
 
 "Horacio!" cried his mother, unable any longer to 
 restrain herself, and burying her head on his shoulder. 
 
 Sor Andre was greatly astonished at this little drama 
 and looked on in mingled perplexity and dissatisfaction. 
 When the mother had' liberated her son it was the 
 father's turn to clasp him in a tender embrace: then 
 the lad turned to the fazendeiro and handed him back 
 his gun. 
 
 "Sor Andre," he said, " you have oppressed and de- 
 frauded my father too long. He is an old man and can- 
 not claim his rights. Last night by chance I happened 
 here, and discovered that those whom I had thought 
 long since dead are still alive. I am here now and I shall 
 claim my father's right for him. By the papers which he 
 showed me, when he did not yet know that I was his 
 son, I find that your little scheme is one that will not 
 bear investigation beyond the sertao. You are mighty 
 here, no doubt, but I warn you : do not trifle with me. I 
 have been a soldier, and before I was a soldier I had been 
 a hunter. I fear you not, and I never miss my mark. 
 I could have slain you now, but forbore. Why should 
 I not slay you ? What use are you to anybody but your- 
 self? Begone! lest I change my mind. But mark my 
 words and mark them well ! I hold you responsible with 
 your life for each of theirs. I shall expect my brothers 
 here this afternoon with wages with their just wages 
 do you understand ? And as for this property, it is my 
 father's, as you very well know!" 
 
 Saying this he turned his back and, without a glance 
 at the abashed bully, entered the house. Only the moral
 
 242 HORACIO 
 
 effect of his courage kept him from being shot down in 
 his tracks by the irate scamp outside. A moment later 
 he heard the sound of a retreating gallop and his quick 
 ear told him that it was not on the road to the city. 
 
 "Fear is the best watchman," he remarked senten- 
 tiously in answer to his parents' doubts. 
 
 It was a happy moment for them when in the hour 
 of their direst need they found a supporter in the son 
 who had been lost to them for so many years. Scarcely 
 could they leave him an instant or take their eyes off 
 his handsome face. 
 
 "How thou hast grown, my Horacio! Thou art not 
 the same Horacio ! ' ' cried his mother in perplexity, hold- 
 ing him off at arm's length, while the two girls clung to 
 either elbow. 
 
 "Yes, I am the same Horacio," he answered, laugh- 
 ing. "Forgive me that I did not reveal myself sooner." 
 
 "I knew thee," his mother answered simply. 
 
 "Thou knewest him and yet saidst nothing, Sinha?" 
 queried the old man in puzzled bewilderment. 
 
 "Yes, she knew me, my father," said Horacio, "and 
 so did Anna. That is why I sent Anna away because 
 of Sor Andre, you know. ' ' 
 
 "I begin to understand," replied the old man, "but 
 tell us all about it, for my head goes around. Shall I 
 have your brothers back again ? What shall we do with 
 Sor Andre's enmity? Where hast thou been and why 
 didst thou not come to us long ago? So this is why 
 I knew the horse! See what I have for thee," and 
 without waiting for answers to his questions he hurried
 
 80R ANDRE 243 
 
 to his room and brought a long bundle of rags which he 
 quickly unrolled before his son's wondering eyes. 
 
 "My rifle!" cried the young man at last, with a gasp 
 of pleasure, and hugging it to his bosom notwithstand- 
 ing the abundant grease with which it was covered. 
 
 * ' He has kept it clean all these years, ' ' said his mother 
 proudly. 
 
 "And let no one use it," added his father. "See, 
 here are cartridges also!" 
 
 Horacio turned the weapon over and over, wiped 
 the grease from it, and put it to his shoulder. 
 
 "Hast thou a horse to spare, my father?" he asked 
 suddenly. "If there is an extra horse here I shall re- 
 serve my story for by-and-by and take a short turn 
 down the road." 
 
 "I have a poor sort of a beast here. He is scarcely 
 a reasonable excuse for a horse, but perhaps he will 
 serve," and he led the way to the stable. 
 
 Horacio shouldered the gun, after filling the mag- 
 azine and his pockets with cartridges, and rode off 
 down the trail in the direction of Sor Andre's plan- 
 tation, expecting to meet his brothers on the way. 
 
 Much to his surprise he had ridden for an hour 
 and a half without encountering any one, when he 
 came to a cross-roads and a cabin of thatch. Here 
 he learned that a road led down to the river and no- 
 ticed that the hoof-prints of Sor Andre's horse, which 
 he had been following, turned off and followed the 
 river-road. 
 
 Instantly he divined what the wealthy fazendeiro
 
 244 HORACIO 
 
 had planned to do, and turned his horse also toward 
 the river. He had not gone a hundred meters, how- 
 ever, when he checked the horse and turned back. 
 
 "What use," said he to himself, ''to follow a swift 
 horse with an old crowbait like this? No, no! It is 
 better to go on to his house and await his return. If 
 he brings Anna with him, we shall square accounts 
 there. If he misses her, as is more than likely, be- 
 cause of the long start she had, we shall settle the 
 other score and be off." 
 
 Spurring his nearly worthless steed, he jogged along 
 toward the fazenda and soon came out of the forest 
 into a long open stretch of corn and pumpkins which 
 led down to a stream upon which were built the va- 
 rious houses of the fazenda. Upon the farther side 
 great meadows, or invernadas, stocked with fat cattle, 
 extended to the distant forest-line. 
 
 Near the creek a saw-mill and a flour-mill, with other 
 necessary concomitants of fazenda-life in the sertao, 
 formed a large gathering of scattered buildings. From 
 the meadow-lands numerous slender palms, which re- 
 mained after the ruthless destruction of the rich tim- 
 ber, thrust their graceful stems and waving crowns up 
 into the morning breeze before which they swayed like 
 reeds. Horacio paused a moment in keen appreciation 
 of the beauty of the scene, then slowly descended the long 
 slope toward the house. 
 
 At the gate of the curral a horseman, with a great 
 coiled lariat in one hand and his whip in the other, 
 ursred A> ! with word and gesture and blows of lariat
 
 SOR ANDRE 245 
 
 or lash a bunch of cattle that were crowding through 
 the open gate, while down the road beyond came gal- 
 loping a remnant of the herd with another horseman 
 hallooing after them. Horacio knew that the man at the 
 gate was his brother. 
 
 "Manoel!" he cried. 
 
 The rider turned his head and waved his hand to 
 indicate that he would shortly return, then closed the 
 gate after the cattle and dashed up the slope to aid 
 his comrade. In another moment the remaining cat- 
 tle came hurrying down to the gate which Horacio 
 threw open for them to enter and then closed behind 
 them. He now saw, by their resemblance, that the 
 two vaqueiros must be brothers, yet he could not be 
 sure which was the one he had greeted nor whether 
 he had greeted him aright. 
 
 The two young men paused at the gate and salut- 
 ed him. "Good morning! How are you? Much 
 obliged!" 
 
 "Not at all," replied their brother. "You are 
 Manoel and Jose de Castro, are you not?" 
 
 "It is true," replied one of them. "What can we 
 do for you?" 
 
 "I am Horacio de Castro, your brother. I have 
 just come from our father's." 
 
 "Horacio!" cried the young men in unison. "We 
 thought that thou wert dead!" 
 
 "I am not dead, but very much alive, as you see. 
 But I have business with you that cannot wait. Come, 
 an embrace and explanations afterwards!"
 
 246 HORACIO 
 
 The brothers approached and, leaning from their 
 saddles, embraced him warmly. 
 
 "Is Sor Andre here?" asked their older brother. 
 
 "No," answered Jose, with a sudden flush as he 
 remembered something. "He has gone away to get 
 mar that is on business. He will not be back, prob- 
 ably, until night." 
 
 "On the contrary, you may expect him at any mo- 
 ment. His business has mischanced." The younger 
 men glanced at each other intelligently. 
 
 "Now, I have sharp business with Sor Andre. I 
 want you to get ready to go with me at once. ' ' 
 
 "Virgem Nossa! Ready to go with thee! Senhora 
 do Ceu! how can that be?" 
 
 "Never mind, but trust me and waste no time in 
 words. Fetch me a good horse and I shall leave this 
 food-for-ravens here. Be quick now!" 
 
 In a few moments the two young men returned 
 with three excellent horses and their own few belong- 
 ings. At almost the same moment Sor Andre came in 
 sight, galloping down through the corn. His beautiful 
 horse was flecked with foam and reeking with sweat, 
 and the blackness of anger and disappointment lay 
 heavily upon his evil face as he came in sight of the 
 three young men at the gate. Horacio's rifle lay across 
 the pommel of his saddle, ready to his hand. 
 
 "That is my horse you are riding!" shouted the fa- 
 zendeiro, without saluting him. 
 
 "I will buy it," he replied calmly. 
 
 "And I will not sell it," retorted the man angrily.
 
 SOB ANDRE 247 
 
 "You know what we do with horse-thieves hereabouts? 
 It's short shrift they get! Dismount and turn him 
 loose!" 
 
 "I am trying the horse to see if I like him," re- 
 plied Horacio amiably, and touched him with the spur, 
 causing him to curvet about. "I like him," he added 
 with a smile, "and you will be glad to sell him before 
 I am through with you. Don't do that!" he snapped 
 out, as the fazendeiro made a movement to raise his 
 rifle. "I am going away with my brothers. They 
 want some horses and the balance of their wages. You 
 can take the value of these three out of what you are 
 owing them and call the balance a conto. Are you 
 satisfied, boys?" 
 
 The two young men, never having seen Sor Andre 
 conquered before, gazed at one another in astonishment. 
 "Oh, yes, we're satisfied," they answered with cheer- 
 ful alacrity. 
 
 "But I'm not satisfied, curse you!" shouted the rich 
 man, with a string of oaths. "This is blackmail and 
 robbery ! ' ' 
 
 "Tut, tut! Softly! Those are not pretty names," 
 answered his tormentor with a steely glitter in his 
 eye. "Where is my cousin Anna?" 
 
 It was a random shot, but the villain paled. Horacio 
 saw it and his heart sank. 
 
 "I know naught of your cousin and I care less," 
 replied Sor Andre. "Come, what is it you will have?" 
 You are three against one, and might makes right." 
 
 "Nothing truer!" said his opponent with a forced
 
 248 HORACIO 
 
 laugh. " You ought to know! How is he for capan- 
 gas?" This last he whispered to his nearest brother. 
 
 " 'Tis a holy day and they are all away. He has 
 only kept the two of us at work." 
 
 "Let us go to the house," said Horacio aloud. 
 "Maneco, open the gate! Sor Andre, will you have 
 the goodness to go first?" He motioned the fazen- 
 deiro to ride on. "Jose will relieve you of your gun: 
 it is heavy to carry." His brother reached out and 
 took the weapon, which was surrendered promptly but 
 with a muttered curse. 
 
 "We will go to your office. Never mind the cof- 
 fee ! Maneco, go ahead of Sor Andre to open the door ! ' ' 
 
 As they approached the house various female heads 
 appeared at the windows to gaze curiously at the lit- 
 tle procession and then turn away to exchange whis- 
 pered surmises. Possibly the nature of the affair was 
 suspected, without regret. At any rate, all dismounted 
 and entered the office of Sor Andre without seeing any 
 other signs of life about the place. 
 
 "Now, Sor Andre," said Horacio, as soon as they 
 were seated, "we are somewhat pressed for time. We 
 have gone over this matter once before this morning 
 you and I and we have concluded that the debt 
 is discharged and a balance is due my father and 
 brothers of, roughly speaking, about the value of the 
 horses and a conto of reis. If this is satisfactory, 
 please be so good as to acknowledge the discharge upon 
 this document," and he drew the contract from his 
 pocket and threw it on the table.
 
 SOR ANDRE 249 
 
 The fazendeiro stamped it and wrote the receipt. A 
 strange willingness seemed to have suddenly taken pos- 
 session of him. Horacio suspected the cause but meant 
 to make it serve his ends. 
 
 "Now the balance due, if you please!" Sor Andre 
 turned to a small safe and counted out the money. 
 
 "Now, boys, give him receipts in full! He will not 
 begrudge you a couple of stamps. What! You can- 
 not write? Then hold this gun a moment you, 
 Maneco! and I shall write it for you. All right! 
 Now we are quits. Adeus, Sor Andre! Don't try any 
 tricks or you will be sorry for it!" 
 
 He backed toward the door and covered his broth- 
 ers' retreat. "You will find your gun at the edge 
 of the wood, beyond the corn," he cried, as he mount- 
 ed, and all three galloped across the curral and down 
 the slope to the creek. Then they turned their horses' 
 heads towards home. 
 
 "Why did he turn pale when I spoke of Anna?" 
 was the thought of which Horacio could not rid him- 
 self as they hurried back to their parents. "What 
 has he done with Anna?" The question was destined 
 to be resolved that night.
 
 XVI. 
 FIRE WITH FIRE. 
 
 A LITTLE more than an hour after leaving the fazen- 
 da of Sor Andre the three young men dashed up to 
 their father's door. Horacio had partially satisfied his 
 brothers' curiosity on the way, and was resolved on 
 the course which he must now follow. He already sus- 
 pected that Sor Andre had consented to his just exac- 
 tion with alacrity in the hope of recovering in full, 
 with a seasoning of revenge. A few hours would suf- 
 fice to gather in his faithful capangas the instruments 
 of his many lawless acts and those who had triumphed 
 for the moment might then hope to eventually hear 
 from him. 
 
 There was practically nothing of any value upon the 
 place, and Horacio was determined to emigrate at the 
 first edge of the night. To do this successfully was 
 not as easy as would at first sight appear and would 
 require some little maneuvering. There were before 
 them several days of journeying, encumbered by women, 
 through a country that would not dare to succor them 
 nor could hope to attempt it successfully. 
 
 It was now three o'clock and after, and Sor Andre 
 could hardly reach them before nightfall. In a few 
 words the young man explained the situation, hand- 
 
 250
 
 FIRE WITH FIRE 251 
 
 ed the money and the contract to his father, and set 
 them all to work getting ready for the exodus. 
 
 ''Do not destroy that contract, my father," he said, 
 "for the land is thine now, and some day it will be 
 worth money. Now let us get together what we can 
 take with us. The girls and mother shall ride and 
 the rest of us must walk. At dark we must leave the 
 house shut up as though we had gone to bed and 
 retire with the horses to the far edge of the clearing. 
 The pigs and chickens we must leave to the hospitality 
 of the forest. Let us turn them out or they will perish 
 in the flames." 
 
 "The flames! What flames?" asked his sisters at 
 the same instant. 
 
 "You will see when the time comes. 'There is no 
 egg without a hen.' Run along and get your duds 
 together ! ' ' 
 
 The preparation for departure went on rapidly, 
 while Horacio or one of the brothers kept a sharp 
 watch on the road, but saw no one save the caboclo 
 who had been with Horacio, and who brought them 
 the news of Father Joao's death and thus removed 
 Horacio 's last scruple in carrying out his plan. 
 
 As the shadows began to fall the entire family and 
 their possessions were collected in the center of a small 
 open space in the edge of the forest beyond the clearing, 
 while Horacio remained in hiding near the house. 
 
 As yet the family could not see why he delayed the 
 departure, for he might have been on the road these 
 three hours ago if necessary. They were soon to see
 
 252 HORACIO 
 
 what was the explanation of his conduct, for they had 
 not been in hiding much more than an hour before 
 they heard the distant approach of horses. As the 
 sound drew nearer it suddenly ceased, and presently 
 one of the boys reported that a dozen armed men with 
 large bundles were quietly approaching on foot and 
 surrounding the house. 
 
 They could get no further news of their movements 
 for some time, but Horacio, as he lay in hiding close 
 by, saw Sor Andre approach him in company with 
 another man with whom he was in earnest conversa- 
 tion. Pretty soon the men began to place their bundles 
 against the house and retire again to the brush. When 
 they had all disappeared the man who was with Sor 
 Andre brought a can of oil and visited each bundle, 
 pouring what was left upon the doorstep. He then 
 returned to his former position near Sor Andre and 
 both men made ready their guns. Sor Andre himself 
 now lit a ball of cotton, soaked with oil, and cast it 
 at the doorstep. Instantly the house burst into a sheet 
 of flame. 
 
 "Keady, men! Let them have it when they run for 
 it! Pull them out of the flames when they fall! I'll 
 save my money if I can, but the festa is worth the 
 fiddler in any case," he shouted. 
 
 All the men now rose to their feet and chose ad- 
 vantageous positions. The fire roared and lit the scene 
 so that Horacio must have been discovered had they 
 chanced to look behind them. He shuddered to think 
 what must have been their fate had they chosen to
 
 FIRE WITH FIRE 253 
 
 spend another night in the house, and his finger itched 
 as it rested on the trigger of his rifle. Scarcely could 
 he conquer his longing to draw a bead on the author 
 of this barbarity as he stood like a silhoutte against 
 the burning house. Wisdom and his religion counselled 
 forbearance and he slowly wormed his way back into 
 the shadow. 
 
 "Curse them! I believe they have skipped!" shout- 
 ed the fazendeiro at last, as the roof began to fall in 
 on the doubling walls and the place gave no sign of 
 life. "Let us get after them down the road! They 
 have fooled us again and we have had all our trouble 
 for nothing. At any rate I'm square with the hussy 
 curse her! The Tiete fixed her!" 
 
 The blow fell on Horacio with stunning force. Slow- 
 ly he raised his rifle to his shoulder and glanced along 
 the sights which the flickering flames illumined. For 
 the fraction of a second Sor Andre drew nearer to the 
 reward of his evil deeds than he had ever feared before. 
 The thought of the dozen armed capangas who would 
 be left to fall upon his helpless family, and the mem- 
 ory of that group of feeble women in the forest yonder, 
 made the marksman pause. In another moment his 
 enemies had withdrawn and were hurrying to their 
 horses. 
 
 Horacio ran back to the little huddled group of 
 refugees. "Muffle the horses!" he cried. "Cover their 
 ears, eyes and nostrils; only give them air to breathe; 
 or they will betray us." 
 
 Personally he superintended the work, and then all
 
 254 HORACIO 
 
 kept quiet while the cavalcade of ruffians came toward 
 them and passed along the road. The muffled whinny 
 of one of the horses was drowned by the clatter of 
 hoofs, but two of those that were galloping by threw 
 up their heads and nickered as they passed. Fortu- 
 nately the riders took it that their horses scented oth- 
 ers ahead, so they spurred forward and soon the sound 
 of hoofs was lost on the night air. 
 
 Horacio now collected his little band and set them 
 in motion toward Sor Andre's house. 
 
 "What is this madness, Horacio?" asked his father, 
 who was filled with misgivings. 
 
 "Nothing of madness, father, but everything of wis- 
 dom. We have no hope in the direction they have 
 taken. We must gain the river by the other road; it is 
 shorter and our only hope to reach Conceigao. If we 
 were to work our way to Lengoes and Sao Manoel, we 
 should be overtaken long before we came to safety. 
 No, no! This is our only chance." 
 
 In silence the little company made its way back to 
 the cross-roads and then down towards the river. Morn- 
 ing was breaking over the tree-tops when at last they 
 found themselves still half a league from the ferry. 
 Rain was falling heavily and caused them great dis- 
 comfort, but at the same time it obliterated their tracks 
 and added to their safety. 
 
 Suddenly Manoel, who had been kept a little dis- 
 tance in the lead as a sort of scout, came running back 
 to tell them that the enemy was approaching from 
 the river. Horacio turned his company aside into the
 
 FIRE WITH FIRE 255 
 
 forest and soon had them hidden from the road. He 
 then returned to see who might pass and discovered 
 that Sor Andre was returning with six of his capangas. 
 
 Exactly!" he said to himself. ''You have left 
 six men to take care of the other road, after learning 
 that we had not crossed the ferry, or else six remain 
 at the ferry. Alas for us, if this be the case!" 
 
 The cavalcade passed, cursing at the rain, cursing 
 at Horacio, cursing at the old man, and cursing at 
 things in general. When they had been lost to sight 
 and sound for full thirty minutes Horacio emerged 
 from the forest, and, sending out a scout in advance, 
 as before, they went on toward the river, splashing 
 through the slippery mud as best they could. Suddenly 
 the sound of a galloping horse came close behind. The 
 young man turned and looked back to see the fazen- 
 deiro bearing down on them alone around a bend of 
 the road. 
 
 Instantly, at sight of the little party and Horacio 
 walking in the rear with ready rifle, he checked his 
 horse so quickly that he sat upon his haunches and slid 
 through the red mud. With a sharp jerk of the reins 
 he brought the animal about and spurred him in retreat. 
 
 "If I let him return we are lost! I would it were 
 the rider and not the gallant beast who has done no 
 harm to any one. Why should I spare the man who 
 has wrought this evil, and slay the noble animal that 
 bears him away?" 
 
 As these thoughts flitted through his brain he dis- 
 embarrassed himself in an instant of his saddle-bags,
 
 256 HORACIO 
 
 which he was carrying, and brought his rifle to bear 
 on the retreating forms. In another instant they would 
 have disappeared from view and it would have been 
 too late. A sharp report rang out as the horse turned 
 at the angle of the road, and with a great crash horse 
 and rider fell in the mud. 
 
 A bullet had passed through the horse's neck. Sor 
 Andre lay prone where he had fallen and for a mo- 
 ment Horacio thought that he had killed him. A pang 
 of remorse shot through him and he ran to the side 
 of his fallen foe. The splendid horse was stone-dead 
 and his rider lay beneath him, groaning. With the 
 aid of his brothers, who had come to assist him, the 
 young man drew the body of the horse from its master 
 and set the man upon his feet, only to find that one 
 leg hung limply beneath him. Sor Andre gave a scream 
 of pain and fainted away, so the young man laid him 
 on the ground with his back against a tree. 
 
 "What shall we do now?" asked Maneco. "If we 
 stay to care for him we shall have his capangas here 
 as soon as they miss him, and shall lose our lives." 
 
 "Would they injure those who were caring for their 
 master? I cannot bear to leave him like this." 
 
 "Ay, that they would! Thou dost not know them." 
 
 The fazendeiro opened his eyes and groaned again 
 with returning consciousness. 
 
 "Say, Sor Andre!" said Horacio, "I am going for 
 help. If I leave you here you will die. When I fetch 
 your capangas here you may bid them kill me, but let 
 my people go! Do you hear?"
 
 FIRE WITH FIRE 257 
 
 The fazendeiro looked at him intently for a moment. 
 "Yes, I hear. They shall go free." 
 
 Horacio shut his ears to his brother's remonstrances 
 and bade them conduct the family to the ferry and 
 start across at once. He then mounted one of the 
 horses to go to the fazenda for ,aid, but as he passed 
 the injured man he called to him in a feeble voice. 
 Horacio paused and waited to hear what he would say. 
 
 "Young man,'' paid the fazendeiro, with a touch of 
 bitterness, "I have played and lost. The girl is drowned. 
 I tried to stop her but she would not hear. You have 
 had me at your mercy and yet you have spared me. 
 Now turn back to the ferry and take my whip to 
 Antonio, who has half my men waiting for you there 
 in ambush." 
 
 "In ambush!" cried the colportor. "Then they will 
 shoot at me before I can deliver your message." 
 
 "Not so," replied the wounded man between groans. 
 "As you pass the pao d'alho on the hither side of the 
 clearing, whistle three times. Antonio will come out 
 to meet you. Give him my whip and bid him come 
 to me with the men. You are free to go. Make haste 
 and clear out of here, lest I repent!" 
 
 "May God forgive you! and aid me to do the same. 
 Adeus!" and Horacio galloped after the others and 
 restored the horse to his sister, acquainting them with 
 what had passed. 
 
 In a quarter of an hour they came in sight of the 
 great pao d'alho, and Horacio advanced to the front 
 to whistle three times, as he had been instructed.
 
 258 HORACIO 
 
 A moment later a sturdy caboclo stepped out into 
 the middle of the road, and Horacio trembled as he 
 thought what would have been their fate had he not 
 offered to go for Sor Andre's men. Holding up the 
 whip toward the astonished capanga, the young man 
 went boldly out to meet him. 
 
 ''Sor Antonio!" he cried, l 'a message from Sor 
 Andre ! You know the whip ? ' ' 
 
 "Yes, I know the whip. What is it you want?" 
 
 "Sor Andre lies at the turn of the road with a broken 
 leg. He bade me tell you to go to him, and, by this 
 token, let us pass freely. ' ' 
 
 "Did he send no written word?" asked the capanga 
 sullenly. 
 
 "No. He sent nothing but the message and the token, 
 and bade me whistle thrice. You must know the sign." 
 
 "Maybe I know the sign and maybe not, but what if 
 I do not choose to let you pass?" 
 
 "Then you will have to settle with Sor Andre after- 
 wards, and with me now!" 
 
 "Pooh! I have you covered with five guns loaded 
 with buckshot. If I say the word you will not take one 
 step." 
 
 "Nonsense, Sor Antonio! You have no quarrel with 
 me." 
 
 "No, I have no quarrel, but what is to prevent me 
 from throwing you all into the Tiete and keeping the 
 boss's money?" 
 
 A cold chill crept through Horacio 's veins as the 
 fiendish proposition was revealed to him, and he could
 
 FIRE WITH FIRE 259 
 
 not help but think how easily it could be done. Then he 
 shrugged his shoulders and answered indifferently, "Do 
 as you will ! God alone can stop you ; but you yourself 
 will certainly die, for my rifle is now pointing at your 
 heart in my brother's hands, and should anything hap- 
 pen to me " 
 
 "I was joking," said the capanga, laughing uneas- 
 ily. ' ' Pass, then, all of you ! Quickly ! ' ' 
 
 "Not so! I shall retire to my people, and you are to 
 pass. When you are gone, then we shall proceed." 
 
 "As you please, but be quick about it!" 
 
 Horacio retired at once and made his company enter 
 the woods and conceal themselves. A moment later the 
 six horsemen passed at full gallop, with a great splash- 
 ing of mud. 
 
 "Now haste, my father! Haste, my brothers! We 
 must improve our time or we may yet be lost. To the 
 ferry!' 
 
 They pushed forward on the run and hastened down 
 to the ferry, which they found just in readiness to 
 return to the farther side. Embarking immediately, 
 the swift current soon bore the thankful family 
 across. 
 
 "Look here, my friend," said Horacio to the ferry- 
 man, as he paid for their passage and showed him a 
 note of twenty milreis; "how much do you gain in a day 
 at this business ? ' ' 
 
 "Oh, sometimes ten fifteen twenty milreis, and 
 sometimes nothing." 
 
 "Well, will you take this and come along with us to
 
 260 HORACIO 
 
 show us the way? Let your freguezes wait a day or go 
 somewhere else to get across." 
 
 The ferryman hesitated but kept his eye covetously 
 upon the money. "Perhaps I can direct you just as 
 well from here?" he suggested. 
 
 "No, that would not do. Look here! I'll be frank 
 with you. I want to get to Conceiqa before a neighbor 
 of mine. There's a little deal coming off, you see! 
 Now just be away from the ferry for three or four hours 
 and you shall have this note. ' ' 
 
 The man's face brightened and he held out his hand 
 for the money. He had been absent at the festa all 
 the previous day, but three or fours hours only meant 
 a half-day more, for it was early yet. 
 
 "I can do that," he said promptly, closing his fin- 
 gers over the tempting note which Horacio relinquished 
 to him. 
 
 "But mind you!" said Horacio, as he let go of it, 
 giving him a significant look; "if my neighbor gets 
 across before noon, when I come back I shall accidentally 
 shoot at a deer along the bank here in such a way that 
 you understand? They say that if one pays in advance 
 he is poorly served, but I never miss!" 
 
 "All right! All right! Never fear! The neighbor 
 shall not cross. Enough said," and he turned away to 
 his cabin, while Horacio followed his little band of 
 refugees like one walking in a dream. 
 
 The eyes of his heart were blind with grief as he 
 looked upon the cruel waters of the Tiete, but no tear 
 was visible to those who stood near him. For the moment
 
 FIRE WITH FIRE 261 
 
 his life was to be wholly theirs and he would not think 
 of anything beside. 
 
 It is needless to follow the family on their long and 
 painful journey to their old home, for it was thither 
 that Horaeio had planned to lead them and there he had 
 planned to establish them. Now that Padre Joao was 
 dead there was nothing to fear. 
 
 Six days after leaving the ferry they reached the once 
 familiar spot in safety and camped where the old house 
 had stood. 
 
 With tools which they had purchased on the way they 
 set about clearing the place and putting up the frame 
 of the house again. Many tiles lay about and could be 
 used again for the roof; and what were lacking were 
 brought in carts over the old road, now so long untravel- 
 led, but cleared and repaired by the young men fol 
 this purpose. 
 
 When the house had been roofed over and was ren- 
 dered partially habitable, they turned their attention to 
 the coffee, which had long been overgrown with jungle. 
 For the remaining three weeks of Horaeio 's vacation they 
 cleared the brush from between the rows and found, to 
 their surprise, that many of the trees had a small crop 
 of coffee upon them. It is true that many had died and 
 many more were sadly dwarfed by neglect and the en- 
 croaching of the jungle, but those that remained would 
 bear enough to tide the family over the first year.
 
 XVII. 
 
 THE SEMINARY. 
 
 DURING the last week in January Horacio set out upon 
 his return, accompanied by Jose, who would bring back 
 the horses, and a few days later, having sold his remain- 
 ing books along the way, he stepped off the train in the 
 great station at Sao Paulo. 
 
 So busy had been his days and full of cares, that it 
 was not until he had embraced Jose in parting at 
 Lengoes, and the train had rolled out of the station, 
 that he felt the shock of his loss in all its real significance. 
 
 Now on his long journey to the city it seemed to him, 
 as once before in the deserted clearing where he had 
 sought the home of his childhood, that he had come to 
 the edge of things and was looking over. Not even the 
 blessed responsibility of his High Calling could drag 
 him from this state of mental and spiritual apathy. To 
 find Anna and then to lose her! If he had only kept 
 her, and not sent her away by night, she would still 
 have been living! 
 
 Then his heart burned with a fierce desire for re- 
 venge, and he regretted that he had spared his pros- 
 trate foe, her cruel persecutor. For a few moments he 
 planned a stealthy return to Sor Andrews to square ac- 
 counts. 
 
 262
 
 THE SEMINARY 263 
 
 At Sao Manoel, fortunately, a couple of schoolmates 
 entered the car and diverted his thoughts, keeping them 
 occupied until he reached Sao Paulo. Here they pushed 
 their way through the too eager throng of white- jacket- 
 ed carregadores with big black numbers on their breasts, 
 who disputed noisily for the privilege of carrying their 
 luggage, and climbed on the electric bond which would 
 take them to the Seminary. 
 
 As they whirled through the busy city, the last two 
 months with their stirring incidents, worthy of a past 
 century, seemed like a dream. Was it really true that 
 he now had a father and a mother of whom to think and 
 for whom to plan? What had he accomplished by the 
 Scripture-reading, prayer and singing to which they 
 had unwillingly listened each night, in the new home, 
 only to please him? 
 
 At the Square he changed to a bond with green lights, 
 and was borne swiftly to the higher part of the city 
 where the College and Seminary stood. In a few mo- 
 ments he reached the place, ran up the gravelled walk 
 and mounted the, steps of the Seminary a student again. 
 
 The American Rector received him smilingly, although 
 he himself was a stranger, for the former Rector had 
 died and his place was taken by a missionary from anoth- 
 er part of Brazil. 
 
 The young man took his bag to his new room and 
 found his trunk, which had been sent over from the 
 College, already waiting for him. His life as a theo- 
 logical student had begun, and was to be marked by 
 many new experiences.
 
 264 HORACIO 
 
 The wife of the new Rector sat at the head of the table, 
 for they felt that the young men lacked a certain train- 
 ing which they could never get without personal con- 
 tact and a bit of feminine society, which could never 
 be provided for them by outside residents. Accord- 
 ingly all thought of an independent home had been 
 bravely abandoned and the Rector and his wife had come 
 to live with their boys. 
 
 So Mrs. Wallace, a charming little woman, presided at 
 the table. At her left sat Aunt Carrie, a dear little 
 old lady, who could teach the boys Greek or mathamat- 
 ics and who had been doing it all her sweet, serene life 
 long. On the right sat the Rector and his little, old-fash- 
 ioned daughter. At the other end of the table was one of 
 the Brazilian professors with his young wife, and the 
 sides of the long table were filled with students. 
 
 They were not many but they came from all parts of 
 the great country. Most of them, like Horacio, were 
 "charity boys," and few there were that came from 
 families of any means. Here was one from the distant 
 State of Amazonas a typical equatorial native. By his 
 side was a tall, handsome fellow from the South : next to 
 him a Pernambuco mulatto showed his teeth in a constant, 
 cheery smile. He had served four years in the regular 
 army, after running away from an unhappy marriage, 
 and was now a widower. Happy Jose! In a childlike 
 Christian faith he had found peace. 
 
 Next to the Pernambucan was a slender and well- 
 groomed lad from the city itself the only "man-of 
 means" among them all. Beside him sat a school-teach-
 
 THE SEMINARY 265 
 
 er's son. His father was earning twenty-five dollars a 
 month and boarding himself. His mother was cooking on 
 a fazenda to support her little daughter and herself. 
 Next to him was a fazendeiro's son, and thus the list 
 might be filled. Most of the boys were in earnest, but 
 a few of them were "rice Christians." 
 
 Here was the son of a well-to-do merchant of the in- 
 terior, who, after giving three or four hundred milreis 
 to the support of the Seminary, expected to keep his son 
 upon the free-list and had already received a conto for 
 his education. His money from home was spent for 
 gaudy scarfs, diamonds and "yellow-back" translations 
 of putrid French. He would soon be erased from the 
 free-list and perhaps be cut off altogether from the 
 school. 
 
 On the other hand the young man whose father was a 
 school-teacher was given to drawing the long bow. He 
 borrowed money which he could not pay and bragged of 
 the great fazenda which his father owned and of his dogs 
 and horses. The money which he borrowed and what little 
 his people could send him, went for clothes. He was 
 proud ! The Committee of Presbytery were about to send 
 for him to inquire why he was on the free-list if his 
 father was a wealthy f azendeiro. 
 
 The orator of the Seminary was also here. He was 
 chosen as the official spokesman on all state occasions. 
 You could see it as he ate. The food approached his 
 mouth in a majestic wave. His head was thrown back 
 to receive it, as when uttering a lofty period. He was 
 not at the head of his classes, but he could pour out
 
 266 EORACIO 
 
 seven-syllabled words like the flow of a river, without 
 even the necessity for a subject or an idea to his dis- 
 course. He was a good fellow, but a little vain perhaps. 
 
 Almost without exception these boys were guiltless of 
 home-training, table-manners and all the little refine- 
 ments of life. A pulpit lecture on these things, once a 
 month, or even once a week, would not do : for one might 
 as well give a degree to a donkey loaded with books as 
 attempt to make ministers with theology alone. The 
 Rector grasped this truth, and, heaving a hastily-checked 
 sigh, took up his abode with them and invited little 
 Professor Monteiro to assist him. This dear little man 
 was, as Aunt Carrie said, an amalgamation of Lord 
 Macaulay and Lord Fauntleroy, and would be a staff to 
 lean upon, for he was not an alien, but their own blood. 
 
 Horacio was to thank the memory of these kind 
 friends many times in the days to come for this now but 
 slightly appreciated sacrifice which they had made in his 
 behalf and in the behalf of these others. A minister 
 needs more than theology, as has been said, and he needs 
 more than theology and polish, although the latter helps. 
 He even needs more than these two and love he needs 
 common sense ! 
 
 The boys were to have a glimpse of all these things, 
 and it was a precious jewel in a deep mine where they 
 were to delve. 
 
 A month went by in the new life this life of sub- 
 duing boisterousness, of slowly permeating refinement, 
 of gradually developing thoughtfulness. Horacio had 
 made his report to the Presbytery and was now on the
 
 THE SEMINARY 267 
 
 way to the minister's to receive his monthly allowance. 
 A rumor had come to his ears of clouds on the horizon, 
 and he was not altogether easy in his mind as he ran up 
 the steps and clapped his hands at the door. 
 
 The minister himself opened and bade him enter. 
 When he had shaken hands with the family Senhor 
 Camargo drew him aside into the study and handed him 
 his allowance. 
 
 "Sit down, my young friend, sit down!" he said, 
 drawing forward a chair for Horacio, and seating him- 
 self at his desk. "We are come upon bad times, I 
 fear." He laughed nervously and continued: "I have 
 bad news for you. Our treasury is empty ! Worse than 
 that, indeed, for we have to find some interest money 
 which must be paid or else the mortgage on the build- 
 ing will be foreclosed. I am sorry, but we must hope 
 for better times. Perhaps next year " 
 
 "Then I must go back to the sertao!" exclaimed the 
 student, with a queer grasping sensation in his throat. 
 
 "No, no, perhaps not! We can give you board and 
 lodging, and you have a little money from your journey, 
 have you not?" 
 
 "Yes, I have sixty milreis, and with that and the 
 thirty you have just given me I can get along for 
 some time, except for the books. I have a large bill for 
 new books which I must pay." 
 
 "Let that go for the present. You are doing good 
 work. If you desire to risk it and go on, I can arrange 
 for you to pay that later. Perhaps we can continue 
 to help you in a few months. At any rate, although
 
 268 HORACIO 
 
 you are free to go home if you desire, I earnestly advise 
 you to remain, especially as you have no people who 
 need you." 
 
 "I have found my people, sir! They are well that 
 is yes, they are well, all well." 
 
 Horacio scarcely heard the minister's exclamations of 
 surprise and cordial congratulations. His memory re- 
 verted to the incidents of his vacation-trip. "I sent her 
 away ! I sent her away ! " he kept saying to himself, and 
 then in his hour of financial need he remembered the 
 bulky package which he had left in her care, and of 
 which he had not thought before, and was angry with 
 himself for remembering. The minister's repeated ques- 
 tion brought him to himself. 
 
 "How did you find your people?" he was asking. 
 Horacio gave a partial explanation and arose to go. 
 
 "My people do need me," he said, with a note of 
 regret. "Perhaps it is God's will that I shall go to 
 them?" 
 
 "Well, think and pray over it and let me know what 
 your decision is." 
 
 . "Yes, sir. I shall do so and let you know to-morrow. 
 Thank you ! Ate amanha ! ' ' 
 
 "Ate amanha! Passar bem!" 
 
 The young man went slowly down the street with a 
 gloomy face and a gloomy heart. Why did all his busi- 
 ness suffer reverses when he was in the path of duty? 
 There was Anna, alas ! perhaps she had been in the way 
 and, because of this, was providentially removed. He 
 had not thought of that before. Then the money that
 
 THE SEMINARY 269 
 
 was stolen in the jail which, in truth, he had almost 
 forgotten; the money which must have gone down the 
 river with the girl; and now the help which had been 
 promised by the Presbytery! Should he go forward or 
 go back? 
 
 A group of children blocked his way with shouts and 
 laughter. He stepped off the narrow sidewalk, in order 
 to pass them, and paused to see what they were doing. 
 For a moment he could not make it out and then in an 
 instant he divined it. 
 
 Two little Italian girls stood on the walk gravely 
 turning an imaginary skipping-rope. Between them an- 
 other was hopping and dodging the rope with her head. 
 A fourth "ran in" and hopped a moment, then tripped 
 on the rope. The other gave her an outraged look and a 
 push and complained impatiently of her awkwardness. 
 Both stepped aside out of the way, in order that the rope 
 might swing again, and the whole group burst into a 
 shout of laughter. Horacio laughed too. Here was 
 faith indeed the evidence of things not seen. There 
 was no rope, to be sure ; but there was the good-will, and 
 who knows ? perhaps the rope might materialize. 
 
 Horacio stepped into a "loja de ferragens" hard by 
 and became their providence. A yell of delight went up, 
 and the student turned away with a smile and a fresh 
 bit of courage for himself. 
 
 That night there was to be a special function at the 
 Seminary. The Rector and his little lady, as has been 
 said, believed in the humanizing influence of ladies' 
 society. Once a month there were to be games, sweets
 
 270 HORACIO 
 
 and tea, and a bunch of girls from the school to help. 
 Each student was privileged to mention one young 
 lady's name, and then the Principal of the Girl's School 
 might add a few more names to the list 
 
 It was a sight worth remembering to see how the 
 courage oozed out of these valiant hearts as they faced 
 the battery. Even the state-orator turned pale. Finally 
 the big young man from the South, with a great blush 
 and in a trembling voice, uttered the name of one of the 
 teachers down below. 
 
 "Very good! Now we have a beginning. Who will 
 be next?" 
 
 The young man of the diamonds rashly gasped out the 
 name of a popular divinity. A dozen pairs of indignant 
 eyes were turned upon him like so many rapid-fire guns 
 for having dared to do what all the rest were longing to 
 do; then a giggle ran around. 
 
 "Come, young gentlemen, can't you remember their 
 names? That only makes two. You stare at them 
 enough in the chapel, at the College, I've been told. 
 I shall say them over and you can let me know if you 
 want them. There is Donna Clara and Donna Brigida 
 and Donna Cocotta, and that's right! now the list is 
 filling up!" 
 
 Thus the adroit little lady managed to screw out of 
 their bashful admirers a list of the fair students who 
 were to be asked to the reception, and sent it down 
 to the School. Such a primping and fussing before 
 cracked and blistered glasses was never seen before, I 
 warrant, even in a young ladies' seminary, but among
 
 THE SEMINARY 271 
 
 grave theologues it verged on scandal. What a brush- 
 ing of best coats and straightening of ties! What a 
 twisting of immature moustaches! Oh, if only the girls 
 could have seen them! Naturally the girls did nothing 
 of a similar sort themselves, and, if they did why, that 
 is their privilege! 
 
 Horacio hardly knew what to make of the commo- 
 tion, but suffered himself to be drawn with the current, 
 and, laying his books aside, spruced up as well as he 
 might for the occasion. 
 
 And now there was a great grouping about the doors, 
 and a wringing of nervous hands and a fresh twisting 
 of immature moustaches. At last the green lights of 
 the bond could be seen rapidly rushing up the slope, and 
 the scouts that peeked from the Seminary-door sighted a 
 bevy of girls in festive attire in the car. 
 
 Such fortitude and valor as would have been required 
 to enable them to step forth and assist the fair ones to 
 alight from the bond was not to be expected. Besides, 
 gentlemen do not as a rule help ladies from bonds in 
 Brazil. For some occult reason it is not the mode. 
 
 In another moment a mass of white and pink and blue 
 and cream, set with such jewels as dancing blue and 
 black eyes, fluttered up the stone steps, marshalled and 
 headed by Miss Holland, and disappeared in a class- 
 room, after a triumphal progress between two files of 
 quite overwhelmed young men. 
 
 Presently they emerged again, and now there was a tre- 
 mendous hand-shaking, for everybody must needs shake 
 hands with everybody else, and that made some four
 
 272 HOEACIO 
 
 hundred friendly hand-clasps and four hundred cordial 
 phrases of greeting, all in a minute or so. 
 
 A circle of chairs stood about the largest room of the 
 Seminary close against the wall. To these all dutifully 
 betook themselves as soon as the salutations were complet- 
 ed, and the young ladies carefully ranged themselves in 
 an unbroken line on one side while the theologues took 
 the other. 
 
 Now this was not at all the mind of the little mistress 
 of ceremonies, so around the room she went, with fore- 
 finger uplifted, counting and nodding merrily and em- 
 phatically: "Um, dous, tres, quatro, cinco! You are 
 cinco! All right! Seis. sete, oito, nove, dez! Just go 
 on, counting around! That's right! Now begin again 
 and o it all over, so you won't forget. Very well! I 
 am going to stand in the middle of the room with this 
 old tray, and spin it as I call a number. The 'number' 
 must catch the tray or be ' it. ' Now then ready ! Here 
 you go! Twenty-seven!" 
 
 The little lady twirled the tray and Twenty-seven, who 
 was the Rector, caught it ere it lay flat on the floor. A 
 shout of appreciative laughter went up. It was new but 
 it was "dead easy." 
 
 "Twelve!" the lady called before the laughter sub- 
 sided, and Twelve was "it." The fun grew fast and furi- 
 ous, and when the game was suddenly checked in twenty 
 minutes, the battalion-like formation which had pre- 
 vailed was smashed into smithereens. 
 
 For a few moments they were permitted to catch 
 their breath and get a little better acquainted, but their
 
 THE SEMINARY 273 
 
 opportunity for conversation did not last very long 
 before their hostess stepped into the middle of the room 
 and clapped her hands for silence. 
 
 "Now we shall play 'Eseoba,' " announced the mis- 
 tress-of -ceremonies, "and as there are too many for one 
 ring we shall form two. Here, my dear, you fix up the 
 other and I shall attend to this one ! ' ' 
 
 The young people were quickly marshalled upon the 
 floor and formed in two circles, within each of which 
 some one was "it." At this moment Horacio, who had 
 clung to his books until the noise prevented him from 
 longer making good use of his time, descended the stairs 
 and entered the room. At the same instant Mrs. Wallace 
 espied him. 
 
 "Oh, Senhor Horacio! That is very naughty! You 
 must do penance. Come here and be 'it'!" 
 
 She resigned her own place in the center of the circle 
 and pushed him into it. "Now tell us who has the 
 brush!" 
 
 The brush, which was in somebody's hand, was sud- 
 denly rubbed over the back of Horacio 's coat and as 
 quickly disappeared from sight. When he turned he 
 saw no brush, but there, looking him full in the eyes, 
 was Anna!
 
 XVIII. 
 THE RIVER. 
 
 THE night that Horacio found his parents again, after 
 so many years, Anna had set forth on Bonito, in accord- 
 ance with his instructions, to make her way toward 
 Concei^ac. Knowing that it would avail her nothing to 
 reach the Tiete before daybreak, she did not hurry, and 
 thus she hoped to spare Bonito for a hard ride when once 
 she was across the river. 
 
 Strange sounds came from the forest as she rode 
 through the night and small creatures of various sorts 
 scurried across her path. Sometimes it was only a tatu 
 or cutia, but once and again some larger animal plunged 
 heavily into the brush and wakened a momentary flutter 
 in the young woman's breast. The forest was indeed 
 dark and fearsome, but Anna was a child of the sertao 
 and well used to all its peculiarities. Naturally coura- 
 geous at all times, she now felt an additional throb of 
 courage each time that she reached out and laid her hand 
 gently on Bonito's neck Horacio 's horse and remem- 
 bered that ride of long ago, and who had sent her on 
 this one. 
 
 In her bosom nestled the package of money and the 
 letter, and from time to time she pressed her hand 
 upon them to assure herself of their safety, just as she 
 
 274
 
 THE RIVEE 275 
 
 had done that night of their flight from the old home 
 when she was saving the money for Horacio. 
 
 She reached the ferry just as it began to grow light. 
 The cabin of the ferryman was built upon the farther 
 side, and at that end of the great steel cable lay the fer- 
 ry-boat also. There was no sign of movement about the 
 house that she could see, and Anna called until her voice 
 failed her, without arousing the ferryman, who, if the 
 truth must be told, was off to a festa at Conceiga, leaving 
 his patrons to curse and wait or hunt some other ferry, 
 leagues away. 
 
 Anna did not of course know this, or she would have 
 spared her voice and sought some other means to get 
 across. 
 
 The hours went slowly by and it must have been about 
 ten o'clock when she heard the rapid approach of hoofs. 
 A sudden premonition of danger caused her to mount 
 upon Bonito. She looked up the river and down the 
 river in search of a road other than the one which had 
 brought her, upon which the rapid beat of hoofs was now 
 sounding nearer and nearer. 
 
 The river banks were heavily wooded to the water's 
 edge, and the road which led down to the ferry came 
 to an abrupt end at the brink of the flood. The first 
 rains of winter had already swollen the stream to a tur- 
 bid and sullen volume, which drifted lazily along with 
 a deceptive .appearance of sluggishness which was only 
 contradicted by the velocity with which scum and drift 
 passed a given point upon the shore. 
 
 Anna gazed at the stream and then back at the woodj
 
 276 HORACIO 
 
 and knew not why this deathly terror seized her. The 
 rider rapidly approached and, dashing out into plain 
 view, drew rein in front of the bit of thatched shelter 
 which the ferryman had erected upon the bank. Instant- 
 ly Anna recognized Sor Andre and at the same moment 
 the f azendeiro espied the girl upon the edge of the abrupt 
 slope which led down to the water. With an exclamation 
 of satisfaction he struck his horse sharply with his sil- 
 ver-mounted chicote and thrust his spurs into its side. 
 
 It was well, perhaps, that he gave her no time to 
 think. With a half-gasp, half-scream, she drew hard 
 on Bonito's reins and struck him with their long loose 
 ends. The old horse seemed to know that the times were 
 perilous, for he gave one mighty leap out into the flood, 
 striking the muddy water with a great splash. 
 
 In an instant he rose again to the surface, with his 
 brave rider still firmly fixed in the saddle, to which 
 she clung with both hands in superhuman desperation. 
 Bonito stretched his long neck out of the water and, 
 blowing spray from his nostrils, strained his eyes to- 
 ward the other shore to search out a landing on the 
 farther side. 
 
 When her first terror had passed and she had recovered 
 a little confidence, Anna gathered up the reins quickly 
 with one hand, and, setting her strong white teeth in the 
 leather, drew Bonito's head well up against the current, 
 hoping to make the ferry-landing on the other side of the 
 river. 
 
 "Turn back! Turn back, girl! Do you want to be 
 drowned?" cried Sor Andre from the bank.
 
 TEE RIVER 277 
 
 His voice came faintly to her ears over the rushing 
 water, and seemed to belong to another world and anoth- 
 er time. The girl did not even turn her head to see 
 what her enemy was doing, but anxiously followed every 
 movement of the faithful horse which bore her, perhaps 
 to death, but certainly out of the power of the fazen- 
 deiro. The water dragged at her floating garments, and, 
 had they not been light and scanty, must surely have 
 drawn her down. 
 
 Bonito fought his way steadily onward, but the trees 
 upon the shore flew past and soon the ferry-landings and 
 Anna's watching foe had altogether disappeared from 
 view. The strong current was rapidly sweeping horse 
 and rider to the opposite shore, but the girl now saw to 
 her dismay that the bank was precipitous and crowned 
 with heavy brush and forest growth. The horse, too, 
 seemed to comprehend the new peril of their situation, 
 and having lifted himself by a supreme effort high out 
 of the water and turned his head from side to side to see 
 what hope there was, drew the reins from Anna's teeth 
 with a sharp jerk and turned well about, swimming 
 straight down with the current. 
 
 The trees now flew past with greatly increased rapid- 
 ity, and Anna noticed with keen anxiety that Bonito 's 
 breathing was becoming very labored, that he swam 
 heavily and with great effort, and still the vertical 
 banks stared her in the face. It was evident that in a 
 few moments the brave animal must give up the fight. 
 The girl began to loosen her skirt in order that she 
 might drop it down over her feet and swim for her life.
 
 278 HOBACIO 
 
 Suddenly they swept into view of the outlet of a small 
 stream which flowed into the main river. The angle of 
 the bank at its mouth sloped down to the Tiete, and if 
 they could reach it it would mean safety to horse and 
 rider. 
 
 "Bonito!" cried the girl in sudden exultation, and 
 pointed with her hand. With a snort of hope the intelli- 
 gent horse struggled toward the narrow point, and Anna, 
 to aid him, slipped from the saddle and clung to it with 
 one hand, swimming vigorously with the other. Thus 
 lightened Bonito made the point and scrambled upon it, 
 only to sink to his saddle-girths in soft and sticky mud. 
 The girl gained firmer ground above him and stood 
 there wringing her hands as she looked down upon the 
 noble friend who had brought her safe over the flood. 
 
 Bonito lay exhausted upon the mud, his heaving sides 
 and distended nostrils telling how gallant had been the 
 battle and how nearly he was spent 
 
 "Oh, Bonito, Bonito!" cried Anna, "what shall we 
 dot" 
 
 The horse turned his protruding eyes sadly upon her 
 and whinnied in a sort of whimper. The girl caught 
 his rein, and bracing herself firmly against a root, pulled 
 with all her might and encouraged the poor horse 
 with cheery words to struggle out of his miry bed. 
 Bonito plunged and threshed about, but only wearied 
 himself and gained no advantage. Now, at last, Anna's 
 courage gave way. 
 
 "What will Horacio say?" she cried, and dropping 
 upon the ground she sobbed bitterly. Bonito whinnied
 
 TEE RIVER 279 
 
 again, as if to say, ' ' Never mind, dearheart ! Leave an 
 old horse to die and go on your way. My love to Horacio ! 
 Tell him that I was faithful!" 
 
 "Coitado!" cried the girl at the sound of the feeble 
 whinny, which she seemed to read and understand. ' ' Thou 
 shalt not die ! Only hold on while I seek help ! ' ' 
 
 She turned and, struggling to her feet, began to make 
 her way up the bank, when a splash of paddles came 
 to her ears and a canoe whirled swiftly down the small 
 river. 
 
 "Oh, help me save my horse!" she cried. ''For the 
 love of the Saints, help me!" 
 
 The men in the canoe brought their unstable craft 
 about with a sweep of their paddles and approached the 
 bank. 
 
 "Ohe!" said one of them, gazing in astonishment at 
 the horse and the girl. ' ' How did he come here ? ' ' 
 
 "I swam the river with him, and now he will die if 
 you do not help. Oh, please pull him out! The good 
 horse ! ' ' and a sob trembled in her voice. Bonito turned 
 his tired head toward the canoe and whinnied again with 
 a note of hope. 
 
 The man looked at his companions. ' ' That is not very 
 easy," he said doubtfully, "for we have no ropes." 
 
 "Here is a lariat at his saddle!" answered the girl 
 quickly. "Oh, do not delay but help him out! He is 
 weary and will die." 
 
 1 1 Well, quern sabe ? We shall see. Vamos, compadres, 
 and lend a hand!" 
 
 The men piled out of the canoe and moored it to a
 
 280 EORACIO 
 
 sapling. In a few moments they had burrowed with the 
 paddles and their hands into the mud beneath the horse 
 and had passed the rope several times under his body. 
 Then all four pulled, while Anna clung to the reins and 
 called to the horse in tender entreaty. 
 
 "Now all together!" shouted the men, and Bonito 
 struggled half out of the mire. "Now once more ! All 
 together!" 
 
 The men pulled and the horse plunged and got upon 
 his knees. A moment more and he stumbled up the 
 bank and stood with trembling limbs and heaving sides 
 upon the firm and level ground. 
 
 "There, old horse!" said the man who had first spok- 
 en, "the crows will not pick thy bones to-day, so praise 
 God! How didst thou come to cross the stream, girl? 
 Didst thou hope to ford it in time of freshet, when there 
 are two meters over the shoals at lowest water?" 
 
 "No," said the girl, hesitating to tell the truth "I 
 found the ferry deserted and must needs cross for a 
 matter of life and death. I thought not that the cur- 
 rent was so strong. How can I thank you for your help? 
 May the Virgin reward you!" 
 
 "Ah, that is nothing. So that old vagabond Jose, of 
 the ferry, has gone off to the festa at Conceic.ao ! I wish 
 he were in the Tiete himself good riddance! Well, 
 there is a trail a bit further along which leads to the 
 road : it is not far. May it go well with thee ! So long ! ' ' 
 
 "So long, and God go with you!" 
 
 The men took their places in the canoe again and 
 pushed off into the stream. In another moment they
 
 THE RIVER 281 
 
 were lost to sight, while Anna sat upon a stump and 
 waited for Bonito to recover somewhat from his won- 
 derful effort. After about half an hour she took his 
 reins in her hand and set out on foot along the narrow 
 trail toward the main road, where she washed the animal 
 at a small corrego and rubbed him down with dry banana 
 leaves. It was now about two o'clock and she must be 
 on her way and waste no time if she would reach 
 Conceigao before night. 
 
 For about two hours she walked as rapidly as she 
 could, and then halted to purchase a feed of corn for 
 Bonito and a mouthful of something for herself. An 
 hour later she mounted and rode slowly toward the 
 town, which she reached a little after nightfall, weary 
 and hungry. 
 
 At Conceigao she had friends and found hospitable 
 entertainment and a change of clothing, with a chance 
 to dry the little bundle she had brought with her and 
 the dress that she had worn. The next day she pushed 
 on toward Jahu, and there she left Bonito with his 
 owner and took the train for Sao Paulo.
 
 XIX. 
 THE MINISTER. 
 
 HORACIO stood facing Anna, but after the first flash 
 of recognition he doubted whether his eyes had served 
 him well. How changed she was! The girl that had 
 parted from him such a short time before, clad in a 
 shabby calico dress, wan and sallow and worn, was 
 now very becomingly dressed in a pretty but inexpensive 
 gown. Her face and figure were rounded with whole- 
 some living and her great dark eyes shone with a new 
 light. 
 
 Was this the prematurely-aged young girl whom he 
 had last seen in his father's house? 
 
 Here was the fast-approaching fulfilment of all the 
 promise of beauty which her younger years had given! 
 For a moment he knew her and then he did not know 
 her. How could it be? 
 
 Mrs. Wallace was gazing at him curiously. The circle 
 had stopped for a moment and then moved on again. 
 Anna flushed but did not speak. Some one rubbed 
 his back with the brush again, and he spun around 
 to catch' him. No brush was in sight and the circle took 
 up their march. The next time, however, he was quicker 
 and caught the holder of the brush. Taking the vic- 
 tim's place, his hand closed firmly on Anna's soft palm, 
 
 282
 
 THE MINISTER 283 
 
 "Is it really thou, Anna?" he whispered. 
 
 "Yes, of course, but you need not stare at me so," 
 she answered, and held her head proudly, half in vexa- 
 tion and half in satisfaction at the evident sensation 
 she was creating. 
 
 The brush was thrust into his hand by his neighbor 
 on the other side and he passed it at once to Anna, 
 who was discovered with it in her possession. A few 
 moments later the circle broke up, and shortly after- 
 wards Miss Holland came to him and shook hands. 
 
 "Why have you not been to see us, Senhor Horacio?" 
 she inquired. "Your cousin arrived safely and brought 
 your letter. I bought her what she needed and put 
 the rest of the money in the savings bank. Dr. Street 
 has made her a special rate, so the money will do for 
 her in abundance for at least two years. She is to 
 help with the little folks in order to justify the reduced 
 rate." 
 
 " Thank you! You are very kind. I did not go 
 to see you because I did not know that is I have 
 been very busy, but I shall go there soon. Is she 
 contented?" 
 
 "I think so. She has improved much already, and 
 yet she does not seem altogether happy. Perhaps it 
 is because she has received no news of her people. ' ' 
 
 "I shall go down then to-morrow, if you permit, and 
 tell her all about them." 
 
 "Very well. We shall be glad to see you. Bring 
 one of your companions if you like." 
 
 Mrs. Wallace beckoned and called to Horacio to help
 
 284 HOB AC 10 
 
 pass the tea and cake. When he was through with this 
 duty Anna was sitting between two other girls and 
 seemed to avoid catching his eye. 
 
 When they had all gone, gladness and chagrin to- 
 gether teased him out of an hour of study and sev- 
 eral hours of sleep. He was burning with curiosity to 
 have an explanation of the mystery the double mys- 
 tery of Anna's escape and of her displeasure. 
 
 The following day Horacio did not go to the lower 
 school. In the afternoon a message came asking him 
 to take charge of a mission service in place of another, 
 whose turn it was, but who was ill and unable to at- 
 tend. With considerable vexation of spirit the young 
 man consented to take the work and sent word to the 
 Mission that he would be there. He felt that he was 
 under too great obligations to refuse any such calls, 
 and the evening found him threading his way through 
 crowds gathered in front of the lewd pictures in the 
 book-store windows, or between the countless squalling 
 babies and through groups of gesticulating Italians 
 in loud-voiced discussion in front of dingy and squalid 
 houses which, in the daytime, were cheap restaurants, 
 clothes-cleaning establishments, shoe-shops and small 
 stores. This home-life of "Little Italy" comes into be- 
 ing between six and nine in the evening on the side- 
 walk, and is very much in the way of pedestrians. 
 
 The little mission room was dim and cheerless, but 
 the crowd soon gathered after the doors were opened. 
 A portable organ stood in the corner and a young 
 German was at hand to play it. The heavy air of the
 
 THE MINISTER 285 
 
 long-closed room soon grew denser with the odor of the 
 reeking inhabitants of the slums. Portuguese, negroes, 
 half-castes of various types, and Brazilians, with a 
 larger portion of Italians, who make up three-fourths 
 of the population of the great city. It was a bit of 
 diversion for them all, and yet they were orderly enough, 
 save that some moleques amused themselves for a time 
 by making huge thick pancakes of the abundant sticky 
 red clay of a neighboring vacant lot, and slapping them 
 down on the sidewalk, after punching a depression in the 
 center with their knuckles, whereupon they would burst 
 with a loud report like a miniature cannon-shot. 
 
 By the time Horacio was ready to speak everything 
 had quieted down save a child or two in arms in the 
 audience, and that was a small matter. The young 
 man was blue and disappointed. He stepped before 
 his audience to complete as quickly as possible a some- 
 what perfunctory task, yet so strange is the network of 
 wires and currents that control our human coil that 
 of a sudden he felt such an inspiration as had never 
 been given him before. 
 
 He was speaking of the Pearl of Great Price, and 
 as he spoke the Pearl went up in value. A realizing 
 sense of the hidden meaning of the parable swept over 
 him. His little talk was not an excoriation of Rome 
 and priestly craft; it was not an exposition of what 
 little he knew of doctrine; it was not a long string of 
 the biggest and highest-sounding words he could put 
 together to make anything like sense; it was simply 
 a sketch of man in his lost estate, in his poverty and
 
 286 EORACIO 
 
 wretchedness, in his sin and degradation, in his squalor 
 and suffering; and then between his thumb and fore- 
 finger he held up the Pearl before them, and as he 
 gazed on it and his impassioned words flowed on, his 
 audience gazed too, and here and there an eye, be- 
 dimmed with sin and vicious living, perceived its gleam- 
 ing luster and coveted it. 
 
 Suddenly he paused and felt that sharp reaction which 
 often comes at such a time. A half-sigh came from 
 the listeners and they sank back in their seats from 
 their strained attention. 
 
 "Let us sing, in closing, number 235, 'Oh, say, will 
 you go to the Eden on high?' Now, my friends, my 
 brothers! I am only a poor sinning, suffering one like 
 yourselves, but Christ has preciously redeemed His word 
 and brought me out of bondage. Can I help you ? Will 
 you let me? Do you want help? Perhaps my stum- 
 bling steps have learned a bit of the road and I may 
 help you with a hand or with a word. After singing 
 this hymn our little meeting will be closed, but I want 
 to talk with those who care to talk with me. If you 
 have a question to ask, please stop with us and ask it 
 Now let us sing!" 
 
 Many lingered for a moment as the crowd went out, 
 but feared their companions' ridicule and went on their 
 ways. Although so many had shown interest only two 
 remained behind, and one of these was intoxicated, and, 
 leaning against the wall in a corner, slept heavily. A 
 pang shot through the young man's heart as he shook 
 the hand of the young German, who had just closed
 
 THE MINISTER 287 
 
 his organ and was departing, and then he turned to 
 the sole inquirer. 
 
 He was a man of thirty-five or thirty-eight years, 
 upon whose face and figure vice had left its unmis- 
 takable imprint. He watched Horacio slyly out of the 
 corner of his eye. Where had that furtive look crossed 
 his before? He could not recall where he had seen the 
 man, but he dropped into the seat beside him and took 
 his hand. 
 
 "Well, my friend," he asked dejectedly, "what can 
 I do for you?" He expected to hear a request for 
 money. 
 
 "Don't you know me?" asked the man cautiously. 
 
 "Seems to me I have seen you before, but I can't 
 remember where," replied the student. 
 
 "Well, it don't matter. I met you once.'* 
 
 "Where was it? Tell me about it." 
 
 "I want to know what is this business about the 
 Pearl," said the man, ignoring the question. "There 
 ain't much poetry in me, you know, and I don't take 
 much stock in this sort of thing; in fact, I don't know as 
 I care anyhow. I was just curious that is, I wanted to 
 know" 
 
 Horacio heaved a sigh. "I thought I made it plain 
 enough " he was saying, when his companion in- 
 terrupted him. 
 
 "That's true for you. You were plain enough. The 
 trouble is there ain't anything to hitch to. Where do 
 I begin? You don't for a moment fancy that I am 
 very well contented this way?" and he waved his hands
 
 288 HORACIO 
 
 over his shabby clothes and general wretchedness with an 
 air of disdain. "You were talking of things that were 
 different of things that I have dreamed about but 
 never knew. I've heard this sort of talk before, I have, 
 but I never took no stock in it. Now I know there is 
 something in it! Look at me and look at you! You 
 don't remember me?" 
 
 "No," repeated Horacio, his interest becoming 
 aroused, "I don't succeed in placing you." 
 
 ''Well, I left you in jail, at Jahu, without a vintem, 
 while I skipped out with a pocketful, and it was all 
 yours. Do you remember now ? ' ' 
 
 "Thiago!" cried the student in amazement. "I re- 
 member now. You broke jail at Jahu with the rest. 
 Shake hands again, now that I know you!" 
 
 The jail-bird drew his hands away. "No," he said, 
 "you won't want to shake hands when I tell you. You 
 may call the police if you want. It was I that took 
 your money from under your pillow that night and I 
 kept every vintem six hundred milreis and precious 
 little good it ever did me, for I gambled it all away 
 the next day." 
 
 "Never mind the money," said Horacio, stifling a 
 sigh, "what we want now is to straighten out this other 
 matter. I had nearly forgotten the money." 
 
 "You must have struck it rich then," said his com- 
 panion, eyeing him suspiciously. 
 
 "Oh, no," protested the young man, smiling as he 
 thought of the actual condition of his finances, "far 
 from that! I have nothing. In fact, it is only by the
 
 THE MINISTER 289 
 
 kindness of friends that I am enabled to study in order 
 that I may preach the gospel." 
 
 '"Then you hold no grudge? You forgive me?" 
 
 "As I hope to be forgiven! Do not bother about my 
 forgiveness, but get right with God. It is against Him 
 you have sinned." 
 
 The man bowed his head in his hands. Horacio 
 waited for him to speak. Suddenly he groped for his 
 hat and started to his feet. Horacio touched his arm 
 and asked, "Thiago, shan't we decide this question to- 
 night? It does not always keep till another day. Jesus 
 Christ stands waiting and saying, 'My child, give me 
 thy heart!' " 
 
 Thiago pulled away his sleeve impatiently from the 
 restraining hand and slipped through the door without 
 a word. With a sharp twinge of disappointment 
 Horacio blew out the lights and, after locking the door, 
 walked slowly to the nearest bond. 
 
 The following day, which was Sunday, he saw the 
 girls at church, but only the backs of their heads. 
 Anna divided his attention with the sermon, but he 
 was rewarded with no answering look. The next day 
 and the next he had lessons in the evening, for he was 
 now doing extra work again, to complete his course as 
 soon as possible. He longed to be at work and doing 
 what he could to cancel his debt in service if not in 
 kind. He had heard it said that none of the boys had 
 ever returned a vintem of these advances, and although 
 they were not expected to do so, nevertheless he longed 
 for the opportunity.
 
 290 HORACIO 
 
 On Wednesday he was free at last, and, feeling bound 
 by Miss Holland's suggestion to take a companion, he 
 pulled Plinio away from his books and made him go 
 with him. To his great discomfiture he found that it 
 was the regular reception-night at the School and the sit- 
 ting-room was full of guests. Miss Holland greeted the 
 young men cordially and sent for Anna, who came in 
 looking very demure and unapproachable. Horacio 's 
 cordial hand encountered a limp one and froze at the 
 touch of it. 
 
 "Anna!" he had cried at sight of her, but now sat 
 down without another word. Presently he found cour- 
 age again and went on: "Dost thou not wish to hear 
 about the folks?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, tell me!" replied the girl, with a quick 
 gleam of interest. 
 
 "Donna Anna, you are from the same place as your 
 cousin, are you not ? ' ' interrupted Miss Holland placidly, 
 as she approached and sat down near them to help them 
 feel at ease. 
 
 "We are not cousins," replied the girl somewhat 
 tartly. 
 
 "Not cousins!" exclaimed the lady in genuine as- 
 tonishment. "Why, dear me! surely I understood Senhor 
 Horacio, in his letter, to say that you were cousins," 
 and she groped for her glasses and felt in her lap as 
 if for the letter in question ; then contented herself with 
 her handkerchief, which she found lying there, and 
 folded her hands again. 
 
 "We were brought up together as cousins," Horacio
 
 TEE MINISTER 291 
 
 explained. " She was the step-daughter of my uncle, 
 and when he died she came to live with us. ' ' 
 
 "But I thought you had lost your parents." 
 
 "I was impressed into the army, and when I re- 
 turned, after nearly four years, they were gone. I 
 was told they were dead. I only found them again the 
 day I sent Anna here. " 
 
 ''Ah, now I understand. What is it, Effie?" to 
 some one who leaned over her shoulder and whispered. 
 "Yes, yes, I will go. Excuse me, please," and the good 
 lady hurried away. 
 
 Anna turned to Horacio and asked, "Are they well? 
 Where are they ? How did they get away ? ' ' 
 
 He laughed. "First, they are well. Second, they 
 are on the old place where we used to live together. 
 Third, they ran away. What else?" 
 
 "And Sor Andre?" ejaculated the girl, as though 
 fearing that he might yet come to trouble her. 
 
 "He is nursing a broken leg and has probably en- 
 tirely forgotten thee by now. He firmly thinks that 
 thou art dead." 
 
 "He thinks that I am dead?" 
 
 "Yes, why not? He saw thee floating down the river 
 on Bonito and gave thee up for lost. Not only that, 
 but he reported thy death to us, and I knew no better 
 until I saw thee last Friday; for I have been to the 
 other church every Sunday since I returned from the 
 sertao." 
 
 Anna shot a quick glance at him and flushed at 
 some hidden thought. A thin film of ice seemed to
 
 292 EORACIO 
 
 melt away from between them under the influence of 
 that warm blush. 
 
 * ' I was just about to write to Sor Francisco to promise 
 to reimburse him for the horse for Bonito. Is he still 
 alive?" 
 
 "What! didst thou not return by way of Jahu?" 
 she exclaimed. Horacio's heart glowed at the return to 
 the "thou." "Didst thou not see Sor Francisco?" 
 
 "No, I returned by Lengoes. So the horse is still 
 alive also?" 
 
 "Yes, the horse is well," and she briefly recounted 
 the story of her marvellous escape. Horacio's eyes glis- 
 tened, but he did not interrupt her. When she had 
 finished he told of their own adventures, and concluded 
 by saying, "I wanted to come and see thee on Sat- 
 urday, but could not, for I was obliged to go to the 
 mission service in the Braz. I have much more to say 
 to thee, but they are going now and I suppose I must 
 go also." 
 
 "Wait until tea is served. Thou dost not need to 
 go. The rest are going for some other reason : I think 
 they have something else on hand." 
 
 Horacio's heart grew warm at the invitation. He 
 looked across at Plinio. Plinio was evidently prepar- 
 ing to go with the others. 
 
 "There is a magic-lantern entertainment at the 
 church," he explained. Horacio had altogether for- 
 gotten it, but he remembered when he was reminded. 
 
 "You go along," he urged. "I must stay and talk 
 business with my cousin."
 
 THE MINISTER 293 
 
 "You don't mind my leaving you then?" asked his 
 companion. ' ' All right ! I '11 go, ' ' and he hurried after 
 the others. 
 
 "Well, well! We are quite deserted," said Miss 
 Holland plaintively. "You are going to stay, Senhor 
 Horacio? Then I'll send for the tea and we can have 
 it all to ourselves," and she disappeared through the 
 door. 
 
 "Anna!" cried Horacio, when she had disappeared 
 in the dining-room, "I cannot talk to thee as one can 
 talk in the sertao. Thou art not the same Anna; I am 
 afraid of thee. Tell me, art thou contented here at 
 the School?" 
 
 Now this was not at all what Horacio had meant 
 to say, but his courage failed him. Anna pursed her 
 lips dubiously. "I was about to ask thee to let me 
 go home," she said, but with a mischievous twinkle 
 in her eye. 
 
 "Let thee go home? And what will become of 
 thy schooling, and of me?" 
 
 "I think thou canst take care of thyself," she an- 
 swered, laughing gently to herself, "and they must 
 need me at home." 
 
 "Need thee! Nonsense! There are two strapping 
 girls to help in the house, and they do not need thee 
 a bit. Besides, they think that thou art drowned and 
 have already forgotten thee." 
 
 This last was a bit of teasing, but it hurt. A tear 
 quivered under the long lashes. Horacio saw it and 
 was crushed.
 
 294 HORACIO 
 
 "Oh, Anna, forgive me! I was joking. How could 
 they how could any one forget thee?" 
 
 The girl looked thoughtful. Miss Holland was still 
 busy about the tea and had not reappeared. 
 
 "Thou seest " she began, and hesitated. After a 
 little moment she continued, "Thou seest I do not like 
 I cannot oh, how can I say it? I ought not to ac- 
 cept this help from thee." 
 
 Horacio's heart sank. "Why didst thou not think 
 of that before coming here in the first place? This 
 did not come to thine head the other day there in the 
 forest. Wast thou only afraid of Sor Andre?" 
 
 She looked at him out of a corner of her eye and 
 he was filled with dismay and even remorse, although 
 he felt that somehow he was being ill-used. 
 
 "Wilt thou not accept that little from a cousin 
 a a brother?" he asked, and saw that he had made 
 bad worse, although he did not know why. 
 
 "That is what thou saidst when thou sentest me 
 here," she almost whispered, with a queer little gasp, 
 between a laugh and a sob. 
 
 "What wouldst thou have me say, perverse girl? If 
 thou wilt not accept from a brother or a cousin, from 
 whom, then, wilt thou accept? Anna thou dost not 
 mean ? Am I stupid or only a fool?" 
 
 His old comrade glanced up at him with a look that 
 was made up of mischief, amusement, pity and a trace 
 of doubt, but as he caught her eye hoth sprang to 
 their feet as if moved by a common impulse. The 
 sight that greeted Miss Holland's perturbed vision, w
 
 TEE MINISTER 295 
 
 she pushed open the door with the tea-tray a moment 
 later, was enough to spoil the reputation of a double 
 dozen of girls' schools. 
 
 "Tut, tut! What is this?" she cried somewhat stern- 
 ly. 
 
 "Oh, Miss Holland, we are awfully sorry, but we 
 have had no other chance," exclaimed Horacio with 
 an embarrassed laugh. "I have not seen her for years, 
 and never can find her alone; and now all our mud- 
 dled affairs are straightened out at last and she is going 
 to be my wife some day. Please forgive us!" 
 
 "Well, it is pretty bad! What will our neighbors 
 say who may be looking in our windows from across 
 the street? A young man making love to one of our 
 girls! Fie! Why, it would empty our school in a 
 week, and with reason!" 
 
 "Oh, we shan't do it any more. Anna will stay with 
 you until I have finished my work at the Seminary, 
 and then she will be a preacher's wife." 
 
 "Very well! But meanwhile she is a school-girl, and 
 I will see that she has at least two chaperones when you 
 are near. I am horrified!" and she smiled amiably. 
 "Now, come, our tea is getting cold." 
 
 Horacio gave a mock groan and then laughed. "I 
 am not afraid of you," he said, "and if you will not 
 be too hard on us I promise to be good." 
 
 She shook her head grimly at them both and passed 
 them tea and cake. When they had eaten, the young 
 man shook hands and departed. 
 
 After he had gone the elder woman slipped an arm
 
 296 HORACIO 
 
 about the younger one's waist and whispered in her 
 ear, "Did you think that I was long about the tea, 
 my dear? The servant might have brought it, you 
 know. Oh, by the way," gazing about the room in 
 well-feigned surprise; "I wonder if it was I that pulled 
 the curtain down! This is quite unusual. Deary 
 me ! I am getting very absent-minded. ' ' 
 
 Anna blushed and her companion took her face be- 
 tween her hands and kissed her on both cheeks. 
 
 "Now run along to bed, my dear, and dream sweet 
 dreams!" she said, and pushed her playfully from her. 
 
 Horacio heard nothing further of Thiago until a 
 month had passed by. He was fast getting to the last 
 extremity for funds with which to continue his course, 
 when one day, as he passed out of church, the Italian 
 who preached in that language in the little Mission 
 in the Braz handed him an envelope with his name 
 written across the face. 
 
 "A decent sort of a fellow asked your full name 
 last night at the Mission, and handed me this to give 
 to you," he said. 
 
 Horacio opened the envelope wonderingly and found 
 a morsel of paper and three notes of ten milreis each. 
 On the bit of paper was written : 
 
 "Thiago wishes to get square with you before he 
 gets square with Him. 30$000 on account." 
 
 The following Saturday evening he attended the ser- 
 vice at the Mission, but the man was not there. The 
 next week he remained away and the Italian reported 
 that Thiago had been present. Evidently strategy would
 
 TEE MINISTER 297 
 
 have to be used. The next Saturday Horacio waited 
 until the service was half completed and then slipped 
 in quietly and sat down near the door. He at once 
 saw with great satisfaction that he had penned the ex- 
 convict into a corner. When the meeting was over he 
 moved along the bench and shook hands with him. 
 
 "Why do you avoid me, friend Thiago?" he asked. 
 The man laughed nervously and hung his head. Horacio 
 suspected that he feared to trust his own strength, and 
 added hastily, "How is the soul? I see that the body 
 is in better shape." 
 
 Thiago looked up. "I am working now for the 'Light 
 and Power,' as motorman on a bond. I want to pay 
 you back what I owe you, but I can only send you a 
 little money every month. Have patience and I will 
 make it all right! Then I'll feel better about hunting 
 the Pearl." 
 
 "Thiago, you are right about paying the money, and 
 it will enable me to complete my education, but I should 
 prefer to lose it all rather than have you delay the 
 other matter. By paying the money you cannot make 
 yourself one whit more fit for the Kingdom. You can 
 never be fit for that! Only Christ is worthy, and you 
 must come just as you are and attend to the other mat- 
 ters afterward. Do you understand?" 
 
 The man looked disappointed. "I thought that He 
 would be better satisfied," he muttered. 
 
 "Ay, that is true, but He wants you just as you are, 
 and all these other things you can do for love of Him 
 afterward. 'By grace are ye saved, through faith,
 
 298 HORACIO 
 
 and that not of yourselves. Not of works, lest any 
 man should boast ' That is what the Apostle Paul says. 
 Don't you see it?" 
 
 "So I can come just as I am?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "And supposing I do not pay the money afterward?" 
 with a momentary return of his old sly look. 
 
 "That is for you to settle with Him. I have no fear 
 for my money," he added with a smile. 
 
 "I did not understand that it was free," objected 
 the man; "I thought that the Pearl must be bought." 
 
 "So it must be. You must give up all that you have 
 man's only independent possession your will." 
 
 "Then I give it!" exclaimed Thiago joyfully. "I 
 understand now, I think." 
 
 "Let us pray!" whispered Horacio with emotion, and 
 the two ex-convicts dropped on their knees together in 
 the quiet of the dingy little room.
 
 EPILOGUE. 
 
 THREE years after the conversion of Thiago num- 
 bers of country-people might have been seen gathering 
 one Sunday morning from far and wide, from sitio 
 and fazenda, scattered leagues apart in the edge of the 
 sertao. Some came on foot and some on horseback, but 
 all converged toward a little clearing near the boundary 
 of the property of Horacio's father. 
 
 In the center of this clearing stood a little brick 
 church, in whose shadow, upon a long bench, sat a dozen 
 mothers nursing their babes, that they might be silent 
 during the service about to take place. Inside the 
 building rude benches occupied the central space, a table 
 neatly covered with a linen cloth stood at the farther 
 end, and a wee organ the gift of an American friend 
 was placed in the corner near it. 
 
 At the table sat Horacio, and at the organ a dainty 
 little woman, whose large dark eyes rested lovingly upon 
 the figure at the desk, awaiting the signal for the Dox- 
 ology. In a moment the young man nodded, the organ 
 sounded, and the row of mothers filed into the church. 
 The little congregation arose and sang with pious fervor : 
 
 "A Deus, Supremo Bemfeitor, 
 Anjos e homens dem louvor : 
 299
 
 300 HORACIO 
 
 A Deus o Filho, a Deus o Pae, 
 E ao Espirito, gloria dae." 
 
 While these simple people worship let us look farther. 
 Down by the creek, at the edge of the clearing, a great 
 bare patch of rugged and scarred ground and piles 
 of over-burnt and under-burnt brick and tiles mark 
 the spot where Horacio and a couple of his parishion- 
 ers found material for construction. Some of the fazen- 
 deiros provided the wood for the timbers and shaped 
 them at their mills. The young minister himself did 
 the chief part of the work on the edifice. His salary 
 is one hundred milreis a month, and even that is hard 
 to collect, although it is only twenty-five dollars of 
 American money. 
 
 Besides the little congregation which we have seen 
 he has a trimestral itinerary to cover, which includes 
 some twenty groups of believers and carries him fifty 
 leagues from home. From these people he receives a 
 small additional stipend. 
 
 A little cottage near the church is his home, dear 
 because his hands have fashioned it, but dearest by far 
 because of the great loving eyes that are the light of it. 
 
 In a stable behind the cottage stands an old horse, a 
 present from Sor Francisco da Gama dos Santos, who 
 is now a stalwart supporter of the little church in Jahu. 
 The horse is old, but still has plenty of joyful vigor 
 for the sober service of the minister, and bears him 
 whither his duty calls him through the sertao. We know 
 the horse and love him as well as he knows and loves 
 his master and mistress.
 
 EPILOGUE 301 
 
 Over the mantel in the little sala hangs Horacio's 
 rifle, and its days of service are no more ended than 
 are Bonito's. The hunter has become a "fisher," but 
 he has not ceased to be a hunter. 
 
 At the door of a little cabin not far from the cot- 
 tage, any other day than Sunday an old man may be 
 seen turning and twisting a long black rope of "nig- 
 ger-head," or reading from a great brass-clasped book. 
 The "nigger-head" is not for the market but for his 
 own faithful and malodorous cachimbo. His aged and 
 devoted helpmeet is either busied over at the minister's 
 or is, perhaps, beating fleeces into felt for saddle-blan- 
 kets with a heavy maul. A week's labor and an uncertain 
 market may give her a profit of five milreis, which goes 
 to the Seminary fund. She has enough for herself 
 without it, but means to enjoy this last luxury of labor 
 through her declining years or as long as her sinewy 
 old arms can lift the maul. 
 
 Old Jose Capitao and his "woman" are companions 
 for Donna Anna during Horacio's frequent absences, 
 and will never know a want as long as he can fill it. 
 
 And what of Alfredo? Not long after the Presby- 
 tery dropped him in despair, he secured employment 
 selling tickets for the "Jogo do Bicho," that terrible 
 animal-lottery which is the curse of Brazil. 
 
 Sor Andre is no longer the terror of his neighbor- 
 hood. A less scrupulous opponent wiped him out about 
 a year after he had recovered from his broken leg. 
 The little farm which Horacio saved for his father 
 has lately been sold at a fair price, and the money has
 
 302 EORACIO 
 
 gone to pay for a bit of schooling for Eugenia and Luiza. 
 Horacio is tutoring his brothers when he has leisure. 
 The little fazenda has prospered and his father insists 
 on paying for the tuition. 
 
 Upon the roll of members of the little church the 
 names of all the de Castros figure among the first-fruits 
 of Horacio 's labors. 
 
 One of the Elders of the little church is called Thiago, 
 for he has become a small fazendeiro, after faithfully 
 discharging his debt and pulling his friend through the 
 rest of his course without further help from the 
 Presbytery. 
 
 At the last, when Horacio graduated, Thiago made 
 a final payment of one hundred and fifty milreis, which 
 went to purchase a long black coat for the minister of 
 the sertao.
 
 GLOSSARY 
 
 A 
 
 Amanha 
 Anda 
 
 Anta 
 
 Araponga 
 
 Alqueire 
 
 Ate 
 
 Adeus 
 
 Anuinha 
 
 Balsa 
 Baile 
 Bern 
 
 Bengao 
 
 Bizouro 
 Bobo 
 Bom 
 Bond 
 
 Bugre 
 
 Bule 
 Cachaga 
 
 Canalha 
 Capanga 
 Capaz 
 
 (ah) to, at. 
 
 (ah-mahn-yang') to-morrow. 
 
 (ahn'-dah) run, go. 2 pers imperative. 
 Anda ligeiro ! Run quickly! 
 
 (ahn'-tah) tapir, tapirus americanus. 
 
 (ah-rah-pong'-ah) the bell-bird. 
 
 (ahl-Kay'-ee-ray) a measure of land, an- 
 ciently as much land as could be sown 
 with a Portuguese bushel of grain. 
 
 (ah'-teh) until- At6 atnanha! Until to- 
 morrow! viz., Good-night! 
 
 (ah-day-oos') adieu. 
 
 (ah-neen'-yah) diminuitive of Anna. 
 
 (bahl'-sah) raft, flat-boat, ferry. 
 
 (bah'-ee-lay) dance, ball. 
 
 (beng) well. Muito bem ! Very well! 
 
 (ben'saoung) blessing. A benao! May 
 you have the blessing! 
 
 (bee-zoh -roh) beetle. 
 
 (boh'-boh) ninny, fool. 
 
 (bong) good. 
 
 (bohn'-day) street-car, tram-car. So called 
 because the first street-car line in 
 Brazil had an unfortunate bond-issue 
 connected with it and the word, used 
 jokingly, became incorporated into the 
 language. 
 
 (boo' -gray) the naked, untamed savage of 
 the Brazilian forest. 
 
 (boo'-lay) tea-pot' 
 
 raw cane-brandy, same 
 ruffians. 
 
 (Kah-shah'-sah) 
 
 as "pinga." 
 
 (Kah-nahl'-yah) canaille) scum, 
 (Kah-pahng'-ah) hired ruffian. 
 (Kah-pahs') capable. An exclamation 
 
 meaning, "Nothing of the sort." Evi- 
 
 303
 
 dently derived from, "Do you think 
 I'm capable of permitting it?!" 
 
 Cafezal (Kah- fay-sal') coffee-grove. The ter- 
 
 mination "zal" or "al" signifies a 
 grove when affixed to the name of a 
 tree. 
 
 Carregador (Kah'ray-gah-dor') teamster, drayman, 
 
 porter, carter. 
 
 Cachimbo (Kah-sheem'-boh) tobacco-pipe. 
 
 Caipira (Kah-ee-pee'-rah) countryman, "hayseed." 
 
 Caboclo (Kah-boh'-cloh) a mestizo, one of the 
 
 mixed blood of Brazil. 
 
 Cabocliulio (Kah-boh-cleen'-yoh) diminuitive of "ca- 
 
 boclo." 
 
 Capoeira (Kah-poh-ay'-ee-rah) brush, undergrowth. 
 
 Credo (Kray'-doh) creed- Cruz e credo ! Cross 
 
 and creed! An exclamation like, 
 "Goodness gracious !" 
 
 Criangada (Kree'-ahn-sah'-dah) flock of children. 
 
 Que crianc,ara! Did you ever see such 
 young ones?! 
 
 CMcote (Shee-koh -toy) riding-whip. 
 
 Cip6 (See-paw') vine, liana. The tropical for- 
 
 est is usually hung with a perfect net- 
 work of cable-like vines, some of them 
 being eight or ten inches in diameter. 
 
 Compadre (Kohng-pah'dray) relationship between 
 
 the godfather and the parents of a 
 child. 
 
 Corrego (Koh'-ray-goh) creek, brook. 
 
 Coitado (Koh-ee-tah'-doh) poor thing! 
 
 Conto (Kohn'-toh) a million reals. About $250.00 
 
 American gold at the time of the 
 story. 
 
 Cruz (Krooz) cross. 
 
 Curral (Koo-rahl 1 ) corral, yard, stable-yard, en- 
 
 closure. 
 
 Cutia (Koo-tee'-ah) a small animal like a short- 
 
 eared rabbit. 
 
 Da (dah) 3rd. pers. sing., pres. ind. or "dar," 
 
 to give. Da? Do you givef 
 
 D'alho (dahl'-yah) Pao d'alho, a large forest- 
 
 tree of Brazil of a strikingly peculiar 
 shape. 
 
 304
 
 Do (day) of, from. 
 
 Demanda (day-mahn'-dah) demand, claim, lawsuit. 
 
 Dereito (day-ray'-ee-toh) right, justice. 
 
 Dia (dee'-ah) day. Bom dial Good-day! 
 
 Diabo (dee-ah'-boh) the devil. Que diabo ! What 
 
 the devil! A very common exclamation 
 in Brazil, even from ladies. 
 
 Doce (doh'-say) sweetmeats. 
 
 (ay) and- 
 
 fi (eh) is. 3rd pers. sing. pres. ind. of Ser, 
 
 to be. ' 
 
 Enxadao (en-shah-daoung 1 ) hoc. The heavy Bra- 
 
 zilian hoe. 
 
 Engracado (en'-grah-sah'-doh) Hte'rally graceful or 
 
 gracious. As used it means "amusing." 
 Que engragado! How funny! 
 
 Eitah (ay'-tah) an exclamation of surprise, ad- 
 
 miration or astonishment, as the case 
 may be. 
 
 Emiliazinha (eh-meel'-yah-zeen'yah) diminuitive of 
 Emilia, Emily. 
 
 Escoba (ess-Koh'-bah) brush, whisk-broom. 
 
 Eu (ay'-oo) /. 
 
 Facao (fah-kaoung') big knife, Span, machete. 
 
 Fazenda (fah-zen'dah) ranch; farm, plantation. 
 
 Fazendeiro (fah-sen-day'-ee-roh) farmer, rancher. 
 
 Farinha (fah-reen'-yah) a coarse flour made from 
 
 the cassava-root, from which tapioca 
 is made. It resembles grated cocoanut 
 in appearance and is a staple article of 
 diet, being sprinkled over the meat, 
 beans, rice or other food, at every meal. 
 "Farinha de mandioca" is the full 
 name. "Farinha de milho" is a coarse 
 corn-meal. 
 
 Testa (fess'-tah) fiest, holiday. 
 
 ^eio (fay'-ee-oh) ugly, dangerous 
 
 Freguezes (fray-gay'-ses) parishioners, customers- 
 
 Fogao (foh-gaoung 1 ) fire-place. Usually refers 
 
 to the built-in brick, stone or earthen 
 stove in the kitchen. 
 
 Fundo (foon'-doh) deep. 
 
 305
 
 Garrucha 
 
 Goiabada 
 
 Haveres 
 Horacio 
 
 Inambu 
 
 Invernada 
 
 Jantar 
 Jaboticabeira 
 
 Jacu 
 
 Jaguar 
 
 Jeauitiba 
 
 Joaozinho 
 Juiz 
 
 Leao 
 
 Licenca 
 
 Ligelro 
 Loja 
 
 Macaco 
 
 Mala 
 
 (gah-roo'-shah) a double-barreled, muz- 
 zle-loading horse-pistol, carried com- 
 monly on the frontier of Brazil, one 
 barrel being usually charged with ball 
 and the other with buckshot. 
 (goy'-ah-bah-dah) guava-paste. Eaten with 
 cheese it is the usual dessert of the 
 middle classes of Brazil. 
 
 (ah-vay'-rays) goods, possessions. 
 \oh-r ah' -see-oh) Horace. 
 
 (ce-nahm-boo') a large, patridge-like game 
 bird. 
 
 (in-vair-nah'-dah) winter-pasture. Usually 
 a pasture sown with artificial grass. 
 
 (zjahn-tahr 1 ) dinner* 
 
 (sjah-boh'-tee-cah-bay'-ee-rah) a fruit-tree 
 common in the house-yards of South- 
 ern Brazil. The fruit somewhat re- 
 sembles a plum, but is very insipid and 
 does not appeal to the unaccustomed 
 palate although very much relished 
 by the natives. 
 
 (zjah-coo 1 ) a game-bird, somewhat like a 
 
 pheasant but of very sober coloring. 
 (zjah-guar') jaguar, fclis on fa. 
 
 (zjeh-kec-tee-bah 1 ) a large and majestic 
 forest-tree. 
 
 (zjaoung-zeen'-yah) diminuitive of Joao, 
 John. 
 
 (sjoo-eez') judge. Juis de Dereito. An 
 officer of the civil courts something 
 like a County Judge. 
 
 (lay-aoung') lion. 
 
 (lee-sen 1 -sah) license, permission. Da 
 
 licenga? Do you give permission? 
 (lee-zjay'-ee-roh} light, quick. 
 
 (loh'-zjah) store. 
 Hardware store. 
 
 Loja de ferragens. 
 
 (mah-cah'-coh) monkey* 
 
 (mah'-lah) saddle-bag made of a very 
 heavy cotton fabric, in the form of a 
 long sack closed at both ends and with 
 
 306
 
 Mamae 
 
 Mamao 
 
 Maleita 
 Malvado 
 Maneco 
 
 Mandioca 
 
 Matto 
 Macuco 
 Maluco 
 Milreis 
 
 Miseraveis 
 
 MiUio 
 Mixto 
 
 Moleque 
 Movem-se 
 
 ModiiLha 
 Monjolo 
 
 Necessario 
 Nossa 
 
 a slit in the middle. It is thrown 
 across the cantle and the rider sits on 
 it, while the ends hanging down on 
 each side contains his clothing or other 
 articles. 
 
 (mah-mah'-ee) mamma. 
 
 (mah-maoung 1 ) papaya, carica papaya- A 
 
 rapidly growing tree with a slender 
 
 shaft which bears a melon-like fruit in 
 
 great abundance, hanging about the 
 
 trunk by short stems. 
 
 (mahl-ay'-ee-ta) malaria. 
 
 (mahl-vah'-doh) evil-doer. 
 
 (mah-nay-coh) diiminuitive of Manoel, 
 Manuel. 
 
 (mahnrdee-oh'-cah) manioc, cassava. A 
 root from which Tapico Is made. 
 
 (mah'-toh) the forest. 
 
 (mah-coo'-cohy a Brazilian game-bird. 
 
 (mah-loo'-coh) scroundrel. 
 
 (meel-ray'-ess) one thousand reals, writ- 
 ten i $000. The "real" is an ancient 
 coin, now of such small value that one 
 thousand were only worth twenty-five 
 cents at the time of this story. 
 
 (mee'-zay-rah'-vay-ees) wretches. 
 
 (meel'-yoh) maize, Indian corn. 
 
 (mees'-toh) the freight train with a 
 couple of passenger-cars attached. 
 
 (moh-teh'-Kay) gamin,, street-urchin. 
 
 (moh'-veng-zay) are stirred up. 
 
 (moh-deen'-yah) native folk-song. 
 
 (mohn-zjoh'-loh) a wooden dugout, bal- 
 anced on a horizontal bearing and 
 armed with a hardwood pestle at one 
 end. A rivulet is led to it by a ditch 
 or flume and when the hollow is filled 
 with water it tips up and spills it out. 
 The pestle then comes down with a 
 hard blow in a big wooden mortar and 
 the operation is repeated ad infinitum. 
 
 (nay-cess-sah'-ree-oh) necessary, 
 (naw'-sah) our (fem.) 
 
 307
 
 Onga (ohn'-sah) the ounce, the jaguar, felis 
 
 on^a. 
 Oh6 (oh-eh') well!, gracious! 
 
 Pala (pah'-lah) a square cloak with a slit in 
 
 the middle for the head. Similar to 
 the Mexican serepe, the Peruvian pon- 
 cho or the Colombian ruana. 
 
 Passar (pah-sahr') to pass. 
 
 Padre (pah'-dray) father. Used in Brazil only 
 
 to designate a priest. 
 
 Patife (pah-tee' -fay) rascal. 
 
 Patio (pah-tee'-oh) court-yard, door-yard. 
 
 Pao (pah'-oh) tree, stick. 
 
 Payol (pah-ee-ohe) corn-crib. 
 
 Precise (pray-see'-zoh) necessary. 
 
 Pinga (peen'-gah) raw cane-brandy. 
 
 Porcada (pohr-cah'-dah) herd of swine. 
 
 Prompto (pnm-toh) ready. 
 
 Protestante (prbh-tess-tahn'-tay) Protestant. 
 
 Qual (Kwahl) exclamation signifying a courteous 
 
 disinclination to listen to apologies. 
 
 Que (Kay) what, that. Que bobo! What a 
 
 ninny ! 
 
 Quern (Keng) who, whom. 
 
 Queizada (Kay-shah' '-dah) wild-hog, peccary. 
 
 Quintal (Keen-tahl') garden, house-orchard. 
 
 Ribeirao (ree-bay-ee-roaung) creek. 
 
 Bio (ree'-oh) rfoer. 
 
 Bo^a (roh'-sah) clearing, and, by analogy, 
 
 frontier-settlements. 
 
 Sala (sah'-lah) living-room, drawing-room- 
 
 Sabe (sah'-bay) you know, do you know? 
 
 SSo (saoung) Saint. Sao Paulo. (Saoung Pah- 
 
 oo-loh) largest City of Southern Bra- 
 zil. 
 
 Sem (sen.g) without. 
 
 Sertao (sair~taoun,g') the edge of the forest, the 
 
 frontier. 
 
 Sertanejo (sair-tah-nay'-zjoh) frontiersman. 
 
 Senhor (sain-yohr') Mr. sir. 
 
 Seniiora (sain-yohr' -ah) Mrs. Madame. 
 
 308
 
 Sinha 
 Sitio 
 
 Sor 
 Sobre 
 
 Sou 
 
 Taquara 
 
 Tatu 
 
 Terreiro 
 
 Teres 
 
 Tia 
 
 Tio 
 
 Toa 
 
 Todos 
 
 Vaquelro 
 Vamos 
 Venda 
 Velio 
 
 Vergonia 
 
 Viva 
 Vintem 
 
 Viola 
 Zezinho 
 
 (seen-yah') contraction of "Senhora." 
 
 Commonly used among the country 
 
 people as, "Wife !" 
 (fee'-tee-oh) location,, claim, settlement. 
 
 Referring to the home of one settler 
 
 only. 
 
 (sawr) popular contraction of "senhor." 
 (soh'-bray) over, upon, on. Sobre teres e 
 
 haveras movem-se muitas demands. 
 
 Questions of ownership cause all 
 
 kinds of trouble, 
 (soh) I am. Sou eu. lit. I am I, viz., It 
 
 is I. 
 
 (tah-quah '-rah) a slender, rambling bamboo 
 
 (tah-too') armadillo. 
 
 (tay-ray'-ee-roh) drying-floor for coffee. 
 
 (tay'-rays) possessions. 
 
 (tee' -ah) aunt. Familiarly, old lady. 
 
 (tee' -oh) uncle. Familiarly, old man* 
 
 (toh'-ah) rattle-headed. 
 
 (toh'-dose) all, everybody. 
 
 (vah-kay'-ee-roh) cow-boy. 
 
 (vah'-mose) we go, let us go. 
 
 (ven'-dah) shop. 
 
 (rail'-yoh) old. 
 
 (vair-gohn'-yah) shame. Sem vergonha, 
 
 shameless one, almost the worst thing 
 
 you can say about a Latin. 
 (vee-vah) long live! 
 (vin -teng) the smallest copper coin, 20 
 
 reals 
 (vee-oh'-lah) a Brazilian guitar, 
 
 (zeh-zeen'-yoh) Joe- 
 
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 "<' inn IMII mil mil UNI mi illl 
 
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