Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen Torres

At five o'clock in the evening Fragoso was still there, exhausted, and he thought to himself that perhaps he had to spend the night in order to satisfy the large crowd that was waiting for him. At this moment, a stranger came to the square. He saw the Indians gathered in the tavern, and he walked over. He stared at Fragoso cautiously for a while.Evidently satisfied with the results of his observation, he entered the tavern. This person is about 35 years old.An elegant travel suit won him the favor of everyone. His thick black beard had not been trimmed for a long time, and his hair was a little long.Everything showed that he was in desperate need of the barber's services.

"Hello, friend, hello!" He patted Fragoso on the shoulder lightly. Hearing these few pure Brazilian words without Indian native language, Fragoso turned around. "Are you Brazilian too?" he asked, continuing to curl the hair of a Mayohuna woman. "Yes," answered the stranger, "a fellow man who wants you." "Yes! But wait," said Fragoso, "when I finish curling the lady's hair!" He rolled it a couple more times and it was done. Although the last to arrive had no right to occupy the vacant seat, he took the chair anyway, and the Indians who were pushed back showed no displeasure.

Fragoso put down the curling irons, picked up the barber scissors, and asked habitually; "What do you want, sir?" "A haircut and a shave," replied the stranger. "Okay!" Fragoso began to comb the visitor's thick hair. Then, the scissors also started to move. "Did you come from far away?" Fragoso asked, his mouth never loosing during the haircut. "I'm from around Iquitos." "Yes, me too!" cried Fragoso. "I came to Tabatinga from Iquitos on the Amazon River! What's your name? May I ask?" "Of course," said the stranger, "my name is Torres."

When his hair was done "in the latest fashion," Fragoso began to shave him; but, when their eyes met, he paused, went on with his work, and at last could not help asking: "Oh! Mr. Torres, do you? . . . I seem to know you! . . . Have we met somewhere?" "No!" Torres said with certainty. "Then I was mistaken!" said Fragoso. He's starting to finish. After a while, Torres picked up the conversation that had been interrupted by Fragoso's question. "How did you get from Iquitos?" he asked. "Are you asking from Iquitos to Tabatinga?"

"yes." "I came on a big raft, which was given to me by a kind manor, whose family was sailing down the Amazon." "Ah! Really, my friend!" said Torres. "You are lucky. I wonder if the owner of the manor will take me..." "Are you going down the river too?" "Exactly." "Sailing all the way to Pala?" "No, only to Manao, I'm going to do some business there." "Well, my master is very helpful, and I think he'd be willing to help you with that." "real?" "I can be sure."

"So what's the surname of this manor owner?" Torres asked casually. "Joam Gallard," Fragoso replied. At this time, he muttered to himself: "I must have seen him somewhere!" Torres would not give up on a conversation that interested him, so he went on to ask: "Then you think Joam Galar will agree to take me?" "I assure you again, I have no doubts of that," said Fragoso, "that he would be willing to help a man as insignificant as myself, and he would not refuse a fellow man like you!" "Did he travel alone on the big raft?"

"No," said Fragoso, "as I told you just now, he was traveling with the whole family. The whole family was good-natured, I'm sure, and there was a party of Indians and blacks, all of them estates. servant." "Is this manor owner very rich?" "Certainly," said Fragoso, "very rich. The wood that made this raft and its contents are worth a fortune." "Then Joam Gallard's family just came over from the Brazilian border, didn't they?" "Yes," replied Fragoso, "with his wife, his son, his daughter, and Mademoiselle Mina's fiancé."

"Oh, he has a daughter?" Torres asked. "A lovely girl." "She's getting married soon?" "Yes, and an honest young man," said Fragoso, "he is a doctor in the garrison of Belém, and he will marry her as soon as his travels are over." "Okay!" Torres laughed, "This is an engagement trip!" "For engagement, but also for pleasure and business!" said Fragoso, "Mrs. Yaquita and Mademoiselle Mina have never been to Brazil, and Joam Garral has never been to Brazil since he entered the old Magalaes. It’s the first time I’ve crossed the border since my estate.”

"I suppose they have some servants with them?" Torres said. "Of course," said Fragoso, "there is old Siebel, who has worked at the estate for fifty years, and Mademoiselle Lina, a beautiful half-breed girl who is more like a lady's companion than a maid." .Ah! What a lovely character! What a pure heart! What charming eyes! Her views on all kinds of things, especially on Sibaten..." Having started, Fragoso began to pour out his love for Lina, and would have gone on if Torres hadn't got up to make way for the next customer. "How much should I pay you?" Torres asked the barber.

“There is no payment,” Fragoso said. “There is no talk of money between fellow countrymen who meet at the border.” "But," said Torres, "I think..." "Well, we'll figure it out later, on the big raft." "However, I don't know whether I dare to ask Joam Galar for permission..." "Don't hesitate!" cried Fragoso, "if you will let me speak to him, he will be glad to help you in this case." At this moment Manoel and Benito came into town after dinner and stood at the door of the hotel to watch Fragoso perform his craft.

Torres turned towards them, and suddenly exclaimed: "Ah! I know these two young men, or rather, I have seen them!" "Have you seen them?" Fragoso asked in amazement. "Yes, that's right! They helped me out of a rather embarrassing situation a month ago in Isthos Forest!" "They are none other than Benito Gallard and Manoel Valdes." "I know! They told me the name, I didn't expect that we would meet again here." Torres walked up to the two young men who looked at him but did not recognize him. "Gentlemen, don't you recognize me?" he said to them. "Wait," said Benito, "if I remember correctly, you are Mr. Torres, and you were the one who was stalked by a Kaliba monkey in the forest of Iquitos?" "It's me, gentlemen," said Torres, "for six weeks I've been sailing down the Amazon and just crossed the border at the same time as you!" "It is a great pleasure to see you again," said Benito. "Have you not forgotten that I invited you to my father's estate?" "Not at all," Torres said. "Sir, it would be great if you accepted the invitation! In this way, before departure, you can take a good rest and eliminate fatigue, and then sail with us along the river to the border! This will save a lot of time!" "Indeed," Torres said. "Our compatriot does not stop at the border," Fragoso said, "he goes to Manao." "Well," said Benito, "if you will take the raft, you will be very well received, and my father will take you in." "I would love to!" Torres said. "Allow me to thank you in advance." Manoel was not involved in the conversation.He let the eager Benito offer his services, while he himself studied Torres so closely that he hardly recognized his face.There is no sincerity in this man's eyes, his eyes are always evasive, as if he is afraid to meet people's eyes, but Manoel does not tell anyone how he feels, he does not want to hurt a compatriot in need . "Gentlemen," said Torres, "with your permission, I can go to the port with you at once." "Come on!" said Benito. A quarter of an hour later, Torres boarded the big raft.Benito made an introduction to Joam Gallard and related the circumstances of the encounter, and he asked his father to bring Torres to Manao. "It is my pleasure to be of your service, sir," said Joam Gallal. "Thank you," Torres said, pausing seemingly involuntarily as he reached out to his master. "We'll be leaving at dawn tomorrow," added Joam Galar, "you can pack up first..." "Oh! It didn't take long," Torres said. "I have nothing but myself." "You feel at home," said Joam Galar. That night, Torres stayed in the room next to the barber. It was not until eight o'clock that the barber returned to the raft.He told the half-breed girl about his achievements, and said with pride that the famous Fragoso was already famous in the Amazon.