"My little Minha is enthusiastic to-day," said the padre.

"Ah, padre! I am so happy to see everybody happy around me!"

At this moment the voice of Yaquita was heard calling Minha into the
house.

The young girl smilingly ran off.

"You will have an amiable companion," said the padre. "All the joy of
the house goes away with you, my friend."

"Brave little sister!" said Benito, "we shall miss her greatly, and
the padre is right. However, if you do not marry her, Manoel--there
is still time--she will stay with us."

"She will stay with you, Benito," replied Manoel. "Believe me, I have
a presentiment that we shall all be reunited!"

The first day passed capitally; breakfast, dinner, siesta, walks, all
took place as if Joam Garral and his people were still in the
comfortable fazenda of Iquitos.

During these twenty-four hours the mouths of the rivers Bacali,
Chochio, Pucalppa, on the left of the stream, and those of the rivers
Itinicari, Maniti, Moyoc, Tucuya, and the islands of this name on the
right, were passed without accident. The night, lighted by the moon,
allowed them to save a halt, and the giant raft glided peacefully on
along the surface of the Amazon.