grasped it more tightly in his left hand, and dropped the cudgel,
which broke off a dry twig in its fall.

At this noise Torres woke, and with the quickness of those who are
always on the watch, with whom there is no transition from the
sleeping to the waking state, was immediately on his legs.

In an instant Torres had recognized with whom he had to deal.

"A guariba!" he cried.

And his hand seizing his manchetta, he put himself into a posture of
defense.

The monkey, alarmed, jumped back at once, and not so brave before a
waking man as a sleeping one, performed a rapid caper, and glided
under the trees.

"It was time!" said Torres; "the rogue would have settled me without
any ceremony!"

Of a sudden, between the hands of the monkey, who had stopped at
about twenty paces, and was watching him with violent grimaces, as if
he would like to snap his fingers at him, he caught sight of his
precious case.

"The beggar!" he said. "If he has not killed me, he has done what is
almost as bad. He has robbed me!"

The thought that the case held his money was not however, what then