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prepare to leave my estates at once and go to exercise your craft elsewhere.'

'Never fear, senhor', answered the sorcerer, tranquilly. 'Onça never seeks in vain; but in order to better recognize the thief, it would be well for me first to see the slaves of the plantation, and I would like you, senhor, to send for me when they have returned from labor.'

This reply had a good effect, and reassured the fazendeiro, however skeptical he might have been in regard to magic. An hour later, the feitor, having received instructions, brought the slaves into the court-yard. As soon as they were assembled, the senhor sent for the sorcerer. As I was temporarily stopping at the fazenda, I stepped to the side of my host, in order to lose nothing of the spectacle.

At the sight of Onça, the negroes, aware of his terrible reputation, knew that some high question of justice was to be determined, and began to tremble in every limb. The magician silently passed along the ranks, stopping before each slave, and gazing at him several seconds with his large wild glassy eye. It was like a serpent fascinating his victim. His inspection being ended, he returned to the fazendeiro, who watched him step by step.

'Senhor, it is not easy to detect at first glance the ladrão you seek, for your negroes all look to me like thieves, and I believe that several of them were concerned in stealing your hogs; but I will give you a sure means of discovering them.'

Here the feiticeiro broke off, and the conversation was carried on in a low voice, and nobody at first knew what means he was proposing. I was not long in finding out, however, by what strange process of torture the sorcerer was to bring the negroes to a more or less sincere confession. Violent purgatives were to produce effects formerly obtained by instruments of the Inquisition. Unfortunately, the feitor misunderstood the sorcerer's instructions, and exceeded the dose. Writhing in convulsions, the negroes, to obtain the potion that was to calm their sufferings, vainly protested that they would make more complete revelations. Their agony was not relieved; and the frightened feitor sought the medical knowledge which he supposed I possessed as a traveller, to arrest the too rapid progress of actual poisoning. I did not see how I could improvise a remedy for all these people, far away from any assistance. I knew of nothing but the white of eggs as an antidote to poison; and how was I to find eggs on a coffee plantation? I made known my embarrassment to the feitor.

'Oh! if eggs are all that is wanted we are safe!' he instantly cried. 'Jacares, lagartos, tartarugas and passarinhos are not lacking here.'

And running, with his assistants, to the sand and bushes on the shore, he collected in a few moments a prodigious number of the eggs of alligators, lizards, tortoises, and birds, and we very soon began to administer to the perishing negroes the beaten whites of eggs, which I directed to be alternated with warm water. After the first vomiting the pains grew less excruciating and the symptoms less alarming. Reässured as to the safety of his men, the feitor returned to his purpose, and resolved to profit by the distress of his patients, to draw out their secret. Turning toward the negresses who performed the duties of nurses, he enjoined them not to administer any more of the draught except to those who made a confession. The spectacle now changed from the tragic to the burlesque.

'Senhor, a little more of the medicine, or I shall die!' screeched a negro, covered with foam and saliva.

'So, it is you, Cadrão,' answered the feitor, in a voice of thunder. 'Tell me all you have stolen, or I will let you die like a dog.'

'I only stole the pitargas (a small, slightly acid red fruit) out of the garden, and then I wasn't alone; my