Free The Violent Land by Jorge Amado Page B

to turn over the grove to him and to receive payment for it. Five hundred reis per foot of planted and matured cacao. With the money they planned to purchase a plot of ground for themselves, a bit of forest somewhere which they would clear and plant. They were very happy about it and went singing down the highway.
    A week before, Zacarias had come to the plantation storehouse, bringing millet and manihot flour to exchange for dried beef, rum, and kidney beans. There he had met the colonel and had had a talk with him. Zacarias gave an account of how the cacao trees were doing, and his employer remarked that the three-year period was nearly ended. Afterwards Horacio had offered his visitor a drink on the veranda of the Big House and had questioned him as to what he and his companions were thinking of doing. Zacarias then told him of their plan to buy a piece of forest land and clear it for a cacao grove. The colonel not only approved of this, amiably enough, but even offered to assist them. Couldn’t they see that he had the best forest land there was for cacao-planting? From all the region round about Ferradas, that enormous region which belonged to him, they might select any plot they liked. It would be better for him that way, since he would not have to lay out any money. Zacarias came back radiant to the bunkhouse.
    When the time was up, they came to see the colonel, giving him an account of the number of feet of matured cacao and informing him of the plot of forest that they wished to buy. An agreement was reached and the bargain was sealed with several drinks of rum. Then Horacio spoke.
    â€œYou may as well go ahead with clearing the woods,” he said. “One of these days, when I’m going into Ilhéos, I’ll let you know, you can come along, and we’ll put it down in black and white at the registry office.”
    Something was said about a deed, but the colonel told them not to worry about that; they would be going into Ilhéos, in a month or so. With bows and polite expressions of regard the three thereupon took their departure; and the next day they set out for the forest and began cutting timber and erecting a bunkhouse. The days went by, the colonel had been to Ilhéos two or three times, they had already begun laying out the grove, and still they had nothing to show for it in writing. One day Altino plucked up courage and spoke to the colonel about it.
    â€œYou will pardon me, colonel, but we would like to know when we may have the deed to the land.”
    Horacio at first was indignant at this lack of confidence; but as Altino apologized, he went on to explain that he had already instructed Lawyer Ruy, his attorney, to take care of the matter. It would not be long now; one of these days he would send for them and they would hop into Ilhéos and settle the thing. Time went by, however, and the first shoots of cacao, destined to become trees, had already begun sprouting on the newly planted land. Altino, Orlando, and Zacarias gazed at these sprigs lovingly. These were their trees, planted by their own hands, on a plot which they themselves had cleared. The sprigs would grow, bear golden-yellow fruit, fruit that meant money. They had forgotten all about the deed. Altino alone at times appeared to be thinking of it. He had known Colonel Horacio for a long while and did not trust him. Even so, they were all of them dumbfounded to learn one day that the Humming-Bird Plantation, which included their own plot, had been sold to Colonel Ramiro.
    They decided to go and speak to Colonel Horacio about it. Altino and Zacarias went up to the Big House, Orlando remaining behind. They did not find the colonel; he was in Tabocas. They came back the next day; the colonel was in Ferradas. Then Orlando resolved to go himself. To him this plot of earth was everything, and he did not propose to lose it. He was told that the colonel was in Ilhéos. He nodded his head, but went on into the Big House, and