't secured his pistol, I suppose he'd have done some shooting
with it. Well, we'll see whether he comes to reclaim it. If he don't,
I shall have to send it to him. Otherwise, he may have us up before one
of these duelling justices on a charge of robbing him!"

"Ha, ha, ha! That would be a rare joke; an appropriate ending to our
day's fun."

"Quite the contrary. It might be serious, if it should reach the ears
of Bracebridge. The old disciplinarian would never believe but that
we'd been in the wrong--taken the fellow's pistol from him for a lark,
or something of that sort. True, we could have the thing explained,
both to the San Francisco magistrate, and the frigate's captain; but not
without an exposure of names and circumstances. That, though it might
be proper enough, would be anything but a pleasant finale to our day's
fun, as you call it."

"Well, I know what will," rejoins Cadwallader, after listening patiently
to his comrade's explanatory speech, "and that's a glass of something
good to drink. Those sweet Spanish wines of Don Gregorio have made me
thirsty as a fish. Besides, parting with dear Inez has got my heart
down, and I need something to stir it up again."

"All right, my hearty!" exclaims Crozier; for the jest's sake, talking
sailor-slang--"I'm with you in that way. For this day at least we've
had enough of war, and, shall I say, women?"

"No--no!" protests Cadwallader; "that would be an ungallant speech,
after what's passed. We could never have enough of them--at least, not
I."

"Why, Will, we've grown wonderfully sentimental, and in such a short
time! Well, let's drop the subject of woman, and end our day with the
third of three w's--wine."

"Agreed!" responds the young Welshman. "But, for my part, I'd prefer
ending it with a different tipple, which has also a w for its initial
letter--that's whisky. If we could only get a glass of good Scotch or
Irish malt in this mushroom city, it would make a new man of me--which
just now I need making. As I tell you, Ned, my heart's down--dead down
to the heels of my boots. I can't say why, but there it is; and there I
suppose, it'll stay, unless Dutch courage come to the rescue."

"Well, you'll soon have an opportunity of getting that. As you see, we
are in the suburbs of this grand city, partly constructed of canvas;
where, though food may be scarce, and raiment scanty, there's liquor in
abundance. In the _Parker House_, which is, I belie