ve, its best hotel,
we'll be sure of finding almost every beverage brewed upon the earth--
among them your favourite whisky, and mine--`Bass's Bitter.'"

"Again the Spanish saw, `_Cada uno a su gusto_,' as just now my
sweetheart said, after I had kissed the dear girl six times in
succession. But let us step out."

"Don't be in such hot haste. You forget we've something to do; which
must be done first--before everything else."

"What?"

"Look up Harry Blew; find him, if we can; and coax him to take service
in this Chilian ship."

"He won't require much coaxing, once you say the word. The old salt is
anything but ungrateful. Indeed, his regard for you, ever since you
saved him from that shark, is more like real gratitude than anything I
ever saw. He fairly worships you, Ned. He told me the day before he
left the _Crusader_, that parting with you was the only thing which
greatly grieved him. I saw the tears trickling down his cheeks, as you
shook hands with him over the rail. Even then, if you'd said stay, I
believe he'd have turned back into his old berth."

"I didn't, because I wished him to do better. You know he'd have a
splendid chance here in California--to get rich by gold-digging, which
no doubt he might, like a great many other humble sailors as himself.
But now, this other chance has turned up in his favour, which I should
say is surer. Don Gregorio has told us he can get from the Chilian
captain almost any pay he may please to ask; besides, a fair likelihood
of being made his first mate. That would suit Harry to a hair; in my
opinion, answering his purpose far better than any gold-washing
speculation. Though a man of first rating aboard ship, he's a mere
child when ashore; and would be no more able to protect himself against
the land-sharks of San Francisco, than he was to get out of the way of
that sea-skimmer at Guaymas. Even if he should succeed in growing rich
up the Sacramento River, I'd lay large odds, he'd be back here in port,
and poor as ever, within a week. We must save him from that if we can.
His natural element is the ocean. He has spent the greater part of his
life on it, and here's a fine opportunity for him to return to, and stay
upon it. That for life, if he likes, with better prospects than he
could ever have had on board a man-o'-war. The question is, how we
shall be able to find him in this rookery of a place. Did he say
anything, when you saw him, about where he was