a spune.

"A bad business, says Kelly, a bad business! There's faur too miny av
thim British sailormin makin' trouble on th' Front. It's tin dallars,
says he, tin dallars 'r fourteen days!

"Ah saw Daly git up frae th' sate an' he his a long confab wi' yer man,
but jist then yer auld watchman tramps in, an' efter speirin' aboot he
ups an' peys th' fine, an' they let yer man oot. Ah seen th' twa o'
them gang aff wi' Daly, an' Ah couldna verra weel ha'e onythin' tae dae
wi' them when he wis bye."

This was James's news; he was not surprised to learn that they had not
returned to the ship, and, as he passed on, on his way to the jetty
steps, muttered, "Weel, it's a gey peety they had that five dollars
ower much, for Ah doot they'll baith be under th' 'Blue Peter' before
th' morn's mornin'."

When we knocked off for the day we were soon ashore looking for the
wanderers, and early found plain evidence that they had been
celebrating John's 'convalescence' and release. An Italian
orange-seller whom we met had distinct memory of two seafaring
gentlemen purchasing oranges and playing 'bowls' with them in the
gutter of a busy street; a Jewish outfitter and his assistants were
working well into the night, rearranging oilskins and sea-boots on the
ceiling of a disordered shop, and a Scandinavian dame, a vendor of
peanuts, had a tale of strange bargainings to tell.

Unable to find them, we returned to the ship. One of us had to keep
Martin's watch, and the Mate was already on the track of the affair
with threatenings of punishment for the absent watchman.

About ten we heard a commotion on the dock side, and looked over to see
the wanderers, accompanied by all the 'larrikins' of 'sailor-town,'
making for the ship. Two policemen in the near background were there
to see that no deliberate breach-of-the-peace took place.

Martin, hard-headed Old Martin, who stood drink better than the
Welshman, was singing '_Bound away to the West'ard in th' Dreadnought
we go_' in the pipingest of trebles, and Welsh John, hardly able to
stand, was defying the Dutch, backed by numberless Judge Kellys, and
inviting them to step up, take off their jackets and come on.

XII

ON THE SACRAMENTO

After our cargo was discharged we left Mission Wharf for an anchorage
in the Bay, and there--swinging flood and ebb--we lay in idleness.
There were many ships in the anchorage, and many more laid up at
Martinez and Saucilito, for the year's