the fifth we made a long
picnic drive to the fresh field of enterprise; and the sixth was passed
entirely in the preparation of prospectuses. The pioneer of M'Bride City
was already upright and self-reliant, as of yore; the fire rekindled in
his eye, the ring restored to his voice; a charger sniffing battle and
saying "ha-ha" among the spears. On the seventh morning we signed a deed
of partnership, for Jim would not accept a dollar of my money otherwise;
and having once more engaged myself--or that mortal part of me, my
purse--among the wheels of his machinery, I returned alone to San
Francisco and took quarters in the Palace Hotel.

The same night I had Nares to dinner. His sunburnt face, his queer and
personal strain of talk, recalled days that were scarce over and that
seemed already distant. Through the music of the band outside, and the
chink and clatter of the dining-room, it seemed to me as if I heard the
foaming of the surf and the voices of the seabirds about Midway Island.
The bruises on our hands were not yet healed; and there we sat, waited
on by elaborate darkies, eating pompino and drinking iced champagne.

"Think of our dinners on the _Norah_, captain, and then oblige me by
looking round the room for contrast."

He took the scene in slowly. "Yes, it is like a dream," he said: "like
as if the darkies were really about as big as dimes; and a great big
scuttle might open up there, and Johnson stick in a great big head and
shoulders, and cry, 'Eight bells!'--and the whole thing vanish."

"Well, it's the other thing that has done that," I replied. "It's all
bygone now, all dead and buried. Amen! say I."

"I don't know that, Mr. Dodd; and to tell you the fact, I don't believe
it," said Nares. "There's more _Flying Scud_ in the oven; and the
baker's name, I take it, is Bellairs. He tackled me the day we came in:
sort of a razee of poor old humanity--jury clothes--full new suit of
pimples: knew him at once from your description. I let him pump me till
I saw his game. He knows a good deal that we don't know, a good deal
that we do, and suspects the balance. There's trouble brewing for
somebody."

I was surprised I had not thought of this before. Bellairs had been
behind the scenes; he had known Dickson; he knew the flight of the crew;
it was hardly possible but what he should suspect; it was certain if he
suspected that he would seek to trade on the suspicion. And sure enough,
I was not yet dressed the next