beyond the point. Wind and wave were both against their good ship,
and every officer and man was at his station awaiting the order to weigh
anchor. The mail sacks were aboard. The consul had gone down over the
side and still Don Ramon seemed unable to part from his loved ones and
the Idaho's champagne. It was the captain who had finally to put abrupt
stop to the lingering leave-takings.

"I must be off at once," he said. "Come, Don Ramon, we'll take the best
of care of these ladies and land them all at 'Frisco within the
fortnight. Kiss 'em all around now and jump for your boat. Come,
Senor--I didn't catch the name. Ah, yes, Escalante--the father of the
Senorita Pancha, I suppose. No--only her uncle? Well, I'll be her uncle
now," and so saying he led the way to the deck. Loring saw the lively
party come surging forth from the companionway--senoras, senoritas,
gray-haired men and gay young gallants. There was a moment of clasping,
clinging embraces, of straining arms and lingering kisses, of crowdings
and murmurings here and there, some little sobbing and many tear-wet
eyes as the father was finally hurried down the ladder, and then there
was further delay and shouts for Escalante, and not until then did
Loring, silently watching the animated throng on the port side, become
aware of two dark forms in the shadow of the deckhouse on the opposite
quarter. One was that of a slender girl, and she was sobbing, she was
praying in eager words not to be sent away; she was imploring pitifully
to be taken back to the shore. Loring had studied Spanish long enough
to understand almost every word, and even before he realized that he was
an unwonted listener he had heard both her sobbing plea and the abrupt,
almost cruel answer.

"You have no home, nor has your father. You may thank heaven for the
chance to get away."

The second officer came bustling round in search of them, and, leaving
the girl shrinking and sobbing on the narrow bench in the shadow, the
Mexican was hurried off. Before the little boats had fairly cast adrift
and the swinging steps were raised the throb of the screw was felt
churning the waters of the bay, and as the steamer slowly gathered way
and her bow swung gradually seaward, women and girls, kerchief waving,
came drifting back along the rail, leaning far over and throwing kisses
to the tossing shallops on the dark waves beneath, then gathering about
the stunted flagstaff at the stern, calling loudly their pa