he natives were gazing. For the stairs swam the men who had
jumped overboard, and for the stairs swam Charley also. The _Panama_?
Sure! She was sister ship to the _California_, and by the talk she was
coming in, bound down from California.

When Charley gained the deck he, too, looked. He saw the thread of
black smoke increased to a wide plume and very near. Beneath the plume
was a large steamer, already headed into the harbor entrance. Great
excitement reigned aboard the _California_.

Majestically the _Panama_ glided into the harbor, and dropped anchor
only a long stone's throw from the _California_. "Boom!" spoke her
signal gun, and for her raced, again, the fleet of bumboats.

Her rail was black-and-white with passengers, staring across at the
passengers of the _California_. Men began to yell back and forth.

"Where's your gold?"

"Here! Where's yours?" and some of the _Panama's_ passengers held up
round little buckskin sacks; others slapped their shirt bosoms; and one
man, amidst laughter, even held, in both hands, a large gunny sack
which probably contained potatoes or yams.

"How are things at the mines?"

"Booming. Better hurry or you'll be too late, stranger."

"Plenty of gold?"

"Millions of it."

"How much can one man dig in a day?"

And so forth, and so forth. Several of the _California_ passengers,
who had been in the water before, plunged in again and daringly swam
over to the _Panama_, so as better to get the news.

Lighters, or scows, had been unloading live-stock and other supplies
into the _California_, and what looked to be the ship's boat was
putting out from the shore. Suddenly "Boom!" spoke the ship's gun, as
signal that she was about to weigh anchor. Down to the beach hurried
the passengers who had gone ashore. Charley knew that his father and
Mr. Grigsby would be among them. The sun had set, and a little breeze
blew coolly on his wet garments, so he scampered to the cabin, to
change.

Just as he reached the threshold he thought of his shoes. Shucks! He
had never thought, when he had taken them off in such haste, and he had
left them lying with the precious papers in one of them! In fact, he
had not locked the door, had he? Anyway, the door was unlocked
now--and in he hastened, his heart in his mouth. His shoes were lying
there. He picked one up, but it contained no papers. He grabbed the
other and explored it. It contained no papers. Maybe they had stuck
t