ut there in that
little boat so long," said I. "I wonder the men would stick."

"I paid them and they had to," said Yank grimly.

"Why didn't you let us in on it?" I asked.

"What for? It was only a one-man job. So then I struck this ship, and
got aboard her after a little trouble persuading her to stop. There
wasn't no way of making that captain believe we'd sleep anywheres we
could except cash; so I had to pay him a good deal."

"How much?" demanded Talbot.

"It came to two hundred apiece. I'm sorry."

"Glory be!" shouted Talbot, "we're ahead of the game. Yank, you
long-headed old pirate, let me shake you by the hand!"

"I wish you fellows would go away," begged Johnny.

We went on deck. The dusk was falling, and the wind with it; and to
westward an untold wealth of gold was piling up. Our ship rolled at her
anchor, awaiting the return of those of her people who had gone ashore.
On the beach tiny spots of lights twinkled where some one had built
fires. A warmth was stealing out from the shore over the troubled
waters. Talbot leaned on the rail by my side. Suddenly he chuckled
explosively.

"I was just thinking," said he in explanation, "of us damfools roosting
on that beach in the rain."

Thus at last we escaped from the Isthmus. At the end of twenty-four
hours we had left the island of Tobago astern, and were reaching to the
north.

PART II

THE GOLDEN CITY

CHAPTER X

THE GOLDEN CITY

We stood in between the hills that guarded the bay of San Francisco
about ten o'clock of an early spring day. A fresh cold wind pursued us;
and the sky above us was bluer than I had ever seen it before, even on
the Isthmus. To our right some great rocks were covered with seals and
sea lions, and back of them were hills of yellow sand. A beautiful great
mountain rose green to our left, and the water beneath us swirled and
eddied in numerous whirlpools made by the tide.

Everybody was on deck and close to the rail. We strained our eyes ahead;
and saw two islands, and beyond a shore of green hills. None of us knew
where San Francisco was located, nor could we find out. The ship's
company were much too busy to pay attention to our questions. The great
opening out of the bay beyond the long narrows was therefore a surprise
to us; it seemed as vast as an inland sea. We hauled to the wind,
turning sharp to the south, glided past the bold point of rocks.

Then we saw the city concealed in a bend of the cove