must confess that if I had been Johnny I should have stepped more
carefully with these men. They were a dark, suave lot, and dressed well.
In fact, they and a half dozen obviously professional men alone in all
that ship wore what we would call civilized clothes. I do not know which
was more incongruous--our own red shirts, or the top hats, flowing
skirts, and light pantaloons of these quietly courteous gentlemen. They
were quite as well armed as ourselves, however, wearing their revolvers
beneath their armpits, or carrying short double pistols. They treated
Johnny with an ironically exaggerated courtesy, and paid little
attention to his high airs. It was obvious, however, that he was making
enemies.

Talbot Ward knew everybody aboard, from the captain down. His laughing,
half-aloof manner was very taking; and his ironical comments on the
various points of discussion, somehow, conveyed no sting. He was
continually accepting gifts of newspapers--of which there were a half a
thousand or so brought aboard--with every appearance of receiving a
favour. These papers he carried down to our tiny box of a room and added
to his bundle. I supposed at the time he was doing all this on Moliere's
principle, that one gains more popularity by accepting a favour than by
bestowing one.

CHAPTER IV

THE VILLAGE BY THE LAGOON

In the early morning one day we came in sight of a round high bluff with
a castle atop, and a low shore running away. The ship's man told us this
was Chagres.

This news caused a curious disintegration in the ship's company. We had
heretofore lived together a good-humoured community. Now we immediately
drew apart into small suspicious groups. For we had shortly to land
ourselves and our goods, and to obtain transportation across the
Isthmus, and each wanted to be ahead of his neighbour.

Here the owners of much freight found themselves at a disadvantage. I
began to envy less the proprietors of those enormous or heavy machines
for the separation of gold. Each man ran about on the deck collecting
busily all his belongings into one pile. When he had done that, he spent
the rest of his time trying to extract definite promises from the
harassed ship's officers that he should go ashore in the first boat.

Talbot and I sat on our few packages and enjoyed the scene. The ship
came to anchor and the sailors swung the boat down from the davits. The
passengers crowded around in a dense, clamouring mob. We arose,