mond.

"Not broke yet!" said he triumphantly. "You see I was a wise boy after
all! Wish I had two of them!"

We disembarked, fought our way to one side, and discussed our plans.

"Hock the diamond first," said Johnny, who resolutely refused to borrow
from me; "then hair-cut, shave, bath, buy some more clothes, grub,
drink, and hunt up Talbot and see what he's done with the dust we sent
down from Hangman's."

That program seemed good. We strolled toward shore, with full intention
of putting it into immediate execution. "Immediate" proved to be a
relative term; there was too much to see.

First we stopped for a moment to hear what the preacher had to say. He
was a tall, lank man with fine but rather fanatical features, dressed in
a long black coat, his glossy head bare. In spite of the numerous
counter-attractions he had a crowd; and he was holding it.

"You're standing on a whiskey barrel!" called some one; and the crowd
yelled with delight.

"True, my friend," retorted the preacher with undaunted good nature,
"and I'll venture to say this is the first time a whiskey barrel has
ever been appropriated to so useful a purpose. The critter in it will do
no harm if it is kept underfoot. Never let it get above your feet!"

A boat runner, a squat, humorous-faced negro with flashing teeth and a
ready flow of language, evidently a known and appreciated character,
mounted the head of a pile at some little distance and began to hold
forth in a deep voice on the advantages of some sort of an excursion on
the bay. A portion of the preacher's crowd began to drift in the
direction of the new attraction.

"Ho! ho! ho!" cried the preacher suddenly in tremendous volume. "Ho! All
ye who want to go to heaven, now's your time! A splendid line of
celestial steamers will run for a few days from San Francisco to the
port of Glory, a country every way superior to California, having in it
the richest gold diggings ever discovered, the very streets of the city
being paved with gold. In that country are oceans of lager beer and
drinks of every kind, all free; pretty women also, and pleasures of
endless variety exceeding the dreams of Mohammed as far as the
brightness of the meridian sun exceeds the dim twinkle of the glowworm!
Program for the voyage: embarkation amid the melody of the best band in
the world; that music that so attracted you this morning not to be
mentioned in comparison. Appropriate entertainments for each week day,
to b