"Say, you"re too late for the _California_."
"You needn"t hurry, misters."
"How"s the trail?"
"Oh, misters! Got a ticket to San Francisco?"
And so forth, and so forth.
The street opened into a large public square, or plaza, surrounded by stores and fruit stands, and supplied with benches under the palms and magnolias. On three sides the streets gave views of the ocean. Many people were lounging about, but it was no place to stop and rest, for _this_ party. No, not when the favorite hail said, "You"re too late,"
and when, as emphasis, there lay the _California_ with smoking stacks.
"We"d better go right on down to the beach, Grigsby, hadn"t we?"
queried Mr. Adams; and he spoke shortly to Pablo, directing him.
So they crossed the plaza (where several tents had been erected by stranded gold seekers), and took another street which led straight through a gateway in a crumbling wall to the water.
Panama was built upon a long point, and the ocean washed it on three sides, bordered by a beautiful sandy beach unbroken by wharves or piers. Line after line of surf came rolling in, the last line shattered by the shallows before it reached the sh.o.r.e. Southward were high mountains, veiled in mist. Far out across the white-flecked blue rose green islands. Between the islands and the curving sh.o.r.e lay several ships at anchor--one of them the _California_. Just beyond the inner line of surf were stationed a regular flotilla of canoes; their boatmen were lounging about on the beach, alert for pa.s.sengers, and at sight of the little procession of travelers filing down they made a grand rush.
"This way, senors!"
"One _medio_ to big ship, senors."
"My canoe biggest."
"Try me, senors. Ver" hones"."
"No. I hones", senors."
Plainly enough the only way to get out to the _California_ was by canoe. Mr. Adams tried to make himself heard. More gold seekers were loafing and waiting on the beach; and these added their shouts and advice to the clamor of the boatmen.
"Going out to the _California_, strangers?" demanded a red-shirted man, pushing his way through the uproar.
"Yes."
"No use. She won"t take you. She"s full up and all ready to sail.
Don"t listen to these boatmen. All they want is a fare. You might just as well unpack, and wait for the next boat, like the rest of us."
"We"ll go out, anyhow," declared Mr. Adams. He picked on one of the jostling boatmen--a yellow fellow with a tiny moustache and earrings.
"Two boats," he said, holding up two fingers. "The _California_."
"Si, si," nodded the boatman. He beckoned to a partner, who sprang to help him; and the remainder of the boatmen calmly dispersed and sat down again.
Pablo and the packer began to unlash the luggage from the bullocks, and following the example of his father and Mr. Grigsby, Charley stiffly dismounted. Immediately the yellow boatman stooped and motioned to Charley to climb aboard his back.
"We"ll have to be carried out to the canoes, Charley," spoke his father. "They can"t come insh.o.r.e. Hurry up."
But at this instant there was another interruption. "You are Americans, aren"t you, gentlemen? Then will you help another American?
I hate to ask it, but I"ve got to."
He was a young man, of not more than twenty-one or two, exceedingly thin and sallow. Otherwise he would have been good-looking. His voice and manner were refined.
"What"s the matter?" asked Mr. Adams.
"My name is Motte. I"m flat broke. I came through a month ago; was taken with cholera and robbed. I sent my wife on, by kindness of other strangers; and I"ve been here ever since, waiting for a chance and trying to get work. She"s up in San Francisco, alone, and what"s happened to her I don"t know. There are 300 people here now, sir, waiting for the next vessel, and tickets are selling at from six hundred to a thousand dollars! If in any way you can take me along with your party, I"ll do anything in the world." He choked with his earnestness. "I hate to beg--but I _must_ get to my wife. I"ll pay you back at my first opportunity. There"s work at the gold fields, they say. I--I----" and he choked again.
"We can"t stand here talking," said Mr. Adams. "We must catch that steamer. Come along out with us, and we"ll talk on the way."
Charley clung pickaninny fashion to the back of the yellow boatman, who waded with him into the surf. This was great sport. Staggering and slipping, and wet almost to his shoulders by a swell, the boatman landed Charley in one of two canoes that were being held ready. Mr.
Adams was landed in the same way; so was young Mr. Motte. Into the other canoe were plumped Mr. Grigsby and the baggage. The canoes--larger and heavier than those other dug-outs used on the Chagres--were swung about and pointed out for the steamer. The smoke from her stacks seemed thicker, as if she was on the very point of leaving her anchorage. Charley, anxiously gazing, imagined that he could see her move! Oh, thunder! Were they to be left behind, after all? It was a long way, yet, to the steamer, and although Mr. Adams urged the two paddlers to hurry, the canoes appeared only to creep.
But line after line of surf they skilfully surmounted--first rising high, then sliding down, down, upon the other side, to meet the next line. Gradually the sh.o.r.e receded; the white and gray buildings of Panama, set amidst bright green, against the background of great Ancon peak, outspread wonderfully behind the ruined battlements of the old wall that fronted the harbor. And the _California_, smoking as if to bid "Hurry!" still waited. Gangway stairs were still lowered, down her side; and Charley kept his eyes on these. If they were hauled in, then that would be a bad sign. Meanwhile Mr. Adams talked with the young man, who impressed Charley more and more as being honest. Mr. Adams was convinced of the fact, also, for he said:
"All right. If they"ll take us on the ship you can come along with us, and welcome; can"t he, Charley? If they won"t, we"ll see what else is to be done."
Presently the black steamer loomed over. From her high rails hundreds of faces were peering curiously down; and the captain himself, in uniform, was standing at the head of the stairs. He did not look pleased, as the two canoes reached the stairs.
"h.e.l.lo!" he bawled. "You can"t come aboard. What do you want?"
"We want to go to San Francisco," replied Mr. Adams.
"You can"t do it, in this ship. We"re full up. Stand clear; we"re pulling out." And Charley, to his dismay, heard the clank of the anchor chains.
"One minute! Just one minute!" shouted up Mr. Adams, standing and waving his letter. "I have a note for Captain Flowers."
"Come aboard with it quick, then. But you can"t stay," ordered the man above. And up the stairs hastened Mr. Adams.
The captain s.n.a.t.c.hed the letter without ceremony (and as if he was very cross), opened it and read it. Watching anxiously, as the canoes rose and fell on the waves at the foot of the stairs, Charley could hear most of the conversation. The captain spoke loudly and decisively.
"Where"d you leave Crosby?"
"Back at Pena Blanca."
"I"d given him up. His places are taken. But I"ll do the best I can for you. How many in your party? Who is your extra man?"
"A young fellow I"m trying to help along."
"Does Crosby know of him?"
"No, sir, he does not," truthfully answered Mr. Adams.
"Well, you can come aboard, you and your two, but he can"t. I"ll do that much for Captain Crosby. More I cannot do, and I positively won"t. I"m stretching a point now. We"re overloaded already. Hustle your baggage in; the anchor"s afloat and you"ve no time to lose."
"Come on, Charley, you and Grigsby," called Mr. Adams.
"Bear a hand with that baggage," bellowed the captain; and several sailors sprang to the head of the stairs.
Mr. Adams ran rapidly down again, pa.s.sing Charley, who scampering gladly up.