Gold

by Stewart Edward White

  CHAPTER XLII

  SAN FRANCISCO AGAIN

  We drew up to San Francisco early in the afternoon, and we were, to putit mildly, thoroughly astonished at the change in the place. To beginwith, we now landed at a long wharf projecting from the foot ofSacramento Street instead of by lighter. This wharf was crowded by amiscellaneous mob, collected apparently with no other purpose than toview our arrival. Among them we saw many specialized types that had beenlacking to the old city of a few months ago--sharp, keen, businesslikeclerks whom one could not imagine at the rough work of the mines;loafers whom one could not imagine at any work at all; dissolute,hard-faced characters without the bold freedom of the road agents; younggreen-looking chaps who evidently had much to learn and who wereexceedingly likely to pay their little fortunes, if not their lives, inthe learning. On a hogshead at one side a street preacher wasdeclaiming.

  Johnny had by now quite recovered his spirits. I think he was helpedgreatly by the discovery that he still possessed his celebrated diamond.

  "Not broke yet!" said he triumphantly. "You see I was a wise boy afterall! 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 borrowfrom 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 sentdown from Hangman's."

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

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

  "You're standing on a whiskey barrel!" called some one; and the crowdyelled 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 hasever been appropriated to so useful a purpose. The critter in it will dono 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 aready flow of language, evidently a known and appreciated character,mounted the head of a pile at some little distance and began to holdforth in a deep voice on the advantages of some sort of an excursion onthe bay. A portion of the preacher's crowd began to drift in thedirection of the new attraction.

  "Ho! ho! ho!" cried the preacher suddenly in tremendous volume. "Ho! Allye who want to go to heaven, now's your time! A splendid line ofcelestial steamers will run for a few days from San Francisco to theport of Glory, a country every way superior to California, having in itthe richest gold diggings ever discovered, the very streets of the citybeing paved with gold. In that country are oceans of lager beer anddrinks of every kind, all free; pretty women also, and pleasures ofendless variety exceeding the dreams of Mohammed as far as thebrightness of the meridian sun exceeds the dim twinkle of the glowworm!Program for the voyage: embarkation amid the melody of the best band inthe world; that music that so attracted you this morning not to bementioned in comparison. Appropriate entertainments for each week day,to be announced daily. Each Sunday to be celebrated, first, with a grandfeast, closing with a rich profusion of beer, champagne, good old port,whiskey punch, brandy smashes, Tom and Jerry, etc. Second, a game ofcards. Third, a grand ball in upper saloon. Fourth, a dog fight. Fifth,a theatrical performance in the evening. If I could truthfully publishsuch an ad as that I think about two sermons would convert this city."

  The crowd had all turned back to him, laughing good-humouredly. Thepreacher stretched out his long bony arm, and held forth. His talk wasagainst gambling, and it had, I am afraid, but little real effect.Nevertheless he was listened to; and at the end of his talk everybodycontributed something to a collection.

  At the land end of the wharf we ran into the most extraordinarycollection of vehicles apparently in an inextricable tangle, that wasfurther complicated by the fact that most of the horses were only halfbroken. They kicked and reared, their drivers lashed and swore, thewagons clashed together. There seemed no possible way out of the mess;and yet somehow the wagons seemed to get loaded and to draw out into theclear. Occasionally the drivers were inclined to abandon their craft anddo battle with the loaded ends of their whips; but always a peacemakerdescended upon them in the person of a large voluble individual in whomI recognized my former friend and employer, John McGlynn. Evidently Johnhad no longer a monopoly of the teaming business; but, as evidently,what he said went with this wild bunch.

  Most of the wagons were loading goods brought from the interiors ofstorehouses alongside the approach to the wharf. In these storehouses werecognized the hulls of ships, but so shored up, dismantled, and cutinto by doors and stories that of their original appearance only theirgeneral shapes remained. There was a great number of these storehousesalong the shore, some of them being quite built about by piles andplatforms, while two were actually inland several hundred feet. I readthe name _Niantic_ on the stern of one of them; and found it tohave acquired in the landward side a square false front. It was at thattime used as a hotel.

  "Looks as if they'd taken hold of Talbot's idea hard," observed Yank.

  "Say!" cried Johnny, "will one of you drinking men kindly take a lookand inform me if I've gone wrong?"

  This remark was called forth by the discovery, as we neared the shore,of hordes of rats. They were large, fat, saucy rats; and they strolledabout in broad daylight as if they owned the place. They sat upright onsacks of grain; they scampered across the sidewalks; they scuttled frombehind boxes; they rustled and squeaked and fought and played incountless droves. The ground seemed alive with them. It was a mostastonishing sight.

  "And will you look at that dog!" cried Yank disgustedly.

  Across an open doorway, blinking in the sun, lay a good-looking foxterrier. His nose was laid between his paws, and within two yards ofthat nose a large brown rat disported itself with a crust of bread.

  "My Lord!" cried Johnny, his sporting blood aboil. "Here, pup, sic 'em!sic 'em!" He indicated the game urgently. The fox terrier rolled up oneeye, wagged his stub tail--but did not even raise his nose.

  "No use," observed the dog's owner, who had appeared in the doorway.

  "What's the matter with him?" demanded Johnny indignantly; "is he sick?"

  "No, he ain't sick," replied the owner sadly; "but he ain't got no usefor rats. I bought him for damn near his weight in gold dust when the_Panama_ came in last month. He was the best ratter you ever see. Ireckon he must've killed a million rats the first week. But, Lord! hegot sick of rats. I reckon a rat could go right up and pull his whiskersnow, and he'd never mind."

  We condoled with the _blase_ dog, and moved on.

  "Same old mud," observed Yank.

  The place was full of new buildings, some of them quite elaboratetwo-story structures of brick; and elevated plank sidewalks had takenthe place of the old makeshifts. Although the Plaza was still the centreof town, the streets immediately off it had gained considerable dignityand importance. There were many clothing stores, nearly all kept byJews, and a number of new saloons and gambling houses. As we werepicking our way along we ran into an old acquaintance in the person ofthe captain of the _Panama_. He recognized us at once, and we drewup for a chat. After we had exchanged first news Johnny asked him if heknew of a place where a fair price could be raised on the diamond.

  "Why, the jewellery store is your ticket, of course," replied thecaptain.

  "So there's a jewellery store, too!" cried Johnny.

  "And a good one," supplemented the captain. "Come along; I'll take youto it."

  It _was_ a good one, and carried a large stock of rings, chains,pins, clocks, watches, and speaking trumpets. The latter two items werethe most prominent, for there were hundreds of watches, and ap
parentlythousands of speaking trumpets. They stood in rows on the shelves, anddepended in ranks from hooks and nails. Most of them were of silver orof silver gilt; and they were plain, chased, engraved, hammered, orrepoussed, with always an ample space for inscription. After Johnny hadconcluded a satisfactory arrangement for his diamond, I remarked on thepreponderance of speaking trumpets. The man grinned rather maliciouslyat our captain.

  "They are a very favourite article for presentation by gratefulpassengers after a successful sea trip," he said smoothly.

  At this our captain exploded.

  "Are they?" he boomed. "I should think they were! I've got a dozen ofthe confounded things; and as I've just got in from a trip, I'mexpecting another any minute. Good Lord!" he cried as a group of menturned in at the door. "Here come some of my passengers now. Come along,let's get out of this!"

  He dragged us out a back door into a very muddy back alley, whence wefloundered to dry land with some difficulty.

  "That was a narrow escape!" he cried, wiping his brow. "Let's go get adrink. I know the best place."

  He led us to a very ornate saloon whose chief attraction was the factthat its ceiling was supported on glass pillars! We duly admired thismarvel; and then wandered over to the polished mahogany bar, where wewere joined by the half dozen loafers who had been lounging around theplace. These men did not exactly join us, but they stood expectantlynear. Nor were they disappointed.

  "Come, let's all take a drink, boys!" cried the captain heartily.

  They named and tossed off their liquor, and then without a word offarewell or thanks shambled back to their roosting places.

  "What's the matter, Billy?" demanded the captain, looking aboutcuriously. "Where's your usual crowd?"

  "They're all down at the Verandah," replied the barkeeper, passing acloth over the satiny wood of the bar. "Dorgan's got a girl tending bar.Pays her some ungodly wages; and he's getting all the crowd. He'd bettermake the most of it while it lasts. She won't stay a week."

  "Why not?" I asked curiously.

  "Married; sure," replied the barkeeper briefly.

  "And the glass pillars will always be here; eh, Billy?" suggested thecaptain. "Nevertheless I believe we'll just wander down and look herover."

  "Sure," said Billy indifferently; "that's where all the rest are."

  The Verandah, situated on the Plaza, was crowded to the doors. Behindthe bar slaved a half dozen busy drink-mixers. The girl, and a verypretty girl she was, passed the drinks over the counter, and took in thedust.

  "She's straight," observed the captain sagaciously, after inspection;"if she wasn't there wouldn't be such a gang. The other sort is plentyenough."

  We did not try to get near the bar, but after a few moments regained thestreet. The captain said farewell; and we hunted up, by his direction,the New York Tonsorial Emporium. There we had five dollars' worth ofvarious things done to us; after which we bought new clothes. The oldones we threw out into the street along with a vast collection of otherscontributed by our predecessors.

  "Now," said Johnny, "I feel like a new man. And before we go any fartherI have a little duty to perform."

  "Which is?"

  "Another drink at the sign of the Glass Pillars, or whatever they callthe place."

  "We don't want anything more to drink just now," I protested.

  "Oblige me in this one treat," said Johnny in his best manner.

  We entered the Arcade, as the bar was called. At once the loafers movedforward. Johnny turned to them with an engaging air of friendliness.

  "Come on, boys, let's all take a drink!" he cried.

  The glasses were poured. Johnny raised his. The others followed suit.Then all drained them simultaneously and set down the empty glasses.

  "And now," went on Johnny in the same cheerful, friendly tone, "let'sall pay for them!"

  The loafers stared at him a moment. One growled menacingly, but fellsilent under his clear glance. One or two others forced a laugh. UnderJohnny's compelling eye they all paid. Billy, behind the bar, watchedwith sardonic amusement. When Johnny proffered his dust, the barkeeperthrust it back.

  "My treat here," said he briefly.

  "But----?" objected Johnny.

  "It's a privilege."

  "If you put it that way, I thank you, sir," said Johnny in his grandestmanner; and we walked out. "Those bums made me tired," was his onlycomment to us. "Now let's go hunt up Talbot. I'll bet my extincttoothbrush that he's a well-known citizen around here."

  Johnny's extinct toothbrush was perfectly safe. The first man of whom weinquired told us where our friend lived, and added the gratuitousinformation that the Ward Block was nearing completion. We looked up thehotel, a new one on Montgomery Street. The clerk spoke with respect ofTalbot, and told us we would probably find him at one of the severalplaces of business he mentioned, or at the Ward Block. We thanked him,and went direct to the Ward Block first. All of us confessed to a greatdesire to see that building.

  It was to be a three-story brick structure, and was situated at onecorner of the Plaza. We gazed upon it with appropriate awe, for we wereaccustomed to logs and canvas; and to some extent we were able torealize what imported bricks and the laying of them meant. The foremantold us that Talbot had gone out "Mission way" with Sam Brannan and someothers to look at some property, and would not be back until late.

  Johnny and I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering about. Yankretired to the soft chairs of one of the numerous gambling places. Hisbroken leg would not stand so much tramping.

  We had lots of fun, and many interesting minor adventures andencounters, none of which has any particular bearing here. The town hadspread. Most of the houses were of the flimsied description. Many peoplewere still living in tents. The latter flopped and tugged in the strongwind. Some men had merely little cot tents, just big enough to cover thebed. An owner of one of these claimed stoutly that they were better thanbig tents.

  "They don't get blowed away by the wind, and they're fine to sleepunder," he asserted, "and a man cooks outside, anyway."

  "How about when it rains?" I asked him.

  "Then I go down to the Verandah or the Arcade or Dennison's Exchange andstay there till she quits," said he.

  In the evening, as Talbot had not yet returned, we wandered from oneplace of amusement to another. The gambling places were more numerous,more elaborate, more important than ever. Beside the usual rough-lookingminers and labourers, who were in the great majority, there were smallgroups of substantial, grave, important looking men conferring. Inoticed again the contrast with the mining-camp gambling halls in thematter of noise; here nothing was heard but the clink of coin or thedull thud of gold dust, a low murmur of conversation, or an occasionalfull-voiced exclamation.

  Johnny, who could never resist the tables, was soon laying very smallstakes on _monte_. After a time I tired of the close air and heavysmoke, and slipped away. The lower part of the town was impossible onaccount of the mud, so I made my way out along the edge of the hills.The moon was sailing overhead. The shadows of the hills hung deep in thehollows; and, abroad, a wide landscape slept in the unearthly radiance.A thousand thousand cheerful frogs piped up a chorus against thebrooding moon-stillness they could not quite break. After the glare ofthe Arcade and the feverish hum and bustle of the busy new city, thisstill peace was almost overpowering. I felt, somehow, that I dared notgive way to it all at once, but must admit its influence trickle bytrickle until my spirit had become a little accustomed. Thus gradually Idropped into a reverie. The toil, excitement, strain, striving of thepast eight or nine months fell swiftly into the background. I relaxed;and in the calm of the relaxation for the first time old memories foundroom.

  How long I had tramped, lost in this dreaming, I did not know; but atsome point I must have turned back, for I came to somewhere near the endof Sacramento Street--if it could be said to have an end--to find themoon far up toward the zenith. A man overtook me, walking rapidly; Icaught the gleam of a watch chain, and on a sudden
impulse I turnedtoward him.

  "Can you tell me what time it is?" I asked.

  The man extended his watch in the moonlight, and silently pointed to itsface--with the muzzle of a revolver!

  "Half-past twelve," said he.

  "Good Lord!" I cried with a shout of laughter. "Do you take me for arobber, Talbot?"