"And I will let him have my coat," said Hercules, pulling it off.

"That coat is like charity," said the Professor.

"How so?" asked Toney.

"It covers a mult.i.tude of faults," said the Professor, pointing to the giant's linen coat, which completely enveloped the person of Pate and hung down to his heels.

"What will Mr. Pate do for a pair of boots?" said Moses.

"Never mind," said Tom Seddon, "the road is sandy and will not hurt his bare feet."

"And when he comes to stony places I will carry him on my back," said Hercules.

"Come along, Mr. Pate," said Toney.

"And when you return from California with your gold you should by all means carefully avoid these localities," said the Professor.

Poor Pate uttered not a word in response to these advisory remarks, but all were convinced by the quivering of his lip and other outward signs that he was inwardly vowing that he would do so.

They now hurried on; Toney, Tom, and the Professor leading the advance, and when about half-way between Lima and Callao, they espied a curious kind of cavalry coming up the road. It was the ship's company ash.o.r.e on liberty and making the most of that inestimable blessing. Each jolly tar was mounted on a little donkey, and at the head of the cavalcade rode Old Nick, having a leadline in his hand; and this steady and experienced seaman, apprehensive of shoals or hidden rocks, kept constantly heaving the lead and calling out the number of fathoms each time that it fell.

Once he was heard to cry out "No bottom!" and down went his donkey in a hole; but the dauntless navigator a.s.sured his shipmates that, though the little craft had her lee-rail under, she would soon right up without losing a stick of her timber; and the result was just as he had said.

"Where is Pate?" asked the Professor.

"Yonder he is," said Toney, pointing to Pate, about a quarter of a mile behind, mounted on the back of Hercules, with Wiggins walking on one side and Perch on the other; Botts and Moses bringing up the rear.

"Hercules is carrying him over the stony road," said Tom.

"The giant has a big body and a big heart," said the Professor; "but he shall not be treated like a beast of burden. Pate shall ride Old Nick's donkey."

"Old Nick will not give up his donkey," said Toney.

"We will see," said the Professor. And he advanced near the spot where the huge sailor sat on the little animal with his feet touching the ground. Just at that moment Old Nick gave the bridle a jerk.

"Oh--oh! You hurt! Get off my back, you drunken lubber!" exclaimed a voice issuing from the mouth of the beast. Old Nick leaped off and fled down the road.

"Avast there!" cried Tim.

"Hush up, you old fool! you are drunk too!" said Tim's donkey. The sailor rolled off.

"Get off my back!" exclaimed another donkey.

"Get off! get off! you ought all to be hung at the yard-arm for mutiny!"

shouted each donkey in succession. With wild yells of terror, the sailors fled down the road to Callao, ran at full speed through the town to the water's edge, leaped into a boat and went on board the vessel.

"Here, Mr. Pate, mount on this donkey," said the Professor, as Pate came riding along on the back of Hercules. The Professor selected an animal for himself, and he and Pate rode into Callao, and halted at the hotel, where they had left their trunks when they had started for Lima.

At the hotel, Pate retired to a room and made his toilet; but when he again appeared he was so teased and tormented by certain wicked wags that he abruptly left the hotel and rushed into the street. He was seen no more. The pa.s.sengers went on board and the ship was ready to sail.

The captain went on sh.o.r.e and made inquiry for Pate. Nothing could be heard of him, and, after losing several days in a fruitless search, the ship finally put to sea.

During the voyage there were numerous discussions in relation to his probable fate; but ultimately the opinion prevailed that he had gone back to Lima, to pay his bill at the hotel, and had thus been left behind. The ship sailed on without him, and after a voyage of two months, pa.s.sed through the Golden Gate, and anch.o.r.ed in the harbor of San Francisco.

CHAPTER XLV.

"This seems to be a city of tents," said the Professor, as they stood on a hill which has long since been removed, and now forms a portion of the artificial foundation for the immense warehouses which stand where their ship anch.o.r.ed between Happy Valley and Goat Island.

"I see very few houses," said Tom Seddon.

"Only the old Spanish structures built a hundred years ago with adobe brick," said the Professor.

"In two years from the present period," said Toney, "you will see houses all over this s.p.a.ce,--hotels of six stories, and commodious dwellings and warehouses."

"Toney is a prophet," said Tom.

"On the very spot where we now stand there is gold in abundance," said Toney.

"In these sand-hills?" exclaimed Tom.

"Yes; in these very sand-hills where we now are," said Toney; "if a man has sagacity enough to perceive his chance and avail himself of it."

"I divine your meaning," said the Professor. "Let us buy one of these sand-hills."

"That was just what I was about to propose," said Toney.

"What will we do with it?" asked Tom.

"Leave it here and go to the mines," said Toney.

"It won't run away," said the Professor.

"Of what use will it be to us, or anybody else?" said Tom, kicking the sand about with his feet.

"In a few years an immense city will extend for miles around," said Toney. "Our lot will be in the very center of the town."

"Hurrah! hurrah!" cried Tom, throwing up his wool hat. "I see! I see!

let us buy the sand-hill."

"How much money have you?" asked Toney.

"Five thousand dollars," said Tom.

"I have about an equal amount in my trunk," said the Professor.

"And I can raise about as much more," said Toney. "Come, let us make our purchase without delay."