CHAPTER VII.
THE RESCUE.
Our three friends--although it seems equally proper to speak of four, asTerror was a most important member of the party--walked away from thesea-shore and began making their way back into the country. As we havehinted in another place, they found this section wild and desolate.Little else than huge rocks, bowlders and stunted trees met the eye,while there was no appearance of vegetation, nor was the slightestvestige of a human habitation visible, let them look in whateverdirection they chose.
The air was clear, the sky decked by a few fleecy clouds over thePacific, and there was little doubt that the day would be a fine, warmone. The climate of California is mild, except when the winds from thePacific bring chilling fogs along the coast. The view in the east wasparticularly grand, the peaks of the gigantic Coast mountains and of thesmaller range rising and swelling in vast peaks, appearing as if thePacific when tossed and driven by some hurricane had suddenly congealedwith the foam upon the tops of its mountainous billows. Lookingnorthward, the last object that met the eye was these mountainsgradually blending with the brilliant sky, while to the southward theprospect was repeated.
They wandered along, springing up the sides of rocks, jumping quite adistance to the ground, again passing around those that were too high toclimb, Terror all the time frolicking at their sides, certainly as happyas any of them, while they chatted and laughed, their hearts buoyant inthe beautiful summer and the pleasing retrospect of a thrillingadventure already safely passed through and the prospect of a few othersclose at hand.
In this wandering manner they at last found themselves fully a mile fromshore, and in a wild, rocky place where they felt secure fromobservation. Here all removed their clothes, subjected their bodies to avigorous rubbing that made the surface glow with warmth and reaction,and then spread their garments out to dry. Their extended walk beforereaching this place had partially done the latter for them, so that inthe course of an hour or so they found them free from all moisture, andas they donned them they once more felt like themselves.
"Now," said Elwood, "I am very tired and sleepy; is not this a goodplace to lie down and rest?"
"I was going to suggest the same thing," added Howard. "I do not see inwhat better manner we can spend a few hours."
"And it's the same idaa that has been strhiking me ever since we sotfoot in this qua'r looking place. It's meself that is so sleapy that ativery wink I makes I has to lift the eyelids up with my fingers, and meeyes feels as though the wind has been blowing sand in 'em all day."
The proposal thus being satisfactory to all, they proceeded to carry itout at once. The day was so mild that the only precaution necessary wasto secure themselves against the rays of the sun. This was easily done,and stretching out beneath the shelter of a projecting ledge of rocksthey had scarcely laid down when all were sound asleep.
And leaving them here for the time being, we give our attention for afew moments to the survivors of the steamer.
Some thirty odd of the passengers succeeded in reaching the shore, whileabout a dozen were saved with the crew, who, as is generally the case atsuch times, acted upon the idea that it was their duty to take charge ofthe boats and prevent the passengers from risking themselves in suchfrail structures. After all, no doubt their lives were as valuable aswere those of the hundreds they carried, and their conduct, when viewedin an unprejudiced manner, perhaps was not so criminal.
The destruction of so large a steamer along the California coast, in theregular track of the vessels going to and coming from Panama, could notoccur without the knowledge of many upon the ocean. Indeed, the glareupon the heavens was seen far up the coast, and in San Luis Obispo, tothe south, was pronounced by all to be caused by the burning of somelarge vessel at sea.
It so came about that there were but two vessels near enough to go tothe relief of the unfortunate steamer; but these were controlled byrival captains, each of whom hoped to enter the Golden Gate an hour orso in advance of the other; and therefore they had not time to slackensail and lay to, but pressed forward with an expression of regret thatthe necessities of the case compelled them thus to refuse all succor tothe needy ones.
But there were others at a greater distance who bore down upon the fieryscene at once; but they were miles away when the last vestige of thesteamer disappeared, and it was only a matter of conjecture as to wherea few of the survivors might be struggling with the waves. Not until thesun had been up over an hour did the man at the mast-head of the nearestvessel call out that he saw several boats pulling up the coast, while afew persons could be seen on the shore making signals to attract theirattention.
Some time after, the Relief--happily named--cast anchor a half-mile fromland and two boats put off from her side. The survivors were quicklywithin them, and they were about putting off again when the mate of theRelief said:
"Are you all here?"
"Yes, yes," was the impatient reply of Mr. Tiflings, the man who hadsold the suit of clothes to Mr. Yard, "don't wait any longer. I shalllose $500 by not being in San Francisco to-day."
"But they are not all here," interrupted Mr. Yard, in some excitement."There are two boys in charge of an Irishman that are missing."
"Where are they?" asked the mate.
"They went back from the shore some time ago. I do not think they can beat any great distance."
"Perhaps if you called to them they might hear you."
Mr. Yard sprung out upon the beach, ran to and mounted a goodly-sizedrock, and shouted at the top of his voice. He called again and again,and listened intently, but there was no response.
All this time Mr. Tiflings sat leaning his head forward and nervouslybeating a tattoo upon the side of the boat with his long, thin fingers.Occasionally he glanced at the "foolish" Mr. Yard, and muttered:
"What nonsense! What valuable time we are losing by his childishness!Time is too precious to fritter away in this manner!"
While the kind-hearted merchant was shouting himself hoarse, our friendswere heavily and sweetly slumbering, totally oblivious to externalthings, as indeed they would have been were he within a few rods ofthem, instead of over a mile away. Finally he was compelled to give upthe task and reluctantly return to the boat.
"This is too bad," said he, "to leave them in this manner. What willbecome of them?"
"They will be picked up by some of the passing vessels."
"Certainly, certainly," assented Mr. Tiflings, "don't wait any longer;it will be a week before we get into San Francisco."
"We will row away," said the mate, "and if we see anything of thembefore we reach the vessel we will put back and take them aboard."
This was reasonable, and Mr. Yard could not object to it. The sailorsplied their oars, and the passengers were borne swiftly toward thefriendly Relief. Mr. Yard kept his eyes fixed upon the bleak coast whichthey were so rapidly leaving behind them. He saw nothing of his friends;but, after reaching the ship's deck, he took the spy-glass from thecaptain and discovered a party of a dozen Indians wandering up and downthe beach as if in quest of plunder. Finally, sail was hoisted, theRelief bore away to the northward, and the scene of the rescue dwindledaway and vanished in the distance.