Adrift in the Wilds | Page 9

and heaving as if the great deep was a
breathing monster. A few fragments of blackened splinters floating
here and there were all that remained to show where a few hours before
the magnificent steamer, surcharged with its living freight, so proudly
cut the waters on her swift course toward the Golden Gate.
Several ghastly, blue-lipped survivors in their clinging garments were
wandering aimlessly along the shore, the veriest pictures of utter
misery, as they mumbled a few words to each other, or stared absently
around. They seemed to be partially bereft of their senses, and were
probably somewhat dazed from the fearful scenes through which they
had so recently passed.
Several sails were visible, but they were so far away that it was vain to
hope to attract their attention. Three large boats could be seen away to
the northwest, skirting along shore and making their way toward San
Francisco as rapidly as muscle and oars could carry them. What recked
they whether the passengers were buried with the steamer, sunk in the
ocean, or left to perish on the desolate coast?
The Coast Range, which descends into California from Oregon, in
some places comes within twenty-five or thirty miles of the sea, while
at other times it recedes to over a hundred. The particular point where
our friends were suffered to land was rough, barren and rocky, and
behind them, with many peaks reaching the line of perpetual snow, rose
the noble Coast Range, between which and them stretched a smaller
range of mountains.
Around them the country appeared desolate and uninhabited. Howard
and Elwood were well acquainted with geography, and had a general
idea of California, although they could not be expected to know much

of the minor facts of the State. They were aware that at no great
distance--but whether north or south it was impossible to say--lay the
missionary town of San Luis Obispo, and between them and the Coast
Range ran the Salinas River, formerly known as the San Buenaventura,
and a smaller chain of mountains or highlands.
They knew, too, that after crossing the Coast Range, you descended
into the broad and beautiful Sacramento Valley, where abounded wild
animals, Indians, gold, silver, and the most exuberant vegetation. This
was about all they knew; and this, after all, was considerable. When
persons expect to make a journey to some distant country they are very
apt to learn all that they possibly can about it; and this was the way
they came to understand so much regarding the young State of
California.
They had stood some little time conversing together when they saw Mr.
Yard approaching, clad in quite a respectable suit of black, albeit, as a
matter of course, it was thoroughly soaked with salt water.
"You are fortunate," remarked Howard.
"Yes," he laughed; "what strange beings we are! Do you see that
elderly gentleman yonder, with his hands in his pockets walking back
and forth as though he expected some arrival from the sea?"
The personage alluded to could be easily distinguished from the others.
"Well, his berth was next to mine. When the alarm of fire was first
heard he sprung from his bed, dressed himself and caught up his valise,
which contained an extra suit of clothing, and rushed on deck with the
other passengers."
"How was he saved?"
"It is hard to tell. He and several others hung fast to some such sort of a
raft as we had, and managed to get ashore. And all the time he grasped
that valise, even when besought by his companions to let it go, find
when it endangered his chances of life fully ten-fold."

"He must be very poor."
"Poor! He is worth half a million in gold this minute. That valise
contained all his property that he had entrusted to the steamer, and it
was his fear that he might lose the few dollars that it is worth that made
him cling so tenaciously to it."
"How was it that he gave them to you?"
"No fear that he gave them. I stated in the presence of two witnesses
that, I would give him a hundred dollars for the suit as soon as we
reached San Francisco. He racked his brains to see whether there was
not some means of my giving him my note for the amount; but as that
couldn't be done under the circumstances, he did the next best thing and
established my obligation in the mouth of several witnesses."
"Strange man! But, Mr. Yard, what is to be done?"
"I intend to wait here during the day, as I know of nothing better that
we can do. I think some friends will find us before nightfall."
"We have decided to go inland a short distance, dry our clothes and