ing captains, and
paying a big premium for absolute secrecy. It looked good.

Accordingly I was out early the next morning. I had not much to go by;
schooners are as plenty as tadpoles in San Francisco harbour. However, I
was sure I could easily recognise that falsetto voice; and I knew where
the supplies were to be purchased. Adams & Marsh are a large firm, and
cautious. I knew better than to make direct inquiries, or to appear in
the salesroom. But by hanging around the door of the shipping room I soon
had track of the large orders to be sent that day. In this manner I had
no great difficulty in following a truck to Pier 10, nor to identify a
consignment to Captain Ezra Selover as probably that of which I was in
search.

The mate was in charge of the stowage, so I could not be quite sure.
Here, however, was a schooner--of about a hundred and fifty tons burden.
I looked her over.

You're all acquainted with the _Laughing Lass_ and the perfection of
her lines. You have not known her under Captain Ezra Selover. She was the
cleanest ship I ever saw. Don't know how he accomplished it, with a crew
of four and the cook; but he did. The deck looked as though it had been
holystoned every morning by a crew of jackies; the stays were whipped and
tarred, the mast new-slushed, and every foot of running gear coiled down
shipshape and Bristol fashion. There was a good deal of brass about her;
it shone like gold, and I don't believe she owned an inch of paint that
wasn't either fresh or new-scrubbed.

I gazed for some time at this marvel. It's unusual enough anywhere, but
aboard a California hooker it is little short of miraculous. The crew had
all turned up, apparently, and a swarm of stevedores were hustling every
sort of provisions, supplies, stock, spars, lines and canvas down into
the hold. It was a rush job, and that mate was having his hands full. I
didn't wonder at his language nor at his looks, both of which were
somewhat mussed up. Then almost at my elbow I heard that shrill falsetto
squeal, and turned just in time to see the captain ascend the after
gangplank.

He was probably the most dishevelled and untidy man I ever laid my eyes
on. His hair and beard were not only long, but tangled and unkempt, and
grew so far toward each other as barely to expose a strip of dirty brown
skin. His shoulders were bowed and enormous. His arms hung like a
gorilla's, palms turned slightly outwards. On his head was jammed a linen
boati