It looked like great fun, down there in the smooth green water, so
clear and cool. With resounding splashes several passengers, in
undershirts and cotton trousers, dived from the rail and joined the
naked black and yellow boys, who made much sport of them. As well try
to catch eels, as those nimble urchins. Why, said a passenger near
Charley, the natives down hereabouts could swim twenty miles, and those
boys themselves could keep afloat all day!

"Here, you white boy," spoke Charley's neighbor, at the rail. "Can't
you get in there and do something for your country? Can you swim?"

He was a pleasant looking man, with iron-gray hair and beard, and wore
white linen. He might have been a banker. The _California_ held all
kinds of Forty-niners.

"Yes, sir; some. I can swim in the Mississippi," answered Charley.
"But I can't swim like that."

"Well, jump in and show us, anyhow. You're the only boy aboard. Maybe
those fellows never saw a white boy swim. Maybe they think you can't
swim. Show them."

"All right," agreed Charley, not a bit afraid to do his best, although
he knew very well that he was only a boy and not a fish. It would be
fun, anyhow.

So he hastened to the cabin, stripped like the men had stripped, and in
his undershirt and cotton trousers back he pattered to the rail. The
water looked farther down than he had figured, but of course he
wouldn't back out, now; and accompanied by a hearty cheer from the
passengers, over he plumped. As soon as he struck the water, all the
boys near there made a rush for him, yelling.

Up he rose, right in their midst--and just as he had expected, he was
no match for them at swimming or diving. They cut circles around him,
and under and over, and the "showing" he made did not amount to much,
he feared. Still, he proved that he could swim, and was not afraid,
and as he paddled about he grinned. They soon found out that they
could beat him easily enough, getting the coins; but he didn't want the
coins, and the water was delightfully luke-warm--just right; so they
all were contented.

Really, it was much better here than up on the hot deck, and Charley
was well satisfied with the change, when aloft, along the rail, a great
hubbub sounded. Passengers were pointing and craning about, and most
of them rushed away, to the other side.

"The _Panama_!" they were calling. "That's she! Down from San
Francisco. She's coming in. Now for some news."

Even t