ty-five dollars a week, each, for bed; twenty dollars a
week for board."

Mr. Adams shook his head, and looked at Charley.

"I'm afraid we'll have to try elsewhere," he said. "Let's go across
the street."

"City Hotel is full; you can't get even blanket room," declared the
clerk. "The Fremont Hotel, down on the water-front, charges the same
as we do, and supplies fleas for nothing. If you don't want the room,
stand aside. Next!"

"But aren't your rates pretty high?" queried Mr. Adams, puzzled.

"High, my friend?" retorted the clerk. "Do you know where you are?
You're in San Francisco, where people dig gold in the streets. And do
you know what rent we pay, for this building? One hundred and ten
thousand dollars a year, my friend. The Eldorado tent-building next to
us rents at $40,000 the year; it measures exactly fifteen by
twenty-five feet. Out here, gentlemen, a hole in the ground rents for
at least $250 a month. Last April there were but thirty houses in the
whole town, and now there are 500."

"We don't want the room for a week. We'll take it for a night, though.
We're on our way to the mines," said Mr. Adams.

"So is everybody else," sharply answered the clerk. "For one night the
room is five dollars apiece, and I'll be losing money at that."

"All right. We've got a trunk out in front. Have it sent up, please."

"Can't do it, sir. Every man is his own porter, in this town. The
stairs are fairly wide. I'll show you up."

The Mexicans had dropped the trunk on the long porch, and refused to
carry it another inch. And when they were to be paid off, they
insisted that the two dollars meant two dollars apiece! Bystanders
gravely agreed that this was the correct price.

"Whew!" sighed Mr. Adams, with a quizzical smile, after he had paid.
"No wonder that twenty dollars a day is small wages, out here. What an
enormous amount of money there must be in circulation! Grab an end,
Charley. Come along, Grigsby. Let's inspect our quarters."

XV

THE SIGHTS OF SAN FRANCISCO

Charley took one end of the trunk, his father the other, and piloted by
the hotel man, with Mr. Grigsby, lugging the hand baggage, in their
wake, they climbed two flimsy flights of stairs to the third floor!
The hotel man led the way down a narrow hall of rough boards, and flung
open a door.

"Here's your room," he announced, shortly. "Don't ask for what you
don't see. We haven't got it. You're lucky, gentlemen