t an mile wide by
five miles long. It's a better site for a big city than this is, they
say, because it's not so steep and is only across a narrow strait from
the mainland, and has deep-water anchorage. Most of the steamers go
there now, to anchor, and it has the naval and military headquarters,
at Mare Island and at the new post going up. This place was only Yerba
Buena--Good Herb Cove--a landing-place for the San Francisco mission.
But the settlers already here got ahead of the Vallejo plan, and
renamed their town San Francisco, because of San Francisco Bay; and the
name has made it grow. The general and Thomas O. Larkin (who was the
Government consul and agent) and Doc Robert Semple, who's an old-time
trapper from Kentucky and is about seven feet high, went ahead and
started the other town, and having lost out on Francisca called it by
Mrs. Vallejo's other name, Benicia. But it never has amounted to much
as a town. I thought I'd tell you about General Vallejo. He and
Fremont are a good pair--Americans both, though one is French, born in
Georgia, the other is Mexican, born in California."

The same boys whom Charley had seen in the morning were scratching for
gold in front of the United States Hotel, and quarreling over their
finds, which stuck to the moistened heads of the pins they were using.

"There he is, now--and the General with him," spoke Mr. Grigsby,
quickening pace as he and Charley approached across the street.

Two men were just leaving the hotel porch. One was of medium height,
erect and slender, in a broad silvered Californian hat and a short
velvet jacket embroidered with gilt. The other was taller and heavier
and darker, in ordinary citizen's clothes. Charley guessed that the
first was Colonel Fremont.

That was so, for going directly to him, Mr. Grigsby extended his brown,
sinewy hand, saying:

"Colonel, do you remember me?"

Colonel Fremont gave him one flashing glance out of a pair of deep-set,
very keen, dark blue eyes. A handsome man was the Pathfinder, with
such eyes, a clean-cut, imperious nose, and a crisp full brown beard.

"Hello, Grigsby," he said, grasping the hand heartily. "Do you think I
could forget one of my own men? The General remembers you, too, I'll
wager."

"With pleasure," said General Vallejo; and he, also, shook hands. He
was older than Colonel Fremont, was General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo,
and even more commanding in his appearance. His face was large