Pocket?”
They were sitting at table after dinner. Ted was in a happy mood. Kendra had served him a meat pie, and now they were sipping coffee while the fire crackled and the wind outside was like music.
Ted continued. Another of their traveling companions would be a sailor—not a deserter, but a hardy honest fellow who had worked his way out from New York. “On the Cynthia ,” Ted added with a chuckle, “and he told me to ask if you remembered him. Said you flirted with him one day at Cape Horn.”
Kendra began to laugh as she thought of the big sailor with the rust-colored beard who had grinned at her from the rigging. “Of course I remember. What’s his name?”
“Hiram Boyd. He’s from the country somewhere near New York. Wanted to come to California, had no money to pay his way, signed up as a seaman on the Cynthia. ”
Ted said Hiram and Pocket would be in charge of the pack-horses and spares. They both understood horses, and Pocket especially was a crack shot. Pocket had grown up in the Kentucky hills, where a boy learned to shoot as soon as he was big enough to tote a gun. He would be mighty useful if they met horse thieves or other troublemakers on the way.
“Pocket and Hiram,” said Kendra. “That’s two. You said eight. What about the others?”
“The others—” Ted began to refill his coffee cup, giving her a teasing look across the pot as he asked, “Kendra, how straitlaced are you?”
“I don’t think I’m straitlaced at all,” Kendra said with some surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Remember that girl from Honolulu?” asked Ted. “You saw her at the store.”
Kendra set her cup in the saucer with an eager rattle. “Why Ted! Is Marny going with us?”
“Yes, Marny and her partners.” Ted was laughing. “I see you don’t mind.”
“Mind? I think it’s wonderful. I’ve never known any people like that. Why are they going to Shiny Gulch?”
“To set up a gambling tent. Delbert spoke to Ning—”
“Don’t tell me,” said Kendra, “Delbert can open his mouth and talk.”
“Yes he can, and quite sensibly too. He said that since they were strangers here they needed guides to the gold country. He offered to pay a good price if Ning and I would guide them.”
Ted spoke practically, but Kendra felt a thrill. Ted was saying,
“When I lived in Honolulu I used to drop into Marny’s place once in a while to play cards. Marny’s good-tempered and she minds her own business. She and her friends won’t give us any trouble. So—” Ted shrugged.
As she cleared the table Kendra wondered how a girl ever happened to choose the career of dealer in a gambling house. She wondered where Marny came from and how she had learned all she knew. This was going to be a real adventure. Strange to remember that she had not wanted to come to California.
The next day Loren called to see them. As Captain Pollock had said, Loren had come to San Francisco when the Cynthia returned from Honolulu, but he had left the ship when she reached port. Loren congratulated Ted, whom he had not met before, and gave Kendra a basket of wild strawberries. These grew in the open lands above town, and were brought in by Mexican boys.
Today Loren wore a business suit that made him look quite unlike the blue-clad seafarer who had shown her Cape Horn, but he had the same pink cheeks and the same genial candor. He said he had been down to Monterey to consult a friend, who had recommended him to a San Francisco trading firm. He was planning to work there a while, and make up his mind whether to stay in San Francisco or seek another position on a vessel going back to the States. No adventurer, Loren was not interested in looking for any hills of gold.
As Ted knew Kendra was eager to hear what Loren could tell her about Marny, he went indoors to check a supply list, and left them together on the porch. The wind was blowing and the air was clear, so they could look down and see the Cynthia at anchor in the bay.
They were sitting at table after dinner. Ted was in a happy mood. Kendra had served him a meat pie, and now they were sipping coffee while the fire crackled and the wind outside was like music.
Ted continued. Another of their traveling companions would be a sailor—not a deserter, but a hardy honest fellow who had worked his way out from New York. “On the Cynthia ,” Ted added with a chuckle, “and he told me to ask if you remembered him. Said you flirted with him one day at Cape Horn.”
Kendra began to laugh as she thought of the big sailor with the rust-colored beard who had grinned at her from the rigging. “Of course I remember. What’s his name?”
“Hiram Boyd. He’s from the country somewhere near New York. Wanted to come to California, had no money to pay his way, signed up as a seaman on the Cynthia. ”
Ted said Hiram and Pocket would be in charge of the pack-horses and spares. They both understood horses, and Pocket especially was a crack shot. Pocket had grown up in the Kentucky hills, where a boy learned to shoot as soon as he was big enough to tote a gun. He would be mighty useful if they met horse thieves or other troublemakers on the way.
“Pocket and Hiram,” said Kendra. “That’s two. You said eight. What about the others?”
“The others—” Ted began to refill his coffee cup, giving her a teasing look across the pot as he asked, “Kendra, how straitlaced are you?”
“I don’t think I’m straitlaced at all,” Kendra said with some surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Remember that girl from Honolulu?” asked Ted. “You saw her at the store.”
Kendra set her cup in the saucer with an eager rattle. “Why Ted! Is Marny going with us?”
“Yes, Marny and her partners.” Ted was laughing. “I see you don’t mind.”
“Mind? I think it’s wonderful. I’ve never known any people like that. Why are they going to Shiny Gulch?”
“To set up a gambling tent. Delbert spoke to Ning—”
“Don’t tell me,” said Kendra, “Delbert can open his mouth and talk.”
“Yes he can, and quite sensibly too. He said that since they were strangers here they needed guides to the gold country. He offered to pay a good price if Ning and I would guide them.”
Ted spoke practically, but Kendra felt a thrill. Ted was saying,
“When I lived in Honolulu I used to drop into Marny’s place once in a while to play cards. Marny’s good-tempered and she minds her own business. She and her friends won’t give us any trouble. So—” Ted shrugged.
As she cleared the table Kendra wondered how a girl ever happened to choose the career of dealer in a gambling house. She wondered where Marny came from and how she had learned all she knew. This was going to be a real adventure. Strange to remember that she had not wanted to come to California.
The next day Loren called to see them. As Captain Pollock had said, Loren had come to San Francisco when the Cynthia returned from Honolulu, but he had left the ship when she reached port. Loren congratulated Ted, whom he had not met before, and gave Kendra a basket of wild strawberries. These grew in the open lands above town, and were brought in by Mexican boys.
Today Loren wore a business suit that made him look quite unlike the blue-clad seafarer who had shown her Cape Horn, but he had the same pink cheeks and the same genial candor. He said he had been down to Monterey to consult a friend, who had recommended him to a San Francisco trading firm. He was planning to work there a while, and make up his mind whether to stay in San Francisco or seek another position on a vessel going back to the States. No adventurer, Loren was not interested in looking for any hills of gold.
As Ted knew Kendra was eager to hear what Loren could tell her about Marny, he went indoors to check a supply list, and left them together on the porch. The wind was blowing and the air was clear, so they could look down and see the Cynthia at anchor in the bay.
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