Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-12-23
THE CHAIN OF GOLD:
Or, TOM BERKLEY.s DREAM.

In the year eighteen hundred and nfty-eight
the ship Triton left New York for San Fran
sisCO, having on board a cargo of assorted mer-
ehantise for the California market.
The Triton made a good run down to the Cape,
doubled the Horn without a mishap, and with
good sailing in the Pacific expected to reach the
ksTbCr of san Francisco by New Years day
She had fine weather until Cape st. Lucas was
passed after which she encountered much
heavy weather, and on the night of December
2th. when running under close reefed mainssil
and the fore toPsail, she struck upon the rocks
and Immediately went to pieces.
The dense fog had rendered il impossible TO
take an observation for several days. The cap
tain supposed himself at least twenty miles from
land The rock on which she struck WAS out on
TIE reefs OF Point Ann NueyO, distance some
seventy miles south of the Golden Gate. Only
fauT OF the crew were saved, they floating
ashore on pieces of the wreck. They were the
captain, first mate and two common sailors. Ali
the rest, fourteen in number, persisted.
The ship and cargo were a total loss. The
agents of the underwriters went down from
San Francisco, and endeavOred to save some
thing: but the long distance from market and
the POOR means of transportation rendered it of
sst little use to attempt TO save anything. The
Triton was abandoned TO her fate.
The survivors were well cared for by the kind
hearted Tancherss, and in few DAYS the cap
tain and mate proceeded 10 San Francisco.
The two sailors, Tom Berkeley and James
HERON, did not proceed at once 10 the city.
BeTkley argued that iu the city they
would have no friends-that they would fail
into the bands of the boarding house keepers.
and in a short time be shipped of, perhaps on
their will. They had an offer to remain where
were, in the employ of Mr.. Grey. man engaged
cheese. He thought they had better accept il.
Heron assented. He had had enough of the
sea TO last him for alifetime. Milking cows was
a. easy "a pulling ropes, and making butter no
harder than climbing shrOuds.
Through the months of January and Febru-
ary, Berkley and Heron worked steadily for
GREY, milking and taking care OF his cows. With
March came warm, delightful weather. The
whole country blOsSOmed as the rose. The
hills were covered with the deep blue Of lark
spur and lublne, and the southern SLOPES were
bright with the golden star tulip.
Berkeley began TO grow discontented. man
who had rOamed the whole world over could
lated existence Of coast ranchman in Califor-
mia OFTEN on Sundays he would stroll down to
the beach, and stretching himself upon the
sand, listen TO the murmurlng roll OF the
breakers ar they came curling in over the yell
low sands. He began 10 long again for %
Life on the Ocean Wave" The ranch was a
dull place. No fun-no excitement whatever.
He decided once more TO try the sailors lot.
He communicated his intentions to Heron who
also began 10 long for the Old excitement and
hard life. The memory of that night when the
Triton was wrecked had faded into the far dis
tance, and seemed more ike dream than a re-
Slity.
They gave their employer notice that at the
end of one week they should cease working for
him, stating il TO be their intention to go TO San
Francisco 10 ship again as seamen.
Tom Berkeley and Jim Heron did not go TO
San Francisco a. they intended-did not ship as
common sailors, and furthermore, did not con-
tinue in the employ of Mr.. Grey. The cour
pursued by these two men. and the manner N
which they spent the following summer, has al
ways been a mystery TO the Inhabitants about
Point AnO Nuevo. To clear up the mystery
and show cause for the strange manner in which
they conducted themselves is the object OF this
sketch.
Hwas Sunday, the fifth n March, when Tom
Berkeley strOled down to the beach to take a
last look OF a few remnants OF the old Triton
that lay damned high up among some huge
horIl farS at 40 MI n he am eli
Somehow he felt sad at the thought ofnever see
ing the old ship again. She had been staunch
ship, and true, and many a pleasant hOur had
he passed on her deck. 1t made him sad too,
when he remembered the shipmates who had
shared with him the tolls and privatiOns of a
sailer's life.
All were gone: except heron. Some bones
lay scattered about among the rocks-the bones
of his shipmates perhaps. Tom wasn't much OF
an anatOmist and couldn't tell. Ii made him
feel bad TO see them, and cutting a few chips
with his sheath-knife from the blackened ribs or
the old Triton, he walked away of ON the long
stretch of cleaning sand towards the south.
Tomorrow Me should be on his way 10 San
Francisco. Heron had taken q horse that
morning and had ridden away to the hamlet OF
PescaderO, some twelve miles TO the north, To
secure seats for them in the coach that left
daily for the city.
Tom Berkeley. walking away over the sand.
with thoughts far away, thinking, he knew
scarcely or what, of his shipwTeck, his suffer
ings, the long time that had elapsed since he
left his mother in the little seaeosst village on
the shores OF sine, of the old friends there, OF
the girls; YES, Tom thought Of the pretty girls,
OF little Bessie Brown who used TO sit In his lit
,le boat and fish for sinners and gllies-TOm
wondered If Bessie was married yet, she must
be woman nOw-thinking OF all these things
and walking a he thought, Tom found himself
= lCng way from the Point. and in a place new
and strange 10 him. The high Sandstone cliffs
between which and the sea lay the smooth
beach. were seen away OF towards the north
and near him instead of the cliffs were a series
of ehalky hills broken up by sharp rsvines and
aroyas. The rayines were short and precipi-
tous, and did not run at right angles with the
beach, bat came down in a diagonal direction,
and thus the chalk hills were nearly parallel
with the beach.
The hot sun shOne'down upon the glistening
sand and was reflected back in Toms face like
the heat OF a furnace Tom felt thirsty; little
rivulet came tTickling down one of the rayines
and sunk into the sand. He turned INTO the ra-
vine and commenced elambering up to lind a
pool where he could drink. The chaIkstOnes
beneath his feet crumbled away and the sides OF
the rsylne showed slgRs OF once having been
pressions and cTeyiees were small deposits OF
washed sea sand.
Tom knew but little o; geology, nevertheless,
he could not help wondering how that sand
came there; seventy feet above the present
beach.
He gained AZ last little shelf of plateau
where there was clear pool OF water, and Law
ing down took q long and deep draught. There
was an odd sweetish taste to the water and not
wholly unpleasant The exertion of climbing
mp the rayine rendered Tom somewhat weary
and stretching himself out on a smooth surface
of the chalk Hill, he was soon asleep.
Perhaps il was the hot sun or il may have
been some peculiar property Of the water that
made Tom sleep so long and deeply. Anyhow.
the moon was long way up, the night owls
were hooting OF in the timber, and not far
above him on the crest of the hill a couple of
eovOtes were looking down az him AMI snarling
and yelPing In manner not altogether pleas
amt.
Tom got up and shook himself He felt stin
-. By the great horn spoon" said Tom, :. I
believe I've had dreami'
Tom had some very peculiar oaths known
enly TO himself. He sat down ON a chalk boui-
der, resi- his head In his hands and never
DOved for at least half an hour. The owls
h0oted on, and the coyotes grew nOiser and
bOider. crawling down nearer along the sides Of
The cliff.
Tom never noticed them. He arose after
while, shivered and brushed the chalk fro his
clothes, mnttering:
50 By the big blue bluner. believe I've been
Greaming!"
But It's all herei Here is the water, and
the sand, and the chalk stones. and that black
streak up there In the side OF the cliff, and that
49, -. -