The sun., 1885-02-22
A SHIP OF 40.
AE0NAXCE OF CALIFORNIAN THREE PARTS.
BY BRET HARTE.
PART FIRST.
Copyright 1895 by Bre, Bsr,s All Rights Reserved.
CHAPTER /.


CHAPTER !.
II had raincd SO persistently in San Fran
c,sco during the frat w.ek of Januarv 1854
that a certain auaymir, in the roadway of
Long Wharf had become impassable. and a
plank was thrown over IL, dangerous denth.
Indeed 80 treachs rous was the SPOT that IL was
Alleged, on good authority. that a hastily ON.
barking trayeller had once hopelesslv lost bis
portmantenu md was fain To disnoss of hi.
entire int.rest in IL for the sum Of two dollar.
and aftv cents n a sncoulative s.rangsr on tho
wharf. As the stranvsr's search wa. rswarded
aftervard onlv bv ,hs discovsrv NJ ,ha h,dv n,
acasual Cblnaman who had evidant,v epdaav.
ored 10 wickedly npticinate him n failing n,
commercial Insecurity wns add,d 10 tho other
sco,n,ricitics of tha locolitv
The plank led 10 tho door Of n building that
was a marvel eyen in the chaotic frontIer mr..
chitec,uro Of the street Tho houses on either
Side-irrepular frames OF wood or corrugated
tron-bore evidence OF having been quickly
thrown together. to meet tn. reouiramepts n,
the goods md passenu.rs Who were once dis.
embarked on what was the muddy beach of tho
infant city. But the building in question ex
bibited n certain elaboration M form and da.
sien utterlv inoonsist,nt with this idea Tho
etructure obtruJ.d "A bowed front to ,bs strea,
with n curyipr line of ANAL windows sur.
mounted BY elaborate carvings and scroli wort
Of yinss and leayes while below in f.dod oil,
letters appeared tho leusud "po,tioo
Marseilles" The efYec, NJ this incop,rri,v
was startlinr. 1t rslatea that an inehrio,oS
miner i,poded hv mud and drint h.yoro a.,
door. was found ynzip, n, 10 r.n,or.oti.
facade with an axnr,ss,or ~, N, aaanas, ,
spondencv. II bev lived n frea lfs nardnsr y
he explained tbicklv to tho Samaritan pho
euccorad hin, and everv TINA sinna I,. honn
tilated I, wonld come to this snak.. Iyo
aeon a,ors now and rats I'm not unfamil,ar
with. hut when IL comes to tho s,arn n, a
sh,n rain, nm out ~ ,ba strao, rocio, ,,,.
TINA IN nnss In NV chacLsn "It i. shir
von hlasted old soakern a,id ,ba somori,.r
our,lv
I+w,s,rdood sb;r sh,, r, ,,,
shondnna1 an III. hna,h von,s hotou. -. 49,
ooId. .eot;rs, ,r,,r Win ,bo a.h,,. -, h,. .'
,er.J storos a,J o,reo onar,a,,n, -. ~.
via e,nw,h ~ ,ha s.r,n.a o,,v onJ ,ho
roc,omp,io, ~ th. r,rddv IA, rhoroin sho
Iev bo,oless,y ,r,hoa1.d. bar ro,ra,, 49,, ~,
by wharv.s and on,ys and hra.,,ua,on. W..
,ostl.d n, first hv shsss and ,bon ,n,nao,at
ia n block of solid v,rshouse. and dwaIlinco
her rudder mort and corr,or hoordoa 4, 90
now cszinu bop.,asaIv tbrou,h nor ,,nin
windows upon tn. busv street befora b.r
Dut still n shin despi,e bsr ,r.nstorm,tIon
The fain,es, una n, .or,orr 20, ,,, ,,r,I
smoke OF the buovapcv Of nno,hsr e,sman,.
the balustr,de of bsr roo, UNA upmis,oL,h,ra n
tafYrall The rain slinpcd from bor s,yel,ine,
sides with n certain lingering toucb of tho seo
the soil around ber was still treacharous viii
its suppes,ions md evan IN. wind wh,s,I,5
nauticaIIv ov.r her cbimnev II In tha fnrv a,
some southwestorlv gale aha had ono niyht
slipped her strange moorinys and lef, a shin
ing track through tho low.r town to tba dia
tant sea. no one would have besn sur,risod
Least of MI p.rhnps her nresont o,vnar and
possessor. Mr. Abner Mott For nv tbs ironv n,
circumstances Mr.. Mott was n far Wastcrr
farmer who had n.ver seon n sh,, bo,ora ,or
larger stream OF water than n tributary Of the
Missouri River In aspirit half of fascination
half of speculation he had bourht ber Mt tha
time of her abandonment, and had siree mort.
gagged his ranch at petaluma with hi. Iive
stock. to derray the eypenses OF 8Iline in the
land whore she stood and the improvements NJ
the vicinity. He had transferred his household
goods and his only daughter to hcr
cabin. and Ind Divided tho snacs "be.woen
decks" and her hold into lodging rooms and
lofts for tho storage OF goods. II could
hardly be said that the investm,nt hal hs.n
prootable His tenants varrsIv rsc,oniyod
that his occnpancv yas n sentimental r,tb.r
than n commercial sp,cuIntio, ami o,,,,
generously lent themselves to the iIIusion hv
no. having their rent others trso,o1 tbeir
own tennncvas a ,oks-a ouaint recreation
born Of the childl!ke fam!liarlty o, frontier in.
tercourse A few had left careles.Iv abandon
ing their nnsalabIs goods to thei landlord
with yrost cheerfulness and n s,nse of favor
Occasionally Mr. Abner MOTT In n nrnc.icaI ra
!gnse. rncal AGAINST the dere,icts and talked Of
dsnosseSsing them, or even d,smantllnp his
,anafn.nt. but no was ensilv pIocated bv n corn.
p.lment TO the dear Old shin" or an effort
made Ly soma t.n,nt tn ideoliza bis
apartment nhotocr,nher who bad In.
rcn!ously utiizsi ths fnr,castIs for n
yailory lnccassible from the hows in the nsxt
s.rpe,l paid no further trihute Than
portrait OF the pretty face Of Rossv Nott The
superstitlous reverence with which Abner Mott
held mis- monstrous fancy was naturally an.
hancei by his purely bueolio exapgeration NJ
its real functions and its native claimant ..Tbis
yer keel has sailed and sailed and saiIed F"
ha worla avn,,i, ,ui,h go. ,.,...,,,,