covered but before sufficient time had elapsed for
cargoes to arrive from a distance, when money was
plenty and prices had advanced in some instances a
thousand per cent, the trick was to get goods, not to
sell them. The two chief rival firms were Charles L.
Ross, and Howard & Melius, each of which kept a
well-manned boat ready on the instant to shoot out to-
ward the Golden Gate, on the approach of any mer-
chant vessel, so as to forestall competitors in securing
stock. To this end a sharp lookout was kept, as we
may easily imagine, and every means adopted at once
to catch the first view of the incoming vessels and
blind the eyes of the others to the welcome sight. It
happened one opaque, misty morning that the fog
lifted for a moment only, just long enough for Ross'
sentinel to see looming seaward a magnificent brig
whose white sails in the vision seemed to fill the whole
ocean. Ross and his crew were soon afloat, pulling
hard in that direction. So was the rival boat, for
the watchers had been watched, and such movements
w^ere well understood. The advantage, however, was
with R(jss, who beside having the start, knew where
the vessel lay ; and by puJling stoutly out of course
and then escaping them in the fog, he threw his com-
petitors ofi:' the scent, found the brig, crawled up the
sides to the deck, and as coolly as possible after the
fancy of Yankee traders, saluted the captain and
opened negotiations. "What ye got?" demanded
Ross. "Waal," the captain began, "there's some
woolen shirts, a hundred and fifty or two hundred
dozen " "Stop a moment," exclaimed Ross who
plainly heard the sound of oars approaching every moment nearer, "what'll you take for everything on board?" " Oh, I guess you are joking," simpered the skipper. "No, I am not joking," said Ross, drawing from his pocket a handful of yellow gold. "What advance on your invoices will you take for all the merchandise in your ship?" The skipper pondered, not failing to notice the rapidly increasing noise of
