They camped just outside of Monterey, and on the next day they went up into the town. They were wandering around, when suddenly they heard the cry of “Sail ho!” In a few seconds every one was calling “Sail ho!” and running down to the beach.
Pantu stood on the beach. It was evening, and the sun was down near the water. After a few moments he saw a little white spot far out on the water. Docas said it was the sails of the ship. There was a blazing path from the sun to the shore, so that Pantu had to shade his eyes, and even then he could not look long at the glowing water. But all of a sudden the sun seemed to sink into the water, and the glow faded.
“Oh, father!” called Pantu to Docas, “the sun has dropped into the ocean and the water has put it out.”
“Don’t be afraid. It will come up again as bright and hot as ever to-morrow morning,” said Docas.
Little by little the ship came nearer. Pantu stood watching it until it grew so dark that he could no longer see even the white gleam of the sails. Docas and Oshda had been gone a long time. But still he stayed down at the beach, although it was long past supper time.
“Come, Pantu, you must come home,” he heard Oshda saying at last.
“But I want to see the big ship come up on the beach,” said Pantu.
Oshda laughed. Then he said, “It will not come anywhere near the shore.”
Pantu said, “How can we get the heavy hides and tallow into the ship if it stays away off there?”
“It can’t come nearer. The water is not deep enough. But they will send some little boats ashore in the morning. We shall load the hides into them, and they will carry them out to the ship,” answered Oshda.