"What will Mr. Pate do for a pair of boots?" said Moses.
"Never mind," said Tom Seddon, "the road is sandy and will not hurt his bare feet."
"And when he comes to stony places I will carry him on my back," said Hercules.
"Come along, Mr. Pate," said Toney.
"And when you return from California with your gold you should by all means carefully avoid these localities," said the Professor.
Poor Pate uttered not a word in response to these advisory remarks, but all were convinced by the quivering of his lip and other outward signs that he was inwardly vowing that he would do so.
They now hurried on; Toney, Tom, and the Professor leading the advance, and when about half-way between Lima and Callao, they espied a curious kind of cavalry coming up the road. It was the ship's company ashore on liberty and making the most of that inestimable blessing. Each jolly tar was mounted on a little donkey, and at the head of the cavalcade rode Old Nick, having a leadline in his hand; and this steady and experienced seaman, apprehensive of shoals or hidden rocks, kept constantly heaving the lead and calling out the number of fathoms each time that it fell. Once he was heard to cry out "No bottom!" and down went his donkey in a hole; but the dauntless navigator assured his shipmates that, though the little craft had her lee-rail under, she would soon right up without losing a stick of her timber; and the result was just as he had said.
"Where is Pate?" asked the Professor.
"Yonder he is," said Toney, pointing to Pate, about a quarter of a mile behind, mounted on the back of Hercules, with Wiggins walking on one side and Perch on the other; Botts and Moses bringing up the rear.
"Hercules is carrying him over the stony road," said Tom.