Hercules went to work with alacrity, and they were soon packed up, and on the road to Sacramento; which place they reached late at night, and on the following evening were in San Francisco. They were detained in the city of Saint Francis several days; and the business relating to the sale of their sand-hill having been completed, Toney, Tom, and the Professor went on board the steamer with their fortunes in their money-belts, in the shape of drafts on banking-houses in New York. They soon passed through the Golden Gate and were on the broad waters of the Pacific Ocean. The weather was fine, and the vessel was remarkable for her speed. In a few days they were running along in sight of the coast of Lower California, and about two leagues from the land. The Professor was on deck, with a telescope in his hand, looking at the desolate coast, when he suddenly cried out,—
"There are several persons standing on the beach."
"They are pelicans," said the captain. "At a distance they are often mistaken for human beings."
"Human beings they are," said the Professor; "and, good heavens! there is a woman among them. They have a white handkerchief elevated as a signal of distress."
The captain took the telescope, and, after looking through it, said,—
"You are right. There are several men; and there is a woman among them."
"This coast is uninhabited," said the Professor. "Who can they be?"
"Persons escaped from some wreck," said the captain.
"Put the ship about! Run her in towards the land! They must be rescued!" cried the Professor.
"I dare not do it; the water is shoal," said the captain. "We must stop the engines and lower a boat."