“You’ve disobeyed me for the last time. But I’m partly to blame, so I’m not goin’ to punish you. Only when you get big enough to go with barmaids and fight with men, it’s time to put some thought on your future. I’ve got a lot of thinkin’ to do about you, Joan—a lot of thinkin’.”
And he went away leaving me vastly relieved, only had I known what was to come out of his thinking I would have been more worried than ever before in my life.
Father kept me on board ship all during our stay in port, with only occasional walks along the waterfront in his company. We sailed with a cargo of wool and ballast for the United States. We were going to Frisco to get a load of lumber.
After ninety-three days of uneventful sailing we sighted the Farallone Islands off the Golden Gate. A tugboat steamed out thirty miles to pick us up. How excited I was to see the smoke of that tug coming toward us! When it came within hailing distance the captain called through his megaphone:
“Want a tow?”
“How much?” called back Father.
“Four hundred dollars to inside anchorage.”
“I’ll see you in Hell first,” answered Father.
“Two hundred dollars,” came back the tugboat captain.
“I’ll sail this bloody ship right up to the ferry building under her own canvas,” came Father’s reply.