CHAPTER III
FULFILMENT
Such a tranquil three days on the Mississippi, which
was as an autumn flood, and revealed himself as indeed
King of Waters! Such delightful three days in
hospitable New Orleans! Might it not be possible to
tarry even here? "No," cried the inexorable George.
"We have put our hand to the plough. Who will turn
back?" Two days of abject wretchedness on the Gulf of
Mexico. "Why were we born? Why did we not die before
we left solid land?" And then the light-house at Vera Cruz.
"Lo, land! and all was well."
What a splendid city! Why had nobody told them of
this queen on the sea-shore? Red and white towers,
cupolas, battlements! It was all like a story-book.
When they landed, to be sure, it was not quite so big a
place as they had fancied from all this show; but for
this they did not care. To land--that was enough. Had
they landed on a sand-spit, they would have been in
heaven. No more swaying to and fro as they lay in bed,
no more stumbling to and fro as they walked. They
refused the amazed Mexicans who wanted them to ride to
the hotel. To walk steadily was in itself a luxury.
And then it was not long before the men had selected
the little caravan of horses and mules which were to
carry them on their expedition of discovery. Some valley
of paradise, where a man could change his climate from
midwinter to midsummer by a journey of a mile.
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