THE CAPTAIN'S STORY. II 



was some miles away from land when, all of a sudden 

 — it must have been on a Monday, — the fog lifted, and 

 right in front of them, high up on one of these Bolinas 

 bluffs, they saw a whole line of newly- washed clothes 

 hanging out to dry. 



Although these signal flags were white and not red, 

 they had the effect of the most emphatic danger sig- 

 nals ; and with a prompt turn of the wheel the vessel 

 swung off without striking, and with a blessing on the 

 good washerwoman the captain was soon speeding 

 away from the mainland towards a place of safety. 



Behind the town rises Mt. Tamalpais, from whose 

 top, on a clear day, one gets a magnificent view of the 

 ocean. 



The road over this mountain leads through groves 

 of fine trees, and is full of surprises and delightful 

 little views. If you want to enjoy real luxury of 

 scenery, within a little distance from the great city, 

 take a stage ride across the mountain from San Rafael 

 to Bolinas. 



Well, on that June morning, I was up early to take 

 advantage of the low tide. There was no fog, and 

 when the sun showed his face over the top of the 

 mountain, the beach and bay and ocean were all beau- 

 tifully lighted up, and invited one to a morning of 

 the most cheerful study. 



I went up the beach, past the hull of a wrecked 

 vessel over which the waves were breaking, and then 

 struck out across a long expanse of mossy rocks 

 which form the shoreward end of the dangerous Dux- 

 bury Reef. 



From the little patches of gravel between the rocks 

 came jets of water as I passed along, revealing the 

 presence of the clams which I will speak of hereafter. 



