The next day was the first of their real vacation, and they spent the morning strolling about the city and marveling at the quick recovery it had made from the earthquake. They had a sumptuous dinner on the veranda of the Cliff House, where they had a full view of the famous harbor and watched the seals sporting on the rocks. The commerce of the port was in full swing, and out through the Golden Gate passed great fleets with their precious argosies bound for the Orient, for immobile China, for restless and awakened Japan, for the islands of the sea, for the lands of the lotus and the palm, of minaret and mosque and pagoda, for all the realms of mystery and romance that lie beneath the Southern Cross. It would have been a wrench to tear themselves away had it been any other day than this, but to-day was the one to which they had looked eagerly forward through all the month of exhibition playing, since they had left the quiet home at Riverside, and they kept looking at their watches to see if it were not time to go to the train and meet the girls. They were at the station long before the appointed time, and when at last the Overland Flyer drew in they scanned each Pullman anxiously to catch a sight of two charming faces. They were not kept long in suspense, for down the steps of the second car tripped Clara and Mabel, looking more wonderfully alluring than ever, although a month before neither Jim nor Joe would have admitted that such a thing were possible. Reggie, too, was there, dressed "to the limit" as usual, and with his supposed English accent twice as pronounced as ever. But Reggie for the moment did not count, compared with the lovely charges whom he had brought across the continent. Of course, the boys felt grateful to him, but their eyes and their thoughts were fastened on his two charming companions. "I'm awfully glad you've got here at last," cried Joe, as he rushed up to Mabel and caught her by both hands. He would have liked very much to have kissed her, but did not dare do it in such a public place. "Oh, what a grand trip we've had!" declared Clara, as she shook hands first with Jim and then with her brother. "I never had any idea our country was so big and so magnificent." "That's just what Joe and I were remarking on our trip across the Rockies," answered Jim. He could not take his eyes from the face of his chum's sister. Clara looked the picture of health, showing that the trip from her little home town had done her a world of good. But if Clara looked good, Mabel looked even better--at least in the eyes of Joe. He could not keep his gaze from her face. And she was certainly just as glad to see him. "Ye-es, it was quite a trip, don't you know," remarked Reggie. "I met several bally good chaps on the way, so the time passed quickly enough. But I'm glad to be here, and hope that before long we'll be on shipboard."