And a dozen good friends to uphold me." He turned.
"Take their pistols, friends, and let them go."
* * * * *
George Hyde looked up from a sheaf of drawing which lay on the table
before him and which represented the new survey of San Francisco. A boy
with a bundle of papers under his arm entered unannounced, tossed a copy
of "The California Star" toward him and departed. Hyde picked it up
and read:
"GREAT SALE OF VALUABLE REAL ESTATE IN THE TOWN OF SAN
FRANCISCO, UPPER CALIFORNIA.
"By the following decree of His Excellency, General S.W.
Kearny, Governor of California, all the right, title and
interest of the United States and of the territory of
California to the BEACH AND WATER lots on the east front of
the town of San Francisco have been granted, conveyed and
released to the people or corporate authorities of said
town--"
Hyde read on. There was a post-script by Edwin Bryant, his predecessor
as alcalde, calling a public sale for June 29. That was rather soon.
But he would see. Hyde had an antipathy to any rule or circumstance
fixed by another. His enemies called him "pig-headed"; his friends
"forceful," though with a sigh.
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