There was something highhanded in the
look and manner of him, though few men had better intent. Now his glance
fell on another, smaller item in the newspaper.
"SYDNEY DUCKS ARRIVE."
"In recent vessels from the antipodes have come numerous men
from Australia who, according to rumor, are deported English
criminals, known as 'Sydney Ducks.' It is said that the
English government winks at the escape of these birds of ill
omen, who are lured hither by tales of our lawlessness
carried by sailormen. It is high time we had a little more
law in San Francisco."
That was another of his problems, Hyde reflected irritably. "Sydney
Ducks." There would be many more no doubt, for San Francisco was
growing. It had 500 citizens, irrespective of the New York volunteers;
157 buildings. He would need helpers in the task of city-governing. Half
idly he jotted down the names of men that would prove good henchmen:
"William A. Leidesdorff, Robert A. Parker, Jose P. Thompson, Pedro
Sherreback, John Rose, Benjamin Buckalew."
It had a cosmopolitan smack, though it ignored some prominent and
capable San Franciscans. William Clark, for instance, with whom
Washington Bartlett had quarreled over town lots, Dr.
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