Chapters 9 and 10 Summary and Analysis

In Chapter 9, once in Los Angeles, L'Amour rented a room near a library and a second-hand bookstore and split his time between the two places. He looked for work but there was nothing available. He read every book he could get his hands on, especially some about exploring the world on the high seas. At the end of a week, he gathered his gear and headed for the port. In San Pedro, he registered at the Marine Service Bureau for a ship. He learned that it could be three months before his number came up. There were some 700 men waiting for a ship.

Many of the men stayed at the Seaman's Church Institute which provided a place to shower and sleep. There was a lot of stress and friction among the sailors because everyone was waiting for a ship...