Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, April 26, 1922, Page 2

SYNOPSIS. — Captain _Phineas P. raggs_has grown up around the docks 8an Francisco, and from mess boy on river steamer, risen to the ownership the steamer Maggie. Since each an- ual inspection promised to be the last the old weatherbeaten vessel, Scraggs aturally has some difficulty in securing crew. When the story opens, Adelbert . Gibney, llkable but erratic, a man hom nobody_bat Scraggs would hire, i e skipper, Neils Halvorsen, a solemn Fede. constitutes the fo'castle hands, {CHAPTER 1. d Bart McGuffey, a wastrel of the Gib- ey type, reigns in the engine room. CHAPTER IL—With this motley crew nd his anclent vessel, Captain Scraggs N envauea in treighting . garden track m Halfmoon bay to San Francisco. he Inevitable happens, the Maggle going @shore in a fog. CHAPTER IIL—A passing vessel hail- Ing the wreck, Mr. Glbney kels word to & fowing company in San_Francisco that the ship ashore “is the Yankee Prince, JUh promise of a rich salvage. Two ugs succeed In pulling the Maggle into deep ‘water, and she siips her tow lines #nd gets away in the fog. CHAPTER IV.—Furious at the decep- tlon practised on them. Captains Hicks nd Fluherty, commanding the two tug- Bhits, ‘ancertain the identity of the ~Yan. we Prince” and, fearing ridicule should le facts become known along the water ont, determine on personal vengeance. | helr hostile visit to the Maggle results {iy Captain Scraggs promising to get a ew biler and make needed repairs to the steamer. ' CHAPTER V.—Scraggs refuses to ful- 1 his promises and Gibney and McGuf- ey “strike.” With marvelous luck, Tagks ships a fresh crew. At the end f o few days of wild conviviality Gibney 6d McGuftey are stranded and seek helr old positions on the Maggie. They re hostilely recelved, but remain, On eir way to San Francisco they sight derelict and Glbney and McGuftey swim | it. ;CHAPTER VI—The derelict proves to p the Chesapeake, richly laden, its en- re crew stricken with scurvy. Scraggs ittempts to tow her in, but the Maggie unequal to the task and Gibney and cGuffey, alone, sall the ship to San anciseo, thelr ‘salvage money amount- ¥ to $1,000 aplece. ¢ 1 #CHAPTER VIL-Independently rich, our o adventurers still have a kindly feel- for the Muggle, and, his crew hav- & deserted him, Captain Scraggs in- juces them to return. At an “old horse" le the three p inse iwo mysterious Xes which they belleve to contan nugkled - “Orlental goods.” They find, nstead, two dead Chinamen. (Contioued from last issue) g KEEH | “A million dollars in Confederate greenbacks,” replied the auctioneer, “Of course they didn’t have any value, but just suppose they'd been U “That’s . right,” agreed Mr. Gibney. “I suppose the swab that owned the horse starved it until the poor animal figgered that all's grass that's green. As the feller sy “Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.” _If you throw in a saddle and bridle cheap, T might he Induced to invest in one of your old horses, shipmate.” The auctioneer glanced quickly at Mr. Gibney, but noticing that worthy's fuce free from guile, he burst out laughing. j “My sea-faring friend,” he sald presently, “when we use the term ‘old horse,’ we use it figuratively. See all this freight stored here? Well, that's never been called for by the consign- ees, and after it's in the warehouse a year and Isn’t called for, we have an old horse sale and auctlon it off to the highest bidder. Sav i Mr. Gibney took refuge in a lie, “Of course, I do. I was just kiddin® you, my hearty.” (Here Mr. Gibney's glance rested on two long heavy sugnr- pine boxes, or shipping cases. Their Joints at all four corners were cun- ningly dove-tafled and wire-strapped.) “I was n bit Interested In them two boxes, an’ seein’ as this Is a free coun- try, T thought T'd Just step in an' make a bid on them.” and with the words, Mr. Gibney 0 over and busied himself in an inspection of the two crates In question, The faet of the matter was that so embarrassed was Mro Gihney ot the exposition of his ignorance that Wi desived to hide the confusion evide/ ¢ | stance, Mrs. Scraggs’ mothel S offered Tor sale. Seek: ing to justify his presence, Mr. Gihney advised that it w his intention to bid on everything in sight; whereupon Blumenthal proceeded to explain to Mr. Gibney how impossible it would be for him, arrayed against the Forty Thieves, to buy any article at a ren- sonable price. Furthel Blumenthal desired to inform Mr. Gibney that his (Mr. efforts to buy in the “old 5" would merely result In his running the prices up, for no benef- icent purpose, since it was ever the practice of the Forty Thieves to per- mit no man to outbid them. Perhaps Mr. Gibney would be satisied with a fair day’s profit without troubling him- self to hamper the Forty Thieves and interfere with thelr combination, and with the words, the king surreptitious- 1y slipped Mr. Gibney a ftifty-dollar greenbuck, Mr. the trea great fist closed over ire, he having first, by a coy glanc satisfied himself that it was really fifty dol He shook hands with the king. He “Blumenthal, youre a smart man. I am quite content with this fifty to keep off your course and give you a wide berth to starboard. I'm sensi- ble enough to know when I'm licked, an' a fight without profit ain't in my line. I didn’t make my money that way, Blumenthal, T'Il east off my lines and haul away from the dock,” and sulting the action to the ftigure, Mr. Gibney departed. He went first to the Seaboard drug store, where he quizzed the druggist for five minutes, after which he con- tinued Rhis cruise. Upon reaching the Maggie, he proceeded to relate in de- tafl, and with additional details sup- plied by his own fmagination, the story morning adventure, sald McGuffey u're a fool for luek.” 3 2 said Mr. Gibney, beginning to expm, “is. what the feller calls a relative proposition—" " “You're enviously, wrong, Gib,” interposed Captain Seraggs. “Relatives s un- lucky an’ expensive, Take, f'r. In- | “I mean, you lunkhead,” said Mr. Glbmey, “that luck is found where braing grow. No brain, no luck. No lick, no braing. Lemme jllustrate. A thievin’ Innd shark makes me a presert o fifty dollars not to butt in on them two hoxes I'm tellin® yon about. Him an' his gang wants them two boxes. Fair erazy to get 'em. Now, don't it stand to reason that them fellers knows what's in them box or they wouldn’t give me; fifty dollars to haul ship? Of course, it does. However, in order to earn: that fifty dollars, T kot to back wte It wouldn't be playin® fair i T dide’t. But that don't prevert me from puftin’ two dear friends o' mine (here Mr. Gibney en- elreled Seragies and McGuffey with an arm each) next to the secret which I discovers, an' if there's money In It for old Hooky that buys me off, it stands 1o reason that there's money in it for us three. What's to prevent you an' MecGuljey from goin' up to se sple an’ biddin' in them for the use and benefit of Gibney, Seragges an® MeGuftey, all- | share an’ share alike? You can bid as high as a hundred dollars, if neces- sary, an' stfll come out a thousand dollars to the good. I'm tellin' you this becnuse T know what's in them two hoxes.” McGultey was staring fascinated at Mr. Gibney . Captain Seraggs clutched his mateYs arm in a frenzied clasp. “What'? they both interrogated. “You two boys,” continued Mr. Gib- ne wi.th aggravating deliberation, “ape’t what nobody would eall dum- wiles. You're smart men. But the trouble with both o' you boys is you ain’t @mot no imagination, Without imaginxtion nobody gets nowhere, un- less iU out th' small end o' th' horn, n hisx sun-tanned face. So he sto' ed over the crates and pretended ¢, be exceedingly interested In them.: haul- ing-and pushing them about n1udh read- ing the address of the consigvee who had fafled to eall for his gagfls, The crutes were hoth conslgnede o the Gin Seng company, 714 Dupodt strec San Francisco. There wera several Chi- nese characfers s Witd ou the top of each crate, together WAL the words, in English: “Orients, Gonds.” As he ceased fror, his fake Inspec- tlon of the two ho'ses, the King of the Forty Thieves ‘ypproached and sur- veyel the sailt,r with an even greater amount of d)’-mm and saspicion than ever. Mr. “Gibney was annoyed. He disliked bg' ng stared at, 8o he said: “Hello, Blumenthal, my bully boy. What's faggravatin® 3 : Bludenthal (since Mr. Gibney, In the’ Sheer riot of his fmagination ‘?'(clcd to christen him Blumenthal, he name will probably suit him as well as any other) came close to Mr. Gibney and drew him aside. In a hoarse whisper he desired to know if Mr. Gibney attended the auction with the expectation. of bidding on any of | Maybe :you boys afn't noticed It, but my Inagination is all that keeps me from goin' to jail. Now, if you two had read the address on them two boxes, Ft wouldn't *a’ meant nothin' to you. Absolutely nothin’. But with me- it's different. T'm blessed with imagi- nation enough to sce right through them . Chinnman tricks. Them two | boxes is marked ‘Oriental Goods' an® consigned (here Mr. Gibney raised a grimy forefinger, and Scraggs and Me- Guftey eyed it very much as i they expected it to go off at any moment) — them two hoxes is consigned to the 3in Seng company, 714 Dupont street, San Francisco.” “Well, that's up in Chinatown, all right,” admitted Captain Scraggs, “but how about what's Inside the two crates?” “Oriental goods, of course,” said Me- Guffey. “Th Chinanmmn, on the ea to n are conslgned sides, that* don't it, Gi fan tan I “If there ain’t Swiss cheese move- mefits n that liead Block of your: Mu¢, you and Scraggsy can’ divide my share o' these two boxes o' ginseng root between you. Do you get it, you chucklebeaded son of a Irish potato? Gin Seng, 714 Dupont street. Ginseng —a root or a herb that medicine is made out of. The dictionary says it's @ Chinese punacea for exhaustion, an’ I happen to know that it's worth five dollars a pound an' that them two crates welghs a hundred and fifty pounds each if they welghs an ounce,” His' nuditors stared at Mr. Gibney much as. might a pair of baseball fans at the hero of a home run with two strikes and the bases full. “Gawd!” muttered McGuffey, “Great grief, Gib! Can this be pos- sible?” gasped Captain Scraggs! For answer Mr, Gibney took out his fifty-dollar bill and handed it to—to McGuffey. He never trusted Captain Seraggs with anything more valunble than a pipeful of tobacco. “Seraggsy,” he suid solemnly, “I'm willin’ to back my Imagination with my cash. You an’ MecGuffey hurry right over to the warehouse an’ hutt in o0i1 the sale when they come to them two boxes. The saie is just about startin” now. Go as high as you thiw you ean in order to get the ginseng at a profitable figger, an’ pay the aue- tioneer tifty dollars down to hold the sale; that will give you boys time to rush around to dig up the balance ¢ the money. Tack right along now, Jads, while I go down the stréet an’ et nie some breakfast. I don't want Blumenthal to see me around that sale. He might get susplelous. After I eat I'll meet you here aboard th’ Maggie;, an’ we'll divide the loot.” With a fervent handshake all uround, the three shipmates parted. After disposing of a hearty break- fast of devilled lamb’s kidneys and coffee, Mr. Gibney invested In a ten- cent Sailor’s Delight and strolled down to the Muaggie. Nells Halvorsen, the lone deckhand, was aboard, and the moment Mr, Gibney trod the Maggie's deck . once more as mate, he ex ied his prerogative to order Nel ashore for the remainder of the day. Since Halvorsen was not In on the ginseng deal, Mr. ey concluded that it would be just as well to have him out of the way should Scraggs and McGuffey appear unex- pectedly with the two” cases of gin- seng. Y For an hour Mr. Gibney sat on the stern bitts and ruminated over a few | advantzgeous plans that had occurred to him for the investinent of his share of the deal should Seraggs and Me- Guffey succeed in landing what Mr. Gibney termed “the loot.” About eleven | o'clock an express wagon drove in on the dock, and the mate's dreams were pleasantly interrupted by a gleeful shout from Captain Scraggs, on the lookout forward with the driver. Me- | Guffey sat on top of the two cases with his legs dangling over the end of the wagon. He was the picture of contentment, Mr. Gibney hurried forward, threw out the gangplank, and assisted Me- Guffey in ecarrying both crates aboard the Maggie and into her little eabin. Captaln Sernggs thereupon dismissed the expressman, and all three part- ners gathered around the dining room table, upon which thé boxes rested. “Well, Scraggsy, old pal, old scout, old socks, T see you've delivered the goods,” sald Mr. Gibney, batting’ the skipper across the cabin with an affec- tionate slap on the shoulder. “I did,” sald Scraggs—and cursed Mr. Gibney's demonstrativeness. “Here’s the bill o' sale all regular. McGuffey has the change. That bunch o Israelites run th' price up to $10.00 each or these two crates o' ginseng, bhut when they see we're determined to have ’em an’ ain't interested in nothin® else, they lets 'em go to us. MeGuffe my dear boy, whatever are ! you a-doin” there—standin’ around with your teeth in your mouth? Skip down Into th' engine room and bring up a hammer an’ a col’ chisel. We'll open her up an’ inspect th’ swag.” Upon McGuffey's return, Mr. Gibney took ¢ e. He drove the chisel un- der the lid of the nearest crate, and prepared to pry it loose. Suddenly he paused. A thought had occurred to him, “Gentlemen,” he sald (McGuffey nodded his head approvingly), “this world Is full o' sorrers an’ disappoint- ments, an’ it may well be that these two eases don't contaln even so much as a smell o' ginseng after all. It may be that they are really Oriental goods. What 1 want distinctly under- stood Is this: no matter what's inside, we skare equally in the profits, even if they turn out to be los: That’s understood an' agreed to, ain't it?” Captain Scraggs, and McGuffey indi- cated that It was. There’s a element o’ mystery about thes¢ two boxes,” continued Mr. Gib- ney, “that fascinates me. They sets my imagination a-workin’ an’ joggles up all my sportin' Instinets. Now, Just to make it interestin’ an' add a ‘spice t' th* grand openin’, I'm willin" to bet again my own best judgment an’ lay you even money, Scraggsy, that it ain’t glnseng, but Oriental goods” I go you five dollars, just fr ducks,” responded Captain Seraggs heartily. “McGuffey to hold the stakes an’ decide the bet.” “Done,” replled Mr. Gibney. The money was placed In McGuffey's hands, and & moment later, with a mighty effort, Mr. Gibney pried off the lid of the crate. Captain Scraggs had his head inside the box a fifth of a second later. “Sealed zine box inside,” he an- nounced. “Get a can opener, Gib, my hoy, Ginseng, for a thousand,” mourned Mr. Gibney. “Ucraggsy, you're five dollars of my money to the good. Gin- seng a'ways comes packed in air-tight boxes, He produced a can opener from the i i cabin locker and fell to Wis work on & corner of the hermetically sealed box. As he drove in the point of the can opener, he paused, hammer in hand, and gazed solemnly at Scraggs and McGufvey. “Gentlemen,” (again nodded approvingly) “do you what a vacuum is?” “I know,” replied the Imperturbable McGuffey. ‘A vacuum is an empty hole that ain’t got nothin’ in it.” “Correct,” gald Mr. Gihney. head 1s a vacuum. ginseng root! ' Why, I must have wa- ter on the brain! Ginseng be dog- goned! It's opium!” Captain Scraggs was forced to grab McGuffey know “My Me talkin’ about the seat of his chair in order to keep | himself from: jumping up and eclasp- ing Mr. Gibney around the neck. “Forty dollars a pound,” he gasped. “Gib—Gib, my dear boy-—you've made us wealthy—" . Quickly Mr. Gibney ran the can opener around the edges of one corner of the zine box, inserted the claws of the hammer Into the opening, and with a quick, melodramatic twist, bent back the angle thus formed. Mr. Gibney was the first to get a peep inside. “Great snakes!” he yelled, and fell back against the cabin wall. A hoarse scream of rage and horror broke from Captain Sceraggs. In his eagerness he had driven his head so deep into the box that he came within an inch of kissing what the box contained—which happened to be nothing more nor less than a dead Chinaman! Mr. McGuf- fey, always slow and unimaginative, shouldered the skipper aside, and calmly surveyed the ghastly appari- tion. “Twig the. yellow beggar, will you, GiIb?” sald McGutfey; “one eve half open for all the world like he was winkin® at us an’ enjoyin® th’ joke,” Not a muscle twitched in McGut- fe, Hibernlan countenance. He seratched his head for a moment. as a sort of first aid to mewory, then turned and handed Mr. Gibney tep dol- lars. Y “You win, ‘Gib. It's Oriental goods, sure enough.™ “Robber!” shrieked Captain Seraggs, and flew at Mr. Gibney’s throat. The sight reminded. McGuftey of a terrier worrying a mastiff. Nevertheless, Mr. Gibney was still o unnerved at the discovery of the horrible contents of the box that, despite his gigantic pro- portions, he was well-nigh helpless, “McGuffey, you swab,” he yelled. luck this maritime outlaw off my He's tearin’ my windpipe out ne [ byt roots.” MeGuffey choked Captsin Scrages undl he reluctantly let go Mr. Gibney, whereupon all three fled from the cab- in as from a pestilence, and gathered, an angry and disappointed group, out on de “Oplum!” jeered Captain Scraggs, with tenrs of rage in his voice. “Gin- seng! You and your imagination, you swine, you! Gét off my ship, you lout, or Tl murder you.” 4 Mr. Gibney hung his head. “Seraggsy—an’ you, too, McGuffey— I'got to admit that this here is one ol Adelbert P. Gibney, I—I—" & “Oh, hear him,” shrilled Captain Seraggs. “One on him! It's two on you, you bloody-handed ragpicker. 1 suppose that other case contains opium, too! If there ain’t another dead corpse in No. 2 case I hope my teeth may drop overboard.” - “Shut up!” bellowed Mr. Gibney, in a towering rage. “What howl have you got comin’? They're my China- men, ain't they? I paid for ’em like a man, didn’t I? Al right, then. keep them two Chinamen. You two ain’t out a cent yet, an’ as for this five T wins off you, Scraggs, it's blood money ; that's what it is, an’ I hereby gives it back to you. Now, quit yer whinin’, or by the tail o’ the Great Suered Bull, I'll lock you up all night in th* cabin along o’ them two defunct Celestials.” Captain Scraggs “shut ap” prompt- Iy, and contented himself with glower- ing at Mr. Gibney. The mate sat down cn the hatch coaming, lit his pipe, and gave himself up to medita- tion for fully five minutes, at the end of which time McGuffey wus aware that his Imagination was about to come to the front once wore, “Well, gentlemen,” (agnin McGuf- fey nodded approvingly) “I het I get my twenty bucks back outer them two Chinks,” he announced presently. “How'll yer do it?” inquired McGuf- fey politely “How’ll T«do it? Tasy as fallin’ through an open hatch. I'm a-goin’ t' keep them two stiffs in th’ boxes until Gark, an’ then I'm a-gein’ to take 'em out, bend a rope around their middle, drop 'em overboard an' anchor ‘em there all night. I ses th’ lad we opens up in No. 1 case has had a beau- tiful job of embalmin’ done on him, but it I let them soak all night, like 2 mackerel, they’ll limber up an’ Jook kinder fresh. Then first thing in th’ mornin® Tll telephone th’ coroner an’ tell him I found two floaters out in th' bay an' for him to come an’ get ‘em. I been along the waterfront long enough t* know that th’ lad that picks up a floater gets a reward o' ten dol- Iars from th’ city. You can bet that Adelbert I. Gibney breaks even on th” (eal, all right.” “Gib, my dear boy,” said Captain Scraggs admiringky. “I apologize for my actions of a few minutes ago. 1 was unstrung. You're still mate o' th® American steamer Maggie, an’ as such, welcome to th’ ship. AVl I ask is that vou nail up your property, Gib, an’ remove it from th’ dinin’ room table. 1 want to remind you, however, Gib, that as shipmates me an’ McGuffey don’t stand for you shoulderin’ any loss on them two cases o'—Oriental goods. We was ' share th' gains, if any, an’ likewise th' losses.” “That’s right,” said McGuffey, “fair an' square. No bellyachin’ -between shipmates. - Me an’_Scraggs_each owns I I oné-third o m’ diseased Chinks, a we each stands one:third o th' loss, if any.” “Bui, there won’t be no loss,” pro- tested Mr. Gibney. “Drayage charges, Gib, drayage charges. We give a man a dollar to tow 'em down t’ th’ ship.” “Forget it,” answered Mr. Gibney magnanimously, “an’ let's go over an’ get a drink. I'm all shook up.” . CHAPTER VIIIL. Uad either Mr. Gihney or McGuffey been watehing Captain Scraggs after he had left them they would have ich puzzled to account for that actlons. First he dodged dround the block into Drumm street, und then ran down Drumm to Califor- nia, where he climbed aboard a cable car and rode up Into Chinatown. Ar- riving at Dupont street he alighted and walked up that interesting thor- oughfare until he came to No. 714, He gianced at a sign over the door and was aware that he stood before the entrance to the oflices of the Chinese Six Companies, so he climbed upstairs and inquired for Gin Seng, who pres- ently made his appearance. Gin Seng, a very nlice, fat China- man, arrayed in a flowing silk gown, begged, in pidgin English, to know In what manner he could be of service. “Me heap big ecaptain, allee same ship,” began Captain Seraggs. “On board ship two China boys have got.” (Here Captain Scraggs winked know- ingly.) “China boy no speak Eng- lish— “That being the case,” Interposed Gin Seng, “T presume that you-and I understand each other, so let's cut out the pidgin English. Do I under- stand that you e engaged in evading the immigration laws?” “Exactly,” Captain Seraggs managed to gasp, as soon as he could recover from his astonishment. “They showed me your name an' address, an' they won't leave th’ ship, where I got ’em locked up in my cabin, until you come an’ taike ’em away. Couple o' rela- tives of yours, I should imagine.” Gin Seng smiled his bland Chinese smile. He had frequent dealings with ship masters engaged in the ger- ous, though luerative, trade of smug- gling Chinese into the United States, and while he had not received advice of this particular shipment, he decided 1o go with Captain Scraggs to Jackson' street hulkhead and see if he could not be of some use to his countrymen. As Cap'ain Scraggs and his Chinese companion approached the wharf the skipper glanced warily about. He had small fear that either Gibney or Me- Guftey would show up for an hour, for he knew that Mr. Gibney had money in his possession. However, he decided to take no chances, and scouted the vielnity thoroughly before venturing aboard the Maggie. These actions served but to'increase the respect.of Gin Seng for the master of the Maggle and confirmed him in his belief that the Magzgie was a smuggler. Captain. Scraggs took his visitor In- slde the little cabin, carefully locked and bolted the door, lifted the zine flap back from the top of the crate of “Oriental goods” and displayed the face ot the dead Chinaman. Also he pointed to the Chinese characters on the wooden Tid of the crate. “What does these hea mean?” demanded Scraggs. “This man is named Ah Ghow and he belongs to the Hop Sing tong.” “How about his pal here?” “That man is evidently Ng Chong Yip. He is also a Hop Sing man. ‘aptain Scraggs wrote it down right,” he said cheerily; “much obliged. Now, what I want to know is what the Hop Sing tong means by shipping the departed brethren by freight? ‘They go to work an’ fix 'em up nice so's they'll keep, packs ’em away in a zioe coffin, inside a nice plain wood box, labels ’em ‘Oriental goods,” an’ consigns 'em to the Gin Seng company, 714 Dupont street, San Francisco. Now, why are these two counirymen o' yours shipped by freight —where, by the way, they goes astray, for scme reason that I dont know wothin® about, an’ I buys 'em up at a old horse sale?” Gin Seng shrugged his shoulders and replied that he didn’t unders “You lie.” snarled Captain “You savey all right, you fat old idol, you! It's because if the railroad com- pany knew these two boxes contained dead corpses they’d a-soaked the rela- tives, which is you, one full fare each from wherever thes¢ two dead ones comes from, just the same as though they was alive an’ well. But you has ‘em shipped by freight, an’ aims to spend a dollar an’ thirty cents each on ‘'em, by markin' ‘em ‘Oriental ®oods.” Helluva way to treat a rela- tion. Now, looky here, you bloody heathen. It'll cost you just five hun- dred dollars to recover these two stiffs, an’ close my mouth. If you don’'t come through I'l make a belch t' th® newspapers an’ they’ll keel haul an’ skulldrag th’ Chinese Six Compa- nies an' the Hop Sing tong through the courts for evadin’ th’ laws o' th’ inter- state commerce commission, an’ make ‘em look like monkeys generally. An’ then th’ policell get wind of it. Savey, policee-man, you fat old murderer? Th* price P'm askin’ is cheap, Charley. How do I know but what these two poor boys has been murdered in cold blood? There's somethin’ rotten in Denmark, my bully boy, an’ you'll save time an’ trouble an® moncy by diggin’ up five hundred dollars.” Gin Seng said he would go back to Chinatown and consult with his com- pany. For reasons of his own he was badly frightened. Scarce had he departed before the watchful eye of Captain Scraggs ob- serveld Mr. Gibney and McGuffey in the offing, & block away. When they came aboard they found Captain Scraggs on top of the house, seated on an upturned fire bucket, sn scratches and Eizing across the bay with mption of- lamblike innocence on his fox face. He soon departed, but Mr. Gibney was suspicious. “He's got his line: fast somewhere—you can bank on that,” was his comment. “While we was away he rigged up some kind of a deal, Bart. It stands to reason it was a mighty profitable deal, too. My imagination may be a bit off the course at times, Bart, but in general, if there's a dead whale floatin® around the ship I can smell it.” “Whiit do you make out o' that fat n* down the bulkhead wagon an’ another China- man settin’® up on the bridge with him?” McGuffey demanded. “Seems to me they're comin’, bows on, for the Maggie.”" “They tell me to deduct somethin’, Bart. Wait a minvte till we see if they’re comin’ ahoard. If they are—" “They're goin’ to make a landin Gib.” “—then I deduct that this body- snatehin® Seraggs—" “They’re boardin’ us, Gib.” “_has arranged with yon fat China- man to relieve us o' the unwelcome presence of his defunct triends. He’ gone an’ hunted up the relatives an made ’‘em come across—that’s what he’s done. The dirty, low, schemin’ granddaddy of all the foxes in Chris tendom! T fish around an’ see what figger Scraggs charged him,” and Mr. Gibney stepped to the rail to meet Gin Seng, for it was indeed he. “Sow-see, sow-see, hun-gay,” Gibney saluted the Chinaman in facetious attempt to talk the latter” language. “Hello, there, John Chi man. How's your liver? Captain he alle same get tired; he no waitce. Wha's mallah, John. Too long time you no come. You heap lazy-ull time.” Gin Seng smiled his bland,-inscruta- hle Chinese smile. “You ketchum two China boy in box?” he queried. “We have,” boowed McGuftey, “an’ benutiful specimens they be.” “No money, no China boy,” Gibney addead firmly. “Money have got. Too muchee mon- ey you wantee, No ean do. Me pay two hundred dollah. Five hundred dol- Jah heap muchee. No have got.” “Nothin’ doin’, John. Five hundred dollars an’ not a penny less. Put up the dough or beat it.” Gin Seng expostulated, lied, evaded, and all but wept, but Mr. Gibney was obdurate and eventually the China- man paid over the money and departed with the remains of his countrymen. “I knew he’d come through, Bart,” Mr. Gibney declared. “They got to ship them stiffs to China to rest along- side their ancestors or be in Dutch with the sperrits o’ the departed for- ever after.” “Do we have to split this swag with that dirty Scraggs?” McGuffey wanted to know. “Seein’ as how he tried to give us the double cross—" “We'll fix Scraggsy—all ship-shape an’ legal s0's he won't have no come- back.” They had not long to wait. Upon his-arrival at Gin Seng’s place of busi- ness Captain Scraggs had been in- formed that Gin Seng had gone out twenty minutes hetore, and further in- quiry revealed that he had departed in an express wagon. Consumed with misgivings of disaster, Scraggs re- turned to the Maggie as.fast as the cable car and his legs could carry him. In. the cabin he found Mr. Gibney and McGuffey playing cribbage. They laid down their hands as Seraggs entered. Mr. Gibney began at once: show you what a funny world this is, while me an’ Bart’s settin’ on deck a-waitin’ for you to come back, along breezes a fat old Chinaman in an ex- press wagon an’ offers to buy them two cases of Oriental goods. He makes me an’ Mac what we considers a fair offer. Lemme see, now.” he continued, and got out a stub of lead pencil with which he commenced figuring on the white oilcloth table cover. “We paid in‘an ‘expres Mr. n twenty dollars for them two derelicts | an’ a dollar townge. That's twenty- one dollars, an’ a third o’ twenty-one is seven, an’ seven dollars from twen- ty-five leaves eighteen dollars comin’ to vou. Here’s your eighteen dollars, Seragg: you lucky old vagabond—all clear profit on a neat day’s work, no expense, no investment, no back-break- in' interest charges or overhead, an’ sold out at your own figger.” Captain Scraggs' face was a study in conflicting emotions as he raked in the eighteen dollars. “Thanks, Gib,” he said frigidly. “Me an® Gib's goin’ ashore for lunch at the Marigold cafe,” McGuffey an- aounced presently, In order to break the horrible silence that followed Seraggsy’s crushing defeat. “I'm will- in’ to spend some o' my profits on the deal an’ blow you to a lunch with a small bottle o' Dago Red thrown in. How about It, Scraggs?” “I'm on.” Scraggs sought to throw off his gloom and appear sprightly. “What'd you peddle them two cadavers for, Gib?” Mr. Gibney grinned broadly, but did not-answer. In effect, his grin in- formed Scraggs that that was none of the latter's business—and Scraggs as- similated the hint. Well, at any rate, Gib, whatever you soaked him, it was a mighty good sale an’ I congratulate you. I think mebbe I might ha' done a little better myself, but then it ain't every day a feller can turn an eighteen-dollar trick on a corpse.” “Cemin’ to lunch with us?” McGuf- fey aemanded. ure. Wait a minute till T run forward an’ see if the lines is all fas:.” He stepped out.of the cabin and presently Gibney and McGuffey were conscious of a rapid ceession of thuds on the deck. Gibuey winked at McGuffey. “Nother new hat gone to h—1," mur- mured McGufiey. Py (Continued in Next Issue) “To | BETTY’'S BREAD Be sure to specify “AUNT BETTY’S” when you want good Bread. CAKES PIES COOKIES and FRENCH PASTERY Aunt Betty Quality! IS OUR BUSINESS AND WE WORK BOTH NIGHT AND DAY WARD BROTHERS | o P COUNTRY TRIPS A SPECIALTY Seven-passenger Buicks Seven - passenger Enclosed | Dodges and Dodge Tour- | ing cars—a motor for ev- ery occasion. 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