Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, November 26, 1921, Page 9

end Bart McGuffey, ney type, reigns in the engine room. CHAPTER I1—With this ené bie euclent vessel, Captain Iie inevitable Bappecn, ‘the Maggie & fos. kee Prince’ fey a to tt. CHAPTER 8 action pedis: ert ee fo Seragzs r out at = tens and-atlor 9 ler file wordy combat the oGuffey ming assistant engineer on poll tanker, Gibney disappearing. and 9 Tay wy “Si i} v the Behe, te poultion on a ferry 03 Se ts.in Colombia. tek by'a Mexican gunboat, ugh the Maggis Ga the gunbee they find thelr ing as engineer. T goes “Gib,” sald tyr” the lives'Tit'be sayin’. And after e@ cargo into Colombia and could have peached on the and got a reward for it, 8 lot-more lives, and come and “respectofi.”. Lord you've got an imagina- Til swear to that. Gib, I hat to you. You're all ground you. t fall through, tell gettin’ around it? There Why, Gib, my dear boy, I ut a a StF E E Ft ie BS x | 283% u ; “Well,” replied Mr. Gibney, “Til turn in and try to scheme a way out, but I Gon't hold owt no hope. Not a rey of At Tm. afraid; Scraggsy, we've got to be hangst.” Saying which, Mr. Gibney hopped up into bis berth, stretched his huge legs, and fell asleep with his clothes on. Scraggs looked him over with approach to aftection that Captain boats, ascertain the ident! Sates ae tar eeratiy hes ir way to Gerelict and Gibney CHAPTER two adventurers still for ‘the Mi Re deserted him, ‘Captain eapefectory fuacelal eattinomnt ‘with tn t, to which thy ‘ola triend' MeGuttey ect my own, Scraggsy, und—well, what's the use? What's the use? Scraggsy, you're a. naturabborn mar-plot. ways buttin’ {p, buttin’ in, ft far noth- » in’ but the green-pea trade. However, I can turn isto my old berth and get some sleep. Put the old girl eee a slow bell and save your coal, "I haye to fool away four or five hours in San Diego anyhow and there ain’t no sense in crowdin’ the old hulk.” that really your !ay—to ‘sted! the cargo, double-cross Junta, and sell out to a furrin’ coun- “Of course ft was," said Mr. Gib- pettishly, the banana republics. Why a ‘a Fi explosive shefl in the lot he mourned. percussion fire to get | CAM ctre every case except the first one.” They had come inside the mintmum range of the Mexicen’s long gun now, so that only the one-po nders con- | tinued to peck at the Maggie. Bvi- dently the M was as eager to get to close q as Mr. Gibney, for he held steadily on his course, “Well, it’s time to put over the big stuff,” Mr. Gibney remarked presently. “Here's hopin’ they don’t pot me with rifle fre while I'm extendin’ my com- Ppilments.” As the first muzzle burst raked the Mexican Captain Scraggs saw that most of the terrible blast of lead had gone too high. Nevertheless, it was effective, for to a man the crews of the one-pounders deserted their posts and tumbled below; seeing which the individual fn command lost his nerve. He was satisfied now that the infernal Maggie purposed ramming him; he had marveled that the filibuster should use shrapnel, after she had ranged with shell (he did not know ft was percussion shrapnel) and in sudden pantie he decided that the Maggie, mor- tally wounded, getting close enough to sink him with shell-fire if she failed to ram him; whereupon the yellow streak came through and he ed his arms frantically above his ‘ AgES reminded Mr. Glbney with asperity that they were not at- a atrawberry festival and for of heaven to get busy, the range, you “Looks to be to me. A little long, in, but—there'’s noth- ind he sighted care- Dawled as the Mng- tant fn the trough of Geckhand jerked the y Mr. Gibney clapped long glass to his eye. he mnr- mopred. “T'll lay on her waterline next time.” Be jerked open the broech, ejected the cartridge case, and rammed another cartridge home. This shot struck the water Cirectly under the schooner’s bow and threw water over ber forecastio head. Mr. Gibney u i é i u “ : ? ; H co a e 3 ar § is itn iE i i @ Ines cast off and the med out of the harbor. Off i & i usze | Loma they veered to the south, leav- smiled, spet overboard, and winked | bead In token of surrender. . & wastrel of Gib- | Ing the Coronado Islands on the star. confidentiy at Captain Scraggs. “Like “She's hauled down her rag.” board quarter, ten miles to the west. spearin’ fish in a bath tub,” he de-| ®hrieked Scraggs. “Be merciful, Gib. There's men dyin’ on that boat.” “Lay alongside that craft,” Mr. Gib- ney shouted to the helmsman. The schooner had hove to and when the Maggie aiso hove to some thirty yards to windward of her Mr. Gibney {n- formed the Mexican, in atrocious Spen- ish well mixed with English, that.if the latter so‘much as lifted his little finger heamight expect to be sunk like a dog. “Down below, everybody but clared. He bent over the fuse setter. “Corrector three zero,” he Intoned, “four eight hundred.” He thrust a cartridge In the fuse setter, twisted it, slammed it in the gun, and fired again, “Over,” he growled. Something whined over the Maggie and threw up a waterspout half a mile beyond her. “Dubs,” Jeered Mr. Gibney, and sighted again. This time his shrapnel Mr. Gibney. was below with Captain Scraggs, battling with the problem that confronted them, when the mate stuck his head down the companton- i 8 truck bay. toeBan Prahcieco, Veasel hal. ‘word. to that culated to Intercept the Maggie in an hour or two, Captain Scraggs and Mr. Gibney sprang up on the bridge once, the Than Let Them Stand Me Up Agin a Wall se~Furrous at “2 sAgeep- latter with Scraggs’ long glass up to In Ensenada.” burst neatly on the schooner. Almost | the helmsman, or Tl sweep your melted dine the two tase | bis eye. simultaneously a shell from the| decks with another muzzle burst,” he thundered. The Mexican obeyed and Captain Scrakgs went up in the pllot house and laid the terribly battered Maggie alongside the schooner. ‘The instant she touched, Mr, Gibney sprang aboard, quickly followed by Captain Scraggs, who hed relinquished the helm to his first mate, Suddenly Captain Scraggs shouted, “Look, Gib, for the love of the Lord, look!” and pointed with his finger. At the head of the little fron-ratled com- panton-way leading down Into the en? gine room a man was standing. He had a monkey wrench in one hand and a greasy rag in the other, Mr, Gibney turned and looked at the man. “MeGuffey, for a thousand!” he bel- stand me up agin a wall in Engenada. We're fillbusters, Scraggsy, and we're caught with the goods. I, for one, am goin’ down with the steamer M: but I'm goin’ down fightin’ Ike a bear.” “Maybe—maybe we can outrun her, Gib,” ‘half sobbed Captain Scraggs, “No hope,” replied Mr, Gibney, “Fight and die is the last resort. She's elght miles astern gainin’ every migute, and when ‘sl within two miles she'll open fire. Of course, we won't be hit unless’ they've got 9 Yankee gunner aboard.” “Let's run.up the Stars and Stripes and dare ’em to fire on us,” said Cap- ‘ain Scraggs. “No,” said Mr. Gibney firmly, “my “old man. died for,the flag an’ I've of the “Yan- schooner di Into the sacked coal ridievle should epee on the forecastle head of the Maggie and enveloped her In a black pall of smoke and coal dust. Captain Seraggs screamed. 3 “Tit for tat,” the philosophical Gib- ney reminded him. “We can't expect to get away with everything, Scraggsy, old kiddo.” The words were scarcely out of his mouth before the Maggie's mainmast and about ten feet of her ancient railing were trailing along- side. Mr, Gibney whistled softly through his teeth and succesafully sprayed the Mexican again. “It breaks my heart to ruln that craft's canvas,” he declared, and let her have tt once more. “My Maggie's tail ts shot away,” _Gaptain. Scraggs walled, “an’ I only “She was hove to under the lee of the Island, end the minute we came out of the harbor and turned south she come nosin’ after us,” said the mate, “Hum !" muttered Mr. Gibney. “Gaso- Une ‘schooner. Two masts and bald- headed. About a hundred and twenty ton, I should say, and showin’ a’pretty pair of heels. Theré's somethin’ up for’'d—yes—let me sce—ye-es, there's meio hay sient | to Taore—holy sailor! sta n gunbont! ‘and McGuitey awim | One of those doggoned gasoline coast patrol boats, and there's the federal flag flying at the fore." “Let's put back to San Diego bay,” quavered Captain Sctagga. “I'll be durned {f I relish’ the idee o’ losin’ the Mazgie." ¥ ih, marvelous. see! ite.” sala the philosophical’ Mr erpyts el iry oad “We're in Mexican waters ) sailed under.tt too long to bide be-| rebullt It a week ago.” Three more |fowed? and ran forward with out- yond, his, crewebay, \d-she can cut us of from the | hind !t when I'm in Dutch, We'll | sbots from the fonz gun missed them. | etretched hand. Captain Scraggs was cea'them to return. At an bay... Theonly. thing we can’ dois ‘to! fight. If you was ever navigatin’ of-| but the fourth carried awny the cabin, | at Gibney’s heels, and,between them Sastre ria delley nn run for it and try to lose her after} Meer enn Colombian cunboat, Seragga | leaving the wreck of the pilot house, | they came very nearly dislocating Bar- smugsied “Oriental goods.’ They dark. ‘Tell the engineer to crowd paar you'd realize what it means to run| With the helmsman unscathed, stick- | tholomew McGuffey’s arm. tLe a kg ate ie to the limit, There ain't much wind te |sfrom ‘a Mexican.” _. ing up like # sore thumb. “McGuffey, my dear boy,” said Cap- } VvIit..- reeks to} speak of, so I guess we can manage! Captain Scriggs sald nothing fur-|. “Turn her around and head stratght | tain Scraggs, “Whatever are you pBowble cross’ his) two. aasoctates, Pot | Co hold our own for.a while, Never. | ther, Perbaps he was a little ashamed for, them," the gallant Gibney roared. | a-doin’ on this heathen hattleship,?” er nt | cheless, Pve, got a hunch that-we'll be | of himgelf in the face of Mr. Gib-| “She's a smaller target comin’ bows “Me!” ejaculated Mr. MeGuffey, with ese company to whom the bodies | owerhauled. Of course, you ain't gét | ney's simple faith in his own ability; | on. We're broadside to her now.” bh “w sermon K . ve p . his old-time deliberation, “Why, I'm Ie the cola nn eneds teaving Scrases Out | 116 bapers to show, Scrages; and they’ | perhaps in his yeins,-all unknown, | “Gib,- wit’ you. ever sink that | ene chief engineer of this craft. Thad Larmney rosetta atiGure"| eaten the: cargo, and confiscate. us, | there flowed. a-talnt of the sheroic Greaser?* Captain Seraggs-sobbed hys-| q goog job, too, but I guess ‘It's all off Rate! and shoot the-whole bloomin’. crowd } blood of some forgotten sea-dog, Be | terically, now, and the Mexiran government’ll “Don't want to ‘sink her,” the super- curgo retorted, “'She's a nice little schooner.» I'd-rather capture her. May- be we enn use her in our business, Seraggsy,” and he continued to show- er the enemy with high bursting shtap- that as it may, something dtd swell in hts breast when Mr. Gibney spokes) of the flag snd’ his’ scorning to bide behind tt, and Scraggs’ snaggle teeth came together witha snap. “All right, Gib, my boy," he said solemnly, “I’m with you. Mrs. Scraggs has slipped her cable and there ain't ‘nobody to mourn foF me. But if we can’t fight under the Stars and Stripe: ‘by the tall of the Greet Sacred Bu’ We'll Lave a fiag of our own,” and leaving Mr. Gibney and the crew. to Set the guns on deck, Captaln Scraggs tdn below, He appeared on decx pres- ~ently with a long blue burgee on which was emblazoned in white letters the single -word Maggie. I: was his own housefiag, and with trembling hands he ra It to the fore and cast its wrinkled folds to the breeze of heaven. “Good old dishcloth!” shrieked Mr. Gibney. “She never comes down.” - “D—d if she does,” said Captain Seraggs profanely. While all this was going on, a deck- hand had reevyed a block and tackle through the end of the cargo gaff and passed {t to the winch. The two guns came out of the hold in jig time, and while Scraggs and one deckhand opened the after hold and got out am- munition for the guns, Mr. Gibney, as- sisted by the other deckhand, pro- ceeded to put one of the guns to- gether. He was shrewd enough to realize that he would have to do prac- tleally all of the work of serving the gun himself, in view. of which condl.. tion-one gun would have to defend the- Maggie. He had never seen a biountain gun before,-but he did not find it difficult to put the simple me- chanism together. “Now, en, Scraggsy,” he an- nounced cheerfully when the gun was finally assembled on the carriage, “get a elzeable timber an’ spike it to the center o’ the deck. Ill run the trail spade up against that cleat an’ ~fat'll keep the recoil from lettin’ the -of- us. I, bet a Mollar to a Coughnut that fellow Li sold us out, after the fasion of the country. I can’t help thinkin’ that that gunboat way there Just a-waitin' for us to show u For several minutes Mr. Gibney con- tinued, to study the gunboat until there could\no longer be any doubt that she intended to overhaul them, He made out that she had a long gun -for'd; withn battery of two one-pdund- ers on top of ber house and something oa ber port quarter that looked like @ -Maxim rapid-fire gun. About twenty ‘amen, dressed in white cloth, could be seen on her decks. * Presently. Mr. Gibney was inter- rupted by Captasn Scraggs pulling at -his sleeve. 2 ¢ “You was a gunner once, wasn't you, “Gib? said Captain Scraggs in a ‘trembling voice, “You bet [ was,” replied Mr. Gibney. “My shootin’ won the trophy three times In succession when I was on the old Kearsarge. If I had one good gun and a half-decent crew, I'd knock that gunboat silly before she knew what’ bad hit her,” “Gib, I've got an idee,” said Captain Scraggs. “Out with it,” sald Mr, Gibney cheer- fully. ’ “There was four little cannon low- ered into the hold the last thing before we put on the main hatch, and the am- munition to load 'em with fs stowed In the after hold and very easy to get at". » Mr. Gibney turned a beaming face to ‘the sktyper, reached out his arms, and folded Captain Scraggs in an embrace that would have done credit to a grizzly bear. There were genuine tears of admiration In his eyes and in his ‘volce when he could master his #mo- tions sufficiently to speak. “Scraggsy, old tarpot, you've been a long time comin’ through on the tmag!- nation, but you've sure arrived with all sail set. I always thought you had about as much herve as an oyster, but I take it nil back. We'll get out them two Uttle jackass guns and fight « naval battle, and if I don’t sink that Mexican gunboat, and save the Mag- gle, feed me to the sharks, for I won't be worthy of the blood that's in me: Pipe all hands and lift off that matn | hatch. Reeve’ a block and tackle that cargo gaff and stand by been lonesome ever | to heave, out the guns.” Z But Captain Scraggs had repented of his rash suggestion almost the mo- ment he made it. ‘Only the dire neces- sity of desperate measures to save the bee verter pted him to put the idea into Mr, Gibney’s head, and when ut the same principts,” he declared. he saw the avidity with which the Iat-| “In the army I'belleve they call this ter set to work clearing for action, his | Kind o’ shootin’ direct fire, because terror knew no bounds. ; you sight direct on, the targcc." He “Oh,-Gtb," he wailed, “I'm afraid scratched his ingenious bead and cx. better not try to lick that gunboat aft-| amined the cmmunttics. “Not a high fire me, Say, who chucked that buck- shot down into my engine room?" “Admiral Gibney did it," said Scraggs. ‘“Thd old Maggie's along- side and me and: Gib's fillbusters, Bear a hand, Mac, and help us clap the batches on our prisoners.” ank God,” said-Mr. Gibney plous- ly, “I didn’t kil! you. Come to look {nto the matter, I didn’t kill anybody, though 1 see half a dozen Mexicans around decks more or less cut up. Where you been all these years, Mac?” > “1 been chief engineer in the Mexi- can navy,” replied McGuffey. “Have you captured us in the name of the United States or what?” “We've captured you in the name of Adelbert P, Gibney,” was the reply. “I been huntin’ all my Ufe for a ship of my own, and now I've got her. Lord, Mac,- she’s a beauty, ain't she? All hardwood finish, teak rail, well found, and just the ticket for the {sland trade. Well, well, well! I'm Captain Gibney at last.” “Where do I come fn, Gib?” asked Captain Scraggs modestly. “Well, seein’ as the Maggie has two holes through her hull below the wa- terline, and is generally nicked to pleces, you might quit askin’ questions and get back aboard and put the pumps on her. You're lucky !f she don't sink on you before we get to Des- eanso bay. If she sinks, don’t worry, (ll give you a job as my first mate. Mac, you're my ‘engineer, but not at no fancy Mexican price, I'll pay you the union scale and not a blasted cent more or less. Is that fair?” McGuffey said it was, and went be- low to tune up his engine. Mr. Gibney took the wheel of the gunboat, and sent Captain Scraggs back aboard the Maggie, and in a few minutes both vessels’ were bowling along toward Desanso bay. Tliey were off the bay at midnight, and while with Mr. Gib- ney In command of the federal gun- boat Captain Scraggs had nothing to fear, the rapid rise of water in the hold of the Maggie was sadly discon- certing. : About daylight he made up his mind that she would sink within two hours, and without pausing to whine over his predicament, he promptly beached her. She drove far up the beach, with the slack water breaking around her scarred stern, and when the tide ebbed she lay high and dry. And the rebel soldiers came trooping down (from the Megano rancho and falling upon her carcass like so many ants, quickly distributed her cargo amongst them, and disap- peared. Captain Scraggs sent his crew out aboard the captured gunboat to assist Mr. Gibney in rowing his prisoners ashore, and when -finally he - stood alone beside the wreck of the brave three separate, Mexican revolu- rous offer to Lower ‘the old mission. On wa: tire, 2 it hae to be destroyed, transfer, AL t Captain Scraggs, “was the insurrecto “They all do such 2 “My Maggle’s Tall Is Shot Away.” nel, When the two vessels were less ,than two miles apart the one-pounders came into action. It was pretty shoot- ing and the wicked little shells ripped through the old Maggie ‘like buckshot through a roll of butter. Mr. Gibney slid fiat on the ‘deck beside his gun and Captain Scraggs sprawled beside him. “A feller,” Mr. Gibney announced, “has got to take a beatin’ while lookin’ for an opentn’ to put over the knock- out blow. If the old Maggie holds to- gether till we're within a cable length o’ that schooner an’ we ain't all killed by .that time, I bet I'll make them skunks sing soft an’ low.” “How?” Captain Scraggs chattered. “With muzzle bursts,” Mr. Gibney replied. “I'll set my fuse at zero, an’ at point-blank range I'll Just rake everything off that echooner'’s decks, Guess I'll get half a dozen cartridges set an’ ready for the big scene. Up with you, Admiral Scraggs, an‘ hold the fuse setter steady.” * “I'm agin war,” Scraggs quavered. “Gib, it’s sure h—l." “Rats! It's invigoratin’, Scraggsy. ‘There ain't nothin’ wrong with war, Scraggsy, unless you happen to get Harry,” sata Ceptatn and no loose ends Don't tell me th’ mé that, Ain't there coupler gallons o’ distillate an’ some waste, somebody. This cosmoline’s got to come ont o” the tube an’ ont 0” the breech mechanism before we comn- mence shootin’.” , The enemy had approached within three miles by the time the plece was ready for action, Under Mr. Gibney’s instructions Captain Scraggs held the fuse setter in case-it should be nec- essary to adjust with shrapnel. Mr. Gibney inserted his sights and took a preliminary squint. “A little differ. ent from gun-potntin’ tn the nary, but guch a grand lay in my lute winner. Don't your imagination make a little money. killed. Then {t's Ike cholera. You old Magete, piled up at last in the port of missing ships, something snapped within his breast and the big tears rolled tm quick succession down his . cheeks, The old hulk looked peculiarly pathetic as she ley there, Usted over on her beam ends. She bad lerved him well, but she had finished her last voyage, and with scme vague idea of saving ber old bones from vandal hands, Captain Scraggs, sobbing audibly, scattered the contents of half a doven cans of kerosene over her decks and in the cabin, lighted fires in three different sections of the wreck, and left her to. the consuming flames. Half ap hour later he stood ‘on the battered decks of the gunboat beside Gibney and McGuffey and watched the dense clouds of smok that heralded the passing of the Mag- gie. “She was a good old hulk,” said Mr) Gibney. “And now, eas the spe cial envoy of the Liberal army of Mex- leo, here’a a Graft on Los Angeles for five thousand bucks, Scraggsy, which constitutes the balance due you on this bere filibuster trip. Of course, I needn't remind you, Scraggsy, that you'd never have earned this money if it hadn't been for Adelbert P. Gibney workin’ his imagination overtime. I've made you a ¢hunk of money, and while I couldn’t)save your ship, I did Snve your life As a reward for all this, I don't claim one cent of the money due you, as I could if I wanted to be rotten mean. I'm goin’ to keep this fine little power schocner for my share of the loot. She's nicked up some, but that only bears evicence to what a bully good shot I am, and it won't take much to fix her up all ship- shape again. Usio’ high bursts shrapnel’ ain’t very destructive, All them bumps an’ scratcues can be pianed down. But we'll have to do some mendin’ on her canvas—I'll tell the world, She's called the Reina Maria, but ['m going to run her to Panama and change her name. She'll be known es Meggie IT, out of re- spect for the old girl that’s burnin’ up there on the beach.” Captain Scraggs was so touched at this delicate lttle tribnte that he turned away and burst into tears. “Aw, shut up, Scraggsy, old hunks,” sald MeGuffey consolingly. “You ain't got nothin’ to ery about. You're a rich man, Look at me. I ain't a-bawlin’, am I? And I don't get so much as a bean out of this mix-up, all on account of me bein’ tied up with ‘a lot of hounds that quits fight- “ta” before they're half licked.” “That's w sald Captain Scragza, wiping his ‘eyes with his grimy fists, “I declare yot're out In the cold, Me Guffey, and it ain't right. Gib, my tree has had some stirrin’ times together and we've had our dit- ferences, but I atn’t a-goln' to think The sight o’ you, boy, us of them past griefs. single-handed, meetin’ and annihilatin the pride of the Mexican navy, calm in th’ moment o’ despair, generous in victory and delicate as blazes to a fallen shipmate, goln' to work an’ namin’ your vessel after him that way, “She'll Be Known as Maggie 11, Out of Respect for the Old-Girl That's Burnin’ Up There.on the Beach.’ is somethin’ that wipes away all sor- rer and welds a friendship that’s bound to endoor till death us ‘to part. If McGuffey’d been on our side, we know from past performances that he'd a fit Uke a tiger, wouldn't you, Mac?” (Here Mr, McGuffey coughed slightly, as much as to say that he would have fought like ten tigers had he only been given the opportunity.) Captain Scraggs continued: “I should say that a fair yaluation of this schooner as-she stands is ten thousand dollars. That belongs to Gib, Now T’'m willin’ to chuck five thousand dol- lars into the deal, we'll form a’ close corperation and as a compliment to McGuffey, elect hin chief engineer In his own' ship and give him, say, a quarter interest in our layout, as a lttle testimonial to an old friend, tried and true.” “Scraggsy,” said Mr. Gibney, “your war, breakin” loose Gown there, ant we'll shy tm our horseshoe with the | Strongest side and pry loose a fortune somewhere, I'm for a life of wild ad- venture, and mow that we've got the ship and the funds and the crew, let's go tolt. There's a desi of fine liquor in the wardroom, acd I suggest that we sominate Phineas Scraggs, late to brew a kettic © hot grog to cele brate our victory, Mac—Scraggsy— your fins. I'm prood of you both. Shake.” They shook and as Captain Gfbney's eye wancered aloft, First Mate Scragss and Chief Engineer McGuffey looked up also, From the main topmast of | the Maggie II floated a long bine burgee, with white lettering on !t, and as it whipped out into the breeze the old familiar name stood out egainst the noonday sun. “Good old dishcloth murmured Mr. Gibney. “She never comes down.” “The Maggie forever!" shrieked Sernggs. “Hooray !" bellowed McGuffey. “An‘ now, Scraggsy, if you've got all the enthusiasm out of your blood, kick In with a hundred an’ fifty dollars an’ Interest to date. An’ don't tell me that note’s outlawed, or I'll feed you to the fishes.” Captain Scraggs looked crestfallen, but produced the money, } CHAPTER xX. “Well, Scraggsy, olf hunks, this ts pleasant, aln't it?” sald Mr. Gfbney, and spat on the deck of the Maggie II. “Right replied Captain Scraggs cheerily, “though when I was a young feller and first went to sea, it wasn't considered no pleasantry to spit on a nice clean deck. You might cut that out, Gib, It's vulgar.” “Passin’ over the fact, Scraggs, that you ain't got no call to Jerk me up on sea ettycat, more particular since I'm the master and managin’ owner of this hege schooner, I'm free to confess, Scraggsy, that your observation does you credit, I just did that to see if you was goin’ to take big an Inter: est In the new ggie as you aid in the old Maggie, and the fact that you object to me expectoratin’ on the deck proves to me that you're leavin’ behind you all them bay scow tendencies of the green-pea trade. It leads me to be- leve that you'll rise to high rank and distinction Im the .Colomblan navy, Your fin, Scraggsy. Expectoratin’ on the decks is barred, and the Maggie It goes under navy discipline from now on. Am I right?” “Right as a right whale,” sald Cap- tain Scraggs. “And now that you've given thet old mate of mine the course, and we've temporarily plugged up the holes in this here Mexican gunboat, ané everything points toa safe and profitable voyaze from now on, sup- pose you deiiga’e me as @ committee of one to brew a scuttle of grog, after ‘| which the syndicate holds a mettin’ and lays out a course for {ts future *| conduct, ‘There's a few questions of rank and privileges that ought to be settled once and for ali, so there can’t be no come-back.” “The point is well taken and it is so ordered,” said Mr. Gibney, who bad once held office in Harbor 15, Master and Pilots Associetion of America, and knew a fragmént or two of pariin- mentary law. “Rustle up the grog, call McGuffey up out of the engine room, and we'll hold the meetin’.” ‘Twenty minutes later. Scraggs came on deck to announce the successful concoction of a kettle of whisky punch ; whereupon the three adventurers went ‘below and sat down at the cabin table for a conference. “I move that Gib be appointed presi- dent of the syndicate,” sald Captain Scraggs. “Second the motion,” rumbled Mc Guffey, “The motion's carried,” said Mr, Gib- ney, and banged the table with his horny fist, “The meetin’ will please come to order, The chair hereby ap- points Phineas Scraggs secretary of the syndicate, te keep a record of this and all future meetin’s of the board. I will now entertain propositions of any and all natures, and I invite the members of the board to knock the stopper out of thelr jaw tackle and go to it.” - , “I move,” said Captain Scraggs, “that B. McGuffey, Esquire, be, and he Is hereby appointed, chief engineer of the Maggie II at a salary | not to exceed the wage schedule of the Marine En- gineers’ Association of the Pacific coast, and that he be voted a one-fourth interest {n the-vesse! and all subsequent profits.” “Second the motion,” sald Mr. Gib- ney, “and not to hamper the business of the meetin’, we'll Just consider that motion carried unanimous,” B. McGuffey, Esquire, rose, bowed his thanks, and sat down again, ap- parently very much confused. It was evident that he had something to say, but was having difficulty framing his thoughts in parliamentary language. “Heave away, Mac,” sald Mr. Gib- ney. “Cast off your. lines, chirped Scraggs. Thus encouraged, McGuffey rose, bowed his thanks once more, moistened his larnyx with a gulp of the punch, and spoke: (To be Continued) aie a ae McGuffey,” fin. We've fought, but we'll let that ont 4 y to how the world &0. We wipe the slate clean and start | |) DSW pe, ha oy ake OBE in all over again on the Maj I, at 7 oe pied the discoverer of radium, She de and I'm free to state, without fear of contradiction, that in the last embrog- lo you showed up like four aces and a king with the entire company stand- in’ pat. Scraggay, you're a hero, and what you propose proves that you're considerable of a singed cat—better’n you look. We'll go freebootin' down on the Gold coast, There's war, red ‘| clares that the earth, instead of get- ting cooler, is steadily getting “hotter as the result-of its store of radio-ac- tive substances. Very little of the heat can escape through the earth's solid crust, so one day, millions of years hence, there will bo an explo- sion—radium will blow the earth up. 3 >, 4 Ke = J Z " S Ven * y y or ae = be CS 3 LZ CESS DIO. 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