The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1921-12-30


he looked up at Jack Flaherty.
"Flaherty." he said. II think you're
liar"
"The same to you and many Of
Them" Flaherty replied. not a bit
abashed. "You said she was an eight
thousand-ton tramp"
II never went 30 Tar as to say I'd
been aboard her on trial trip, though
and did cut down her tonnage, show
in got the fragments Of q con-
science left" Hicks defended himself.
He closed the book with a sigh and
placed 1t back on the shelf, Just as
the door opened to admit no less
parsonage than Bartholomew McGuf-
fey. late chief engineer. first assist
ant, second assistant, third assistant.
wiper, oller, water-tender and stoker
Of the s. 8. Maggie. With brief nod
to Jack Flaherty Mr.. McGuffey ap-
preached Dan Hicks.
II been loolkin' for you. captain" he
announced. "Say, I hear the chief o.
the Aphrodite's goin' to take q three
months layoff to get shet Of his rheu-
matism. II that straightT
~ believe II Is, McGuffey."
"Well, say, I'd like to have q chance
to substitoot for him. You know my
capabilities, Hicks, an II It would be
agreeable to you to have me for your
chief your recommendation would 60
long way toward landin' me the Job.
I'd sure make them engines behave"
"What vessel have you been on late
lyr Hicks demanded cautiously. for
he knew Mr.. McGuffey's reputation for
non-reliability around pay day.
II been with that freshwater scaven-
ger, Scraggs, In the Maggie for most
year."
"Did you quit or did Scraggs IRE
your"
HE fred me-" McGufrey replied
honestly. "If he hadn't I'd have quit,
50 It's toss-up. Comm In from
Halfmoon bay last night we got In the
fog an piled up on the beach Jus
below the Cliff house"
''This is interesting" Jack F1aherty
murmured. .You say she walked
ashore on you. McGuffeyt Well, TIL
be shoti"
"She did. Scraggs blamed It on me.
Flaherty. He said I didn't obey the
signals from the bridge. one word led
to another, an he went dancin' mad
an ordered me Off his ship. Well, it's
his ship-or 1t was his ship, for TIL
bet a dollar she's ground to powder
by now--so all l could do was obey.
hoped overheard an waded ashore.
I suppose all my clothes an things Is
gone BY now. left everything aboard
an had to borrow this outfit from
Scab Johnny" He grinned pathetical-
ly. $50 i guess you understand, Cap
tain Hicks, just how bad I need that
job I spoke about a minute ago."
r'Ill think It over, Mac. an let you
know" Hicks replied evasively.
Mr.. McGuffey, sensing his defeat,
retired forthwith to hide his embar-
rassment and distress; as the door
closed behind him, Hicks and. F1aherty
faced each other.
"Jack," quoth Dan Hicks. "can two
towboat men, holdin' down two hun
dred-donar Jobs an presumed to have
been out o. their swaddlin' clothes for
at least thirty years, afford to be
laughed or the San Francisco water
frontr
II know one of them that can't,
Dan. At the same time, can rat like
PhIneas p. Scraggs and a beachcomb-
or like his mate Gibney make a pair
Of star-spangled monkeys out Of said
two towboat men and get away with
1T"
'.They did that last night Still, I've
known monkeys that would fight an
was human, enough 20 settle grudge.
Follow me, Jack
Together they repaired to Jackson
street bulkhead. Sure enough, there
lay the Maggie, rubbing her blistered
sides against the bulkhead. Captain
Scraggs was nowhere in sight, but Mr..
Gibney was at the winch. swinging
ashore the crates of vegetables which
The SQuarehead and three longshore-
men loaded into the cargo net.
"we're outnumbered," Jack Flaherty
whispered. Lets wait until she's un-
loaded an Gibney an Scraggs are
aboard alone"
They retired without having at
tracted the attention Of Mr.. Gibney. )
Promptly at twelve o'clock the long
shoremen knocked or work for the
lunch hour and Neils Halvorsen