, 1921-10-29

horsepower they made up IN ~pugnucify
and the salt sea seldom breeds a
craven Captain scraggs thrust a
frightened face Up through the engine
room hatch. but AZ sight Of the battle
royal taking place on the deck aft.
his blood turned TO water and he
thought only OF escape. To climb up
to the bulkheac without being seen
was impossible. however. 90. not
knowing what else to do. be stood on
the iron ladder and gazed. pop-eyed
with horror. at the unequal contest.
Backward and forward the tide Of
battle surEed- For nearly three min
utes all scrnggs saw vas an indis-
tinct tnngle of legs and arms; then
suddenly the combatants d~isengnEed
themselves and scraggs beheld Mr..
Gibney prone upon the deck with q
CORY face upturnet to the foggy skies
when he essnyed to rise and continue
the contest. Ffaherty kicked him In
the ribs and Hicks cursed him: 30
Mr.. Gihney. realizing that all WIS
over, beat the deck with his hand In
token Of surrender. Hicks and Fla
herty waited until the fallen giadia-
tor had recovered sufficient breath to
SIT up: then they pounced upon him.
lifted him TO the rail, and dropped him
overheard. Captain Scraggs shrieked
In protest at this added touch OF bar
barity. and Dan Hicks, turning. be
held scrnggsy's white face at the
hatch.
You're next scrnggs.- he called
c~heerfully. and turned to peer over the
rail. Mr.. GIbney had emerged on the
surface and was swimming slowly
away toward an adjacent loaf where
small boats landed. He climbed
weatly up on the float and sat there.
gazing across at Hicks and Flaherty
without animus. for to fills way of
thinking he had gotten OF lightly. con-
sidering the enormity OF his ofense.
The least he had anticipated was three
months In hospital. and so grateful
was he to Hicks and Flaherty for
their ~forbearnnce that he ~strangled n
resolve to LAY" for Hicks and Fla
herty and thrash them individually
something he was fully able to do
and forgot his aches and pains in a
80 ~ ~ AAC AAhG Va OaB"
tain Scrnggs at the hands OF the tow
boat men. He was aware that Cap
tain Scraggs had failed ignominiously
to rally to the Cibney appeal to repel
~boarders, and In his own expressive
terminoiogy he hoped that what the
enemy would do TO the bastard wouId
be "a-plenty."
The enemy. meanwhile, had turned
their attention upon Scrnggs, who had
lodged below like a frightened rabbit
and sought shelter In the shaft alley.
He had sufficient presence OF mind. as
he dashed through the engine room. to
snatch a large monkey wrench of the
tool rnck On the wall. and. knecline
Just, inside the alley entrance he
turned AT bay and threatened the in.
vaders with his weapon Thereupon
Hicks and Flaherty pelted him with
Jumps Of coal. but the sole result OF
this assault vas to force Scraggs
further back into the shaft alley and
out of range.
The towboat men held a council o.
war and decided TO drown Scraggs out
Dan Hicks ran up on deck and re
turned dragging the deck fire hose be
hind him. BE thrust the brass nozzl.
into the shaft-alley entrance and In
vited Scrnggs TO surrender uncondi
~tionally or be drowned like a kitten
Scraggs, knowing his own FIRE hose
defied them. so Dan Hicks started the
pump while Flaherty turned on the
water. Instantly the hose burst up on
deck and Scraggs' jeers of triumph
filled the engine room. The enemy
was about to draw lots to see which
n OF the two should crawl into the
shaft alley and throw a cupful OF
chloride Of lime (for they found a can
Of this In the engine room) In Captain
Scraggs' fnce. when a shadow dark
ened the hatch and Mr.. Bartholomew
McGuffey demanded belligerently:
whats goin' en- down there? Who
the DEVILS takin' liberties in my en-
gine roomf"
Dan Hicks explained the situation
and the Just cause for drastic action
which they held against the fugitive
In the shaft alley. Mr.. McGuffey con.
sidered n few m and made his
decision.
"lf what you say Is true-an' I ain't
In position TO dispute you, not hav!n'
been present when you hauled the
Maggie of the beach, / don't blame
you for feeling sore. What 1 do blame
you for. though. is carryin' the war
aboard the Maggie. II you wanted to
whale Glib an Scraggsy you should ha'
laid for EN- on the dock. Under the
circumstances, you make this a per-
snail AFFAIR, an as q member o. the
crew o. the Maggie I got to take a
hand an defepd my skipper agin youse
two. Fact is, gentlemen. I got a date
to lick him first for what he done to
me last night. Howsumever. that's a
private crouch. The fact remains that
you two Jumped my pal Bert Gibney
an licked him somethin' scandalous.
Hicks. I'll take you on hrst. Come up
out Of there. you swab. and fight. Fla
! herty, You stay below until I send for
/, you II you try to climb up an horn In
on my fight with Hicks, Gibney'u brain
you"