, 1921-11-19

aboard safely ana without a lot OF
suspicion attaching 10 the vessel.
When all was In readiness, Captain
scrngEs Internationally fired his deck
hand and engineer and indueted aboard
a new crew. carefully selected for their
nifbuster virtues BY sesb Johnny him
self. Then while the new engineer got
up steam. Captain Seraggs went up 10
scsb Johnny's once for his nnsI In
structions and the balance OF the nrst
insfalment due him
Briefly. his Instructions were a. fol.
lows: Upon arrival OF Point Dune
on the southern California coast, he
was to stand In close TO Dune cove
under cover OF darkness and show two
green lights on the masthead A man
would come ~inlngsids presently in q
small boat and climb aboard. This
man would be the Eu~percargo and the
confidential envoy OF the insurfecto
3unta In Los Angeles Captain scrasgs
was to look TO this man for orders ana
TO obey him implicitly. a upoa this
depended the OF the eIpedi-
ton This agent Of the insurrecto
forces would pay him the balance Of
nve thousand dollars due him immedi-
ateiy upon discharge OF the cargo at
Descanso bay. There was q body OF
i~nsurrecto troops eneamped at MeEano
rancho, a mile from the beach, and
they would have a barge and small
boats In readiness TO lighter the cargo.
Scab Johnny explained that he had
promised the crew double wage and
a bonus Of n hundred dollars zach for
the trip. Don Manuel Garcia Lopez
paid over the requisite moun OF cash.
and half an hour later the Mapgie was
steaminE down the bay on her periious
mission
The sun was setting as they passed
out the Golden gate and swung down
tns south channel. and with the wind
on her beam, the aged Maggie did min
knots. Late In the afternoon Of the
following day she> WINS on the Santa
Barbara channel. and about midnight
She ran In under the lee OF Point Dune
and lay to. The mate hung out the
green signal lights. and In about an
hour Captain Scraggs heard the sound
OF oars grating In rowiocks, A few
minutes later q s~tentorian voice hailed
them out OF the darkness. Captain
scraggs had n Jacobs ladder Eiung
over the side and the mate and two
d~eckhands hung over the rail- with Ian
terms, lighting up the surrounding sea
feebiy for the benefit of the lone ad-
venturer who sat mufied in n great
coat In the stern Of a small boat rowed
by two men. There was n very slight
sea running. and presently the men In
the small boat, watching their oppor-
tunity by the Ehostiy light OF tho Ian
terms, ran their fraIi craft In under
che lee Of the Maggie. The figure in
the stern sheets leaped on the instant,
caught the Jacobs ladder, climbed
nimbly over the side, and swore heart
lily in very good English as his feet
struck the deck.
whats the name OF this floating
cofinT' he demanded III a chainloekel
voice. II IA quite evident that ever
In the darkness. where her many de
fects were merclfuiiy hidden. the Mag
gle did not suit the special envoy Of
the Mexican i~nsurrectoS.
american steamer Maggie" said
the skipper frigidly. "scraggs is my
name. sir. And II you don't like my
vessel
"Scraggsyi" roared the specir' en-
voy. "Scraggsy. for a thousand And
the old Maggie Of all boe.si Scraggsy,
old tarpot, your fni Duke me. you
doggoned old salamandcri
"Gib. my lear boy I" shrieked Cap
tain scraggs and cnst himself into Mr..
Gibney's arms In a transport OF joy.
Mr.. Gibney, for It was indeed he,
pounded Captain Scrsggs on the back
with one great hand while with The
other he crushed the skipper's fingers
to a pulp. the while he called on all
the powers of darkness TO witness that
never in all his life had he received
such a pleasant surprise.
1t was indeed a happy moment. All
the old animosides and differences
were swallowed up In the glad hand
clasp with which MI. Gbney greeted
his old shipmate OF tho green-pea
trade. Scrnggs took him below at once
and they pledged each others health
In a steaming kettle OF. grog. while the
Maggie, once more on her course,
rolled south toward Descanso bay.
well, III be k~eel-hauled and sknll-
draggedI- said Captain scragSs, pro-
ducing 4 box of two-for-a-quarter
cigars and handing It to Mr.. Glbney.
"Gfb. my dear boy. wherever have you
been these last three yearsY'
"Everywhere." replied Mr. Gfbney.
Fl have been all. over. mostly In Pana-
ma and the Gold coast For two years
I've been navigntin' of1cer on tho Co
lombian gunboat Bogota. When I was
a young Teller 1 did q hitch In tho navy
and become q nrst-class gunner, and
then I went to sen In the merchant ma
rine. and got my mates license. and
when I flashed my credentials on the
president Of the United States OF Co
lombia he give me a Job at dos cienti
pesos orc" per. That's Spanish for
two hundred bucks gold a month. I've
been through w wars and I got a
medal for uinkin' a fshin' smack. I