Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1921-10-27
CHAPTER ti-continued.


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She did---with crack that shook
the rigging and caused 1t TO rattle like
buckshots In pan. A terrible cry
such cry. indeed. as might burst
from the lips of a mother seeing her
only child run down by the Limited
burst from poor Captain Scraggs. "My
shipl My ship" he howled. "My
darling little Maggie! They've killed
sou. they've killed you'll The dirty
lubbersl"
The succeeding wave lifted the Mag
gte off the beach, carried her in some
fifty feet further. and deposited her
gently on the sand She heeled over
to port little and rested there as II
she was very, very weary. nor could
all the threshlng of her screw In re.
verse haul her off again. The surf.
dashing In under her fantail, had more
power than McGuffey's engines. and.
foot by foot. the Maggie proceeded to
dig herself in. Mr. Gibney listened
for five minutes TO the uproar that
rose from the bowels Of the little
steamer before he whistled up Mr..
McGuffey.
XIII her, kill her." he ordered.
"Your wheel will bite into the sand
first thing you know, and tear the
stern off her You're shakin' the old
girl TO pieces"
McGuffey killed his engine. banked
his fires, and came up on deck. wiping
his anxious face with fearfully filthy
sweat rag. At the same time Scraggs
and Neils Halvorsen came crawling
aft over the decliaat and when they
reacfe6 the clear space ar6sInd the
pilot house. Captain Seraggs threw his
brown derby on the deck and leaped
upon 1t until, his rage abating ulti-
mately. no power on earth. In the air,
or under the sea. could possibly have
rehabilitated 1t and rendered II fit for
further wear, even by Captain Scraggs.
This petulant practice of jumping on
his hat was habit with Scraggs
whenever anything annoyed him par
ticularly and was always infallihle evil
dence that simple declarative sen
tence had stuck In his throat.
"Weli. old whirling dervish," MIR.
Gibney demanded calmly when Scraggs
paused for lack of breath to continue
his dance. "what about It? We're up
Salt Greek without paddle; the devil
40 Nou .ad ~ .ttDk hot
"McGuffey's firedi" Captain Scraggs
screeched.
Come. come Scraggsy, old tarpot."
Mr.. Gibney soothed "Ths amt no
time for fghtin'. Thinkn' an actin
is all that saves the Maggie now"
But Captain Scraggs was beyond
reason. "McGuffey's firedl McGuf-
fey's flred!" he reiterated. "The dirty
rotten wharf rat! Call yourself an
engineerY he continued witheringiy.
sAs an engineer you're bowling sue.
cess at shoemakin', you slob. I'll fix
your clock for you, my hearty. Til
have your ticket took away from you,
an that's no Chinaman's dream.
nuther"
TITS all my fault runnin by dead
reckontn'," the honest Gibney pro.
tested. "Mac amt to fault. The en-.
CINE room telegraph busted an he got
the wrong signal"
ITS his business to see to II that
he's got an engine room telegraph that
won't bust"
"You dog!" McGuffey roared and
sprane at the skipper, who leaped
nimbly up the little ladder to the ton
Of the pilot house and stood prepared
TO kick Mr.. McGuffey In the face
should that worthy venture up after
him. Il can't persuade you to git me
n0thin' that ought to have I'm tired
workin with Junk an scraps an COP.
per wire and pieces o. string. I'm
through" :,
You're right--you're through, be-
cause you're fired!" Scraggs shrIeked
In insane rage. "Get off my shin. Won
maritime impostor. or I'll take pistol
10 you. Overheard with YOU. Won
greasy. Anticipated bounderl You're
rotten, understand Rotteni Rotten
Rottenl"
AYou owe me eight dollars an. six
bits. Scraggs," Mr.. McGuffey reminded
his owner calmly. 'Chuck down the
spenduIirks an TIL get off your ship.
Captain Scraggs was beyond reason.