, 1921-12-31

buriec no more II you 1sut 70 tow
that barge Mac. you buy me out, lock.
stock and barrel An the price for
my half interest Is five thousand dol.
lars"
"fou've -old something. scraxxzy.-
Mr. AcGuf.ey flashed back at him.
obeying a wink from Mr.. G.bney. AN
here's a hundred collars to bind the
bargain Balance On delivery Of prop
er bill o. sale"
While Scraggs was counting thu
money Mr.. Gibney was writing a re-
oeipt In his note book, scraxgs. s,ni
furious. signed tho receipt.
Now. then scrngssy.- said Mr.. oIb-
ney affahly. hustle up o the custom
mousse. got . formal bill o. sale blank.
I'll her in. an hustle back agin for
your check An see to 1t you don't
change your mind. because II won't
do you tiny good II you don't como
through now ! can sue o an force
you to-"
"Ohl 30 you're ouyfn' nv fnterest
chr"
We'll. I'm iendin' Mao the q
an ] got n hunoh he'll sell the interest
TO ms an Neia without figgerfn' on q
profit You're a Jarrin' note In the
syndicate. ScraEgsy. an Nv come TO
that time o. Life where I want peace.
An there won't be no peace on the
Victor unless 1 skipper her."
Captain Scraggs departed to draw
up the formal bill OF sale and Mr.. Glib.
ney. driving The ~squarehead Srd Nc
Gutfey TO him, favored zach with a
searching glance and said:
aCA---- Afl A
that there's money In the chickan
business7"
1t hadl Both Mcouffey and Nedis
admitted It There r few man In
this world who have not, at some
period Of their lives, held the same
view, endeavored to demonstrate that
fact have substantially changed their
minds.
dore grinned- III I was to let you two
u o. my sight for q day you'd both
be flat busted the day after. So we
won't buy 40 farm an so in for chick
ans. Wen sell the Victor an buy n
little tradin' schooner. Then won 70
back TO the South sea and 'ern q
legitimate livin'.
But why1i We sell the vlctor7" No
eAb W = . lONE
OF a boat"
Because I've Just had a talk with
tho owners o. the two opposition lines
an they. KNOWN me to be chummy
with you an Scraggsy. give me the tip
to tell you two that you could have
your choice q two propositions-a
rate war or a sale o. the Victor for
ten thousand dollars. That gets you
ntrf ntaan ont ~avow ~Nrx. -sl~l-.1 -~~f
tai, an It gifts Scra9gsy out the same
way. while nettin' me am Neiis five
hundred each"
Guffey agreed. I'm addition to sourin' |
disposition until he
be tit to live with. Glib, you're
wonder"
IT know It." Mr.. Gfbney replied.
Within two hours Captain scraggs'
half interest had passed into the hands
OF McGuffey. and halt an hour Inter
the Victor had passed into the hands
of the opposition lines. to be operated
the joint profit of the latter. Later
in the day all four members of the
syndicate met in the Bowhead saloon, |
where Mr.. Gibney explained the deal
to Captain Scraggs. The latter was /
'Youn run without me. Gib."I
scraggs declared ~cmphaticaily. 1--WE
had a-plenty o. the dark blue for mine.
got a little stake now. SO I'm going
to look around an invest in a.
"a chicken ranch" McGuffey inter
"Right-o. Bart. How'd you guess
it?"
imagination" quoth McGuffey,
.aDping his forehead. imagination,
scraggsy."
Three weeks later Mr.. Gibney had
for account of his now alb
breviated syndicate. the kind of pow
er schooner he desired. and the In
ave him a ticket al master.
With The SQuarehcad as mate and
Mr.. McGuffey an engineer and general
Utility man. the little schooner cleared !
For Pago Page on a day when Captain
S-raggs was too busy buying incuba-
tors to ONE down to the dock and see
hem off.
And for aught the chroniclcr Of this
ale knows to the contrary. h syndi-
ate may be sailing In that self-same
schooner to this very day.
CTHE END.