The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-11-08
The Green Pea Pirates
 ByPeter B. Kyne

(Continued from Yesterday)
 The words were no sooner out of his mouth than Mir McGuffey swung him clear of MT. GGbney's wrath. Swear it. he missed. Raise your tect you from Gib.''
 Captain Scraglss raised a trembling right hand and swore it. "I'H get new fire hose an fire buckets; I'll fix the ash hoist and run the bedbugs an cockroaches out of her." he added.
 You hear that, Gib ?, McGuffey pleaded. Have a heart
 Not unless he gives her a coat of paint an quits bickerin' about the overtime, Bart"
 ''I promise So-aggs answered him. ''Pervided." he adde-i. you. an dear ship"
 It's whack." yelled McGuffey joyfully. and whirHng. struck Dan Hicks mighty blow on the jaw. of our ship, you hoodlums-" He favored Jack F1aherty with hearty thump and swung again on Dan H:cks- .eAt 'em scraggsy. Here's where you prove to Glib whether you're a man-thump-or a mouse thump-or a-hhump, thump-bob- | ltailed-thump-rat.'
 Dan Hicks had been upset, and as he spra wled on his back on deck, he appeared to Captain Scraggs to offer at least an even chance for victory | So Scraggs, mastering his courage, 1 nGiW at poor HICKS TOOCn ana LOena1I- His best was. not much but 1t served to keep Dan Hicks off Mr. McGufey | while the 'atte- was dispostng of Jack Faahe-t:y, which he did. via, the disposed of MT. Gibney. Dan Hicks followed F'laherty, and the crew of the Maggie crowded the raf1 as the enemy swam to the float. crawled up on it and departed, vowing ven geance.
 .Alfs we'll that ends we'll. gentle men," MT. McGuffey announced | .Scraggsy's goin' to buy drink an the past is buried an forgotten. Didn't old Scraggsy put up fight,
 ''No. but he tried to. Mac. I'll tell the world he did" and he thrust out the hand of forgiveness to Scraggsy. who realizing he had come very hansomely out of an unlovely situa- ney and McGuffey and burst into tears. While Mir, McGuffey thrumped him between the shoulder blades and cursed him affectionately. MT. Gib- ments; when he reappeared the trio went ashore for the promised grog and a luncheon at the slippers ex- pense.
 CHAPTER V
 A week had elapsed and nothing of an eventful nature had transpired to disturb the routine of life aboard the Maggie, until Bartholomew McGuffey. having heard certain waterfront whispers, considered it the part of prudence to lay his information be- fore Scraggs and MT. Gibney.
 Look here, Scraggs," he began briskly. Its all fine an dandy to. promise me a new boiler, but when do git it?" ~
 .'why, jes' as soon as we can get this glut O. freight behind us, Bart. my boy. You've managed with the old boiler this long. so 1t pears to me you might be patient an bear with 1t a mite longer, Bart"
 "Oh I ain't tryin' to be disagreeable. Scraggs, only 1t sort O. worries me to have to go along without bein' able
 wen fix 1t when business slacks up," Scraggs decided with finality. He glanced at his watch. "Sufferin' sailor" he cried in simulated dis tress. Here it's one o'clck an I ain't collected @ dollar O the freight money from the last voyage. l must beat it,
 When Captain Scraggs had "beaten it." Gibney and McGuffey exchanged expressive glances. Hes runnin' out on us," McGuffey complained.
 Even SO, Bart. even so- Therefore, the thing for us to do is to run out on him. Tn other words, we'll work a month, save our money. an then, without word O complaint or agy- ment. we'll walk out"
 "Oh. I ain't exactly broke, Glib, I got eighty-fived ollars.'
 Then" quoth Gibney decisively. we'll go on strike tonlght. fore he can get another engineer am | another navigatin' officer. me an you ] bein' the only two natural-born fools | in San Francisco an ports adjacent. he'll be huntin' us up to compromise" l" ''I don't want no compromise. What I want is a new boiler" | You'll grt it. We'll make him or I T f.olI for both in advance before we'll agree to go back to work"
 l The engineer nodded his approval and after sealing their pact with a hearty handshake. they turned to and commenced dischargins the Maggie When Captain Scraggs returned to | the little steamer shortly after five | o'clock to his great amazement, he discovered Mir Gibney and McGuffey dressed In then other suits-including celluloid collars and cuffs
 '"The cargo's out, Scraggsy, my son the decks has been washed down an everything in my, department is ship shape" Thus MT. Gibney. Likewise in mine," McGuffey add | ed
 Consequently" MT. Gibney con- cluded. we're quittin' the Maggie an if it's all the same to you we'll have our time.''
 | come over you two boys?' | ''Stow your chatter. Scraggs. Shell out the cash. You've fooled us once in the matter O that new boiler an the paintin'. an we're not goin to | give you a second chance. Come through-or take the consequences We'll sail no more with a liar an a l fraud"
 "Them's hard words, MT. Gibney''
 '~The truth Is alters bitter" McGuf- | fey opined.
 Captain Scraggs paused to consider the serious predicament which con- 1 fronted him. It was Saturday night He knew MT. McGuffey to be the pos sessor of more money than usual and if he could assure himself that this reserve should be dissipated before l Monday morning he was aware, from | experience, that the strike would be broken by Tuesday at the latest. And he could afford that delay. He re- | solved, therefore, on diplomacy. Well, I'm sorry he answered with every appearance of contrition. "You | fellers got me in the nine-hole an