Middletown transcript., 1921-11-12
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 whis-
pers, considered it the part of pru-
,dence to lay his information before
Scraggs and Mr.. Gibney.
"Look here, Scraggs," he began
briskiy. 'It's all fine an dandy to
promise me new boiler, but when do
I 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 it pears to me you
might be patient an bear with it a
mite longer, Bart"
"Oh, 1 amt tryin' to be disagreeable,
Scraggs, only it sort O. worries me to
have to 60 along without bein' able to
use our whistle"
"We1l fix it 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'clock an I amt
collected dollar O. the freight money
from the last voyage. I must beat it,
When Captain Scraggs had "beaten
It," Gibney and McGuffey exchanged
expressive glances. Hes runnin' out
on u.s." McGuffey complained.
even so, Bart, even so. Therefore,
the thing for us to do is to run out
on him. In other words, We'll work a
month, save our money, an then, with
out a word O. complaint or argument,
we'll walk out"
"Oh, amt exactly broke, Glib. I
got elghty-ive dollars"
"Then," quoth Gibney decisively,
swell 60 on strike tonight. Scraggsy'll
be stuck in port a week before he can
get another engineer an another navi-
gatin' officer, me an you bein' the
only two natural-born fools in San
Francisco an ports adjacent, an be-
fore three days have passed he'll be
huntin' us up to compromise"
II don't want no compromise. What
! want is a new boiler"
you'll git It, Well make him order
the paint an the boiler an pay for
both in advance before Wen agree to
go back to work"
The engineer nodded his approval
and after sealing their pact with q
hearty. handshake, they turned to and
commenced discharging the Maggie
When Captain Scraggs returned te
the little steamer shortly after five
O'Clock, to his great amazement, he
discovered Mr.. Gibney and McGuffey
dressed in their other suits-includine
celluloid collars and cuffs.
1.-THE cargo's out, Scraggsy, my son
the decks has been washed down an
everything in my department is ship
shape" Thus Mr.. Gibney.
"Likewise in mine," McGuffe!
added.
consequently" Mr.. Gibney con
cluded, "we're Quittin' the Maggie an
if it's all the same to you Wen hav'
our time"
"My dear Glib. Why, whatever
come over you two boys7"
"Stow your chatter, Scraggs. Shel
out the cash. You've fooled us ono
in the matter O. that new boiler an
the paintin', an we're not goin' t
give you a second chance. Com
through-or take the consequences
Well sail no more with liar an
fraud"
"Them's hard words, Mr.. Gibney."
"The truth is alters bitter" McGut
fey opined.
Captain Scraggs paused to conside
the serious predicament which cor
fronted him. 1t was Saturday nigh
He knew Mr.. McGuffey to be the pos
SCISSOR Of more money than usual an
If he could assure himself that thi
reserve should be dissipated befor
Monday morning he was aware, froI
experience, that the strike would b
broken by Tuesday at the latest. An
he could afford that delay. He n
solved. therefore, on diplomacy.
"Well, I'm sorry" he answered wit
every appearance of cOntritiOn. "Yo
fellers got me in the nine-hOle an
Can't help myself. At the same tim
I appreciate fully your pint Of viev
while realizin' that 1 can't convint
you O. mine. So we won't have r
hard feelin's at partin', boys, an
show you I'm a sport I'll treat to
French dinner an motion pictul
show afterward. Further. shall r
gard a refusal Of said invite as
pers'nal affront."
'By golly, you're gittin' sporty
your old age" the engineer declare
-IIl 20 you, Scraggs. How about 70
Glb?"
81 accept with thanks, Scraggsy, o
tarpot. Personally, maintain tn