The daily Alaskan., 1921-12-24

| Eh, McGuffeyT
 McGuffey nodded; whereupon' Cap tain Scraggs, making but poor ei- fort to conceal the pleasure which NIT, Glhney's rude compliment afforded him. turned to the rail, glanced sea- ward. and started to walk away 10 at tend to some trifilng detail connected with the boat falls.
 "All right. GIb, my lad" he said affecting 10 resign himself to the ineV- ! ltable, have 1t your own way. You're a commodore and I'm only a plain captain, but I'll follow wherever you lead. I'll go as far as the next man and we'll glOm that black coral If we have to slaughter every man, woman and child on the island. Only, when we're sizzlin' in a pot don't you up and say never warned you, because I did. How dye propose intimidatin' the natives. GIbT
 "Scraggsy," said the commodore, solemnly, we've waged a private war agin a friendly nation, licked 'em and helped ourselves to their ship. We've changed her name and rig and her official number and letters and | we're sallin' under bogus papers. That makes us pirates, and that old Maggie burgee fioutin' at the fore ain't noJh- ' In more nor less than the Jolly Roger. All rightl Let's be pirates. Who [ cares? When we slip Into M'galao harbor we'll invite the king and his head men aboard for dinner. We'll get 'em drunk, clap 'em in double | Irons, and surrender 'em 10 their weep { In subjects when they've filled the hold of the Maggie II with black coral If they refuse to come aboard we'll shell the bush with that long gun and the Maxim rapid-fre guns we've got below decks. ThatlI scare 'ern so they'll leave us alone and we can help ourselves to the coral" | Scraggs' cold blue eyes gllstened. 1 Lord, Gib," he murmured, you've | got a head"
 Like playin' post-ofice," was Me i GuGey's comment
 The commodore smiled. "I thought . you boys would see It that way. Now , tomorrow I'm going ashore to buy three alvin outfits and lay in a bis stock of provisions fer the voyage. In the meantime, while the carpenters are gettin' the ship into shape, we'll leave the first mate in charge while we go ashore and have a good time. I've ! seen worse places than Panama As a result of this conference Mir. Gibney's suggestions were acted up- on, and they cOntrived 10 make their brief stay !n Panama very agreeable. They inspected the work on the canal, mary eled al the stupendous engineer ing In the Culebra Cut, drank little, gunbled a little McGuffey whipped a bartender. He was ordered arrested, and six Splggoty little policemen, sent to arrest him, were also thrashed. The reserves were called out and riot ensued. NIT. Gihney, following the motto of the syndicate, l. e.,
 All for one and one for all United we stand, divided we fall, mixed in the conflict and presently
 found himself in durance vile. Cep- tain Scraggs, luckily. forgot the not to and escaped, but inaSmuch as he was on hand next morning to pay fine of thirty pesos levied against each Of the culprits, he was instantly for given. Mir. GIbney vowed that If a United States cruiser didn't happen to be lying in the roadStead, he would have shelled the town in retaliation.
 But eventually the days passed and the Maggie Il, well found and ready for sea, shook out her sails to a fair breeze and sailed away for Eandavu. She kept well 10 the southwest until she struck the southeast trades, when she swung around on her course, head ed straight for her destination. IL was a pleasant voyage, devoid of in- cident and the health of all hands was excellent. Mir, Gihney took daily observations. and was particular tO make daily entries in his log when he, Scraggs, and McGufey were not playing cribbage. a game of which all three were pasSionately fond.
 On the afternoon Of the twenty-ninth day after leaving Panama ire lookout reported land Through his glasses Mr. Gibney made out a cluster Of tall palms at the southerly end of the ts- land. and as the schooner held lazily on her course he could discern the white breakers foaming over the reefs that guarded the entrance 10 the har- bor.
 That's Kandavu, all right" an- nounced the commodore. "I was there in 'S9 with Bill McGinty in the schoon- CT Dashin' Wave. There's the entrance to the harbor. with the Esk reefs to the north and the Pearl reefs to the south. The channels very narrow not more than three cables, if It's that, but there's plenty of water and a good muddy bottom that'u hold. Me Guffey. lad, better run below and tune ,,r ,rnr,r anrfuap TfTs fD0 5ongarpps