Middletown transcript., 1921-10-29

Cliff House,.
mile to the south of the position of
the Maggie, and then came cautiously
up the coast, whistling continuously
to acquaint the Yankee Prince with
their presence in the neighborhood.
In anticipation Of the necessity for
replying to this welcome sound, Cap
tain Scraggs and Mr.. Gibney had, for
the past two hours, busted themselves
getting up another head Of steam in
the Maggies boilers, repairing the
whistle and splicing the wires Of the
engine room telegraph. Like the wise
men they were, however, they declined
to sound the Maggie's siren until the
tugs were quite close. Even then, Mr..
Gibney shuddered, but needs must
when the devil drives, so he pulled
the whistle cord and was rewarded
with a weird, mournfu grunt, dying
away into a gasp.
sounds like she has the pip" Jack
Flaherty remarked to his mate.
"Must have taken on some of that
dirty Asiatic water" Dan Hicks solilo-
uuized, "and now her tubes have gone
to glory"
Immediately both tugs kicked ahead
under dead slow bell, guided by a
series of tocts as brief as Mr.. Gibney
could make them, and presently both
tug lookouts reported breakers dead
ahead.
Dan Hicks sent a man forward to
heave the lead under the nose Of the
Aphrodite, which was edging in gin
gerly toward the voice. He had
searchlight, but he did not attempt
to use it, knowing full we'll that in
such a fog it would be of no avail.
Guided, therefore, by the bellowings
of Mr.. Gibney, reinforced by the shrill
yips Of Captain Scraggs, the tug crept
in closer and closer, and when it
seemed that they must be within
hundred feet of the surf, Dan Hicks
trained his Lyle gun in the direction
of Mr.. Gibney's voice and shot heav-
ing line into the fog.
Almost simultaneous with the report
of the gun came a shrek Of pain from
Captain Scraggs. Straight and true
the wet, heavy knotted end of the
heaving line came in over the Maggie's
quarter and struck him in the mouth.
In the darkness he staggered back
from the stinging blow, clutched wild
ly at the air, slipped and rolled over
among the vegetables with the pre-
cious rope clasped to his breast.
II got it, he sputtered, Il got 1t,
Gib."
"Safe, o." Mr.. Gibney bawled. "Pay
out your hawser."
They met it at the taffrail as it
came up out of the breakers, wet but
welcome. "Pass it around the main
mast, Scraggy," Mr.. Gibney cautioned.
IF we make fast to the town bits,
the first jerk'll pull the anchor bolts
up through the deck"
When the hawser had been made
fast to the mainmast, the leathern
lungs Of Mr.. Gibney made due an
nouncement of the fact to the ex-
pectant Captain Hicks. "As soon as
you feel you've got grip on her." he
yelled, "just hold her steady so she
won't drive further up the beach when
1 get my anchor up. She'll come out
like loose tooth at the top Of the
flood"
The Aphrodite forged slowly ahead,
taking in the slack of the hawser.
Twenty minutes later, after much
backing and swearing and heaving Of
lines the Bodega's hawser was also
put board the Maggie. Mr.. Gibney
judged it would be safe now to fasten
this line to the towing bits.
Suddenly Captain Scraggs remem-
bered there was no one on duty in the
Maggie's engine room. With half
sob, he slid down the greasy ladder,
tore open the furnace doors and COM
menced shoveling in Goa! with reck-