, 1921-10-22

IT'S all my fault runnin' by dead
reckonin,.- the honest Gibney pro
tested Mac sln't 10 fault. The en-
Eine telegraph busted an be got
the wrong signal"
Its his business to see 70 II that
he's got an engine room telegraph that
wont bust"
You dogf- McGurey roared and
spranE Mt tho skipper. who lenped
nimbly up the little ladder TO the top
OF the pilot house and stood prepared
to kick Mr.. McGufrey In the face
should that worthy venture up after
him. Il can't persuade You to sit me
nofhin' that I ought TO have I'm tired
workin' with junk an scraps an cop
per wire and pieces O string. I'm
throughi-
You're ~right-you're through. be-
cause you're nredr- scraggs shrieked
Ia Insane rage "Get OF my ship. you
/ maritime impostor. or I'll take q pisto,
to you Overheard with you. you
greasy, Anticipated bounder, You're
rotten. understand Rotteni Rotteni
Rotten"
you owe me eight dollars an six
bits. scraggs," Mr.. McGurey reminded
his owner calmly. "Chuck down the
spondulicks IN I'll get OF your ship"
Captain Seraggs was beyond reason.
so ne tossed the money down 20 the
engineer. Now git" he commanded.
Without further ado, Mr.. McGuyey
started across the deckioad to the
~fo'castie head. ScraSgs could not see
him but he could hear him-so he
/ pelfed the engineer with potatoes. cab
haee heads and onions. the vegetables
descending about the honest AfcGurey
In a veritable barrage. Even In the
darkness several OF these missiles took
eject.
Upon reaching the very apex OF the
Maggie's bow. Mfr. McGuney turned
and hurled a promise into the dark
| ness: IF we ever meet again,
Scraggs. III make Mrs. scrnggs a Wild
ow. Paste that in your hat-when
you get a new one"
The Maggie was resting easily on
the beach. with the broken water from
the long lazy combers surging well
up nbove her water line. At most,
six feet OF water awaited the engineer,
who stood, peering shorewnrd and lis
tening intently, oblivious to the stray
missiles which whizzed past. Present.
~. from out of the fog. he heard q
grinding, metallic sound and through
a sudden rift in the fog caught a
brief glimpse of blue fame with sparks
I, radiating family from II.
Tint settled matters for Bartholo-
l frar- Nfon.xffa. rA> x<-eft~ -..-I
was the protest from the wheels of a
Cliff house trolley car rounding a
curve; the blue flame was an electric
manifestation due to the Intermittent
contact of her trolley with the wire.
wet with fog. McGurey knew the
exact position of the Maggie now. SO
he poised a moment on her bow ms
a wave swept past him, he Ieaped
overheard. scrambled ashore, made
his way up the beach to the great
highway which tanks the shore line
between the Cllff house and Ingleside,
sought a roadhouse, n warmed his
Interior with -four fingers OF whisky
neat. Then. feeling quite content with
himself. even In his wet garments, he
boarded a city-bound trolley car and
departed for the warmth and hospital
ity OF Scab Johnny's sallor boarding
house In Oregon street.
Captain Scrnggs sat down on the
hnlf-emptied crate Of vegetables and
commenced to weep bItterly-half be-
cause of rage and half because he re-
garded himself a pauper. Already
he had a vision of himself securing
the waterfront in search of q job.
mo use ~boo-hooin' over split milk,
S~craggsy." Always philosophical. the
author OF the owners woe sought to
carry the disaster of lightly. Don't
add you salt tears to a snitier sea
until you're certain you're n total loss
an noeinsurnnce. l got you into this
md I suppose It's up to me to get you
of, so l guess I'll opera
TONS" SuitiDg the action to the word.
Mr.. Gibney grasped the whistle cord
and a strange, sad. sneezing. wheezy
moan resembling the expiring protest
OF a lusty pig and gradually increasing
into a lors-drawn but respectable
whistle rewarded his efforts. For
once. he could afford TO be prodignI
with the steam. and while 1t lasted
there could be no m~istaking the fact
that here was a steamer in dire dis
tress.
The weird call for help brought
Scraggs arounS to a fuller realization
Of the enormity of the disaster which
had overtaken him. In his agony he
forgot to curse his navigating officer
for the latter's s%tubbornness In refusing
to turn back when the fog threatened.
BE clutched Mr. Gibney by the right
arm. thereby i~nterrupting for an In
stnnt the dismal outburst from the
Maggie's siren. r
"Gib," he moaned. I'm a ruined
man. How're we ever to get the old
sweetheart on whole? Answer me
that. Glib. Answer me. I say. How're