, 1921-10-22

We've passed Pedro Mr.. oibney
decided He ffound his cud and NUT
tered ugly things to himself. for his
dead reckoning had Eoue astray and
be was worried. The fog, II Anything.
was thicker than ever.
Time pussed. Suddenly Mr.. Gibney
thrilled electrically to a shriil zip from
Captain scrnEgs.
whats tha.f' Mr.. Gsbney bawied.
Il dunno. hounds Ike the surf.
CHI
Amt you been on this run long
enough TO know that the surf don't
sound like nothin' else In life but
breasersf- Gibney reforted w%rnthfuiiy.
Il amt certain. CIb."
Instantly Oibney signaied NcGuney
for half speed ahead.
"Breakers On the ftrrboard bow"
yelled Captain Scraggs.
Port bow" The Squarehead cor
rectcd him.
"oh. my great patfencef" Nr. Glib
ney gronned. They're on both bows
nm we're headed straight for the
beach, Here's where we all 60 to the
devil together" and he yanked wildly
at the signal wire that led to the
engine room. with tho intention OF
giving McGufey four bells-the signal
aboard the Maggie for full speed
nstern. At the second Jerk the wire
broke. but not until two bells Ind
sounded In tl>a engine room-the signal
for full speed nhend. The efficient
McGufey promptly kicked her wide
open. and the Fates decreed that.
having done so. Mr.. McGuney should
forthwith climb the ladder and thrust
his head out on deck for a breath of
fresh air. Instantly a chorus of
shrieks up on the fo'castlc head at
trncted his attention to such a degree
that he failed 10 hear the engine room
bowler as Mr.. Gibney blew frantlcaify
Into II.
Presently, ont of the hubbub for
ward. Mr.. McGufey heard Captain
Scraggs wan frantically: "stop her,
For the love Of heaven. stop her I" In
sfantiy the engineer dropped back into
the engine room and set the Maggie
full speed nstern; then he grasped the
huwler and held II to his ear.
"Stop herr" he heard GIbney shrek.
why In blnzes don't you stop herr"
"She's set astern. Glib. She'll ease
up In a m!nutc.-
"you know itr Gibney answered
significantly.
The Maggie climbed lnzily 10 the
crest OF a long oily roller. slid reck-
iessly down the other side, and took
the following sen over her tafrraiI.
She still had some head on. but very
little-not quite sufficient to give her
decent Storage way. MS Mr.. Gibney
discovered when, having at length com-
municated his desires to McGuIeys
he spun the wheel franticnily in a he
lated effort to swing the Maggie's a.rty
nose out to sea-.
Nothing doin'," he snnrled. "SheTl
have to come to q complete stop before
she begins to walk backward and get
steerage way or again. She'll bump
as sure as denth in taxes"
She did-with a crack that shook
the rigging and caused It to rattle like
buckshots in n pan. A terribie cry
such a cry. Indeed. as might burst
from the lips OF n mother seeing her
only child run down by the Limited
burst from poor Captain Scrnggs. My
shipi My shipi" he howied, "My
darling little MnggieI They've killed
Won. they've Killed youl The dirty
iubbersr"
The succeeding wave lifted the Mag
gle on the beach, carried her In some
fifty feet further. and deposited her
gently on the sand. She heeled over
Il port a little and rested there as II
she wns very. very weary. nor could
all the threshing Of her screw In re
verse haul her on again. llrhe surf.
dashing In under her %fantail. had more
power than McGuffey's engines. and.
foot by foot. the Maggie proceeded to
dig herself in. Mr.. Gibney listened
for five minutes TO the uproar that
rose from the bowels of the little
steamer before he whlstled up Mr.
McGufcy.
+ XIII her. XIII her" he ordered
Your wheel will bite into the SAM
FIRST thing you know, and tear tn,
stern OF her. You're shnkin' the old
girl to pieces
McGuffey killed his engine, banked
his fires. and came up on deck. wlpinr
his anxious face with a fearfully Nth,
sweat rag. At the same time Scragg,
and Neils Halvorsen came crawlln,
aft over the dectload ard when they
reached the clear space around the
pilot house. Captain Scraggs threw his
brown derby on the deck and leaped
upon 1t until, his rage abating uiti
mately, no power on earth. In the air.
or under the sen. could possibly have
rehabilitated It and rendered It fit for
further wear. even by Captain Scraggs
This petulant practice OF jumping on
his hat wns a habit with Scraggs
whenever anything annoyed him par
ticularly and was always infaliible evil
dence that a simple declarative sen.
tence had stuck In his throat.
well. old whirllng dervish," Mr.
Gibney demanded calmly when Scrnggs
paused for lack of breath to continue
his dance. what about It? We're ur
Salt Greek without a paddle : the devil
to pay and no pitch hot"