Middletown transcript., 1921-11-12

hence such slight depression as he
felt was due to feeling that captain
Scraggs had basely swindled MIN ana
McGuffey. He was disappointed IN
Scraggs and said as much. How
ever. Bart" he concluded, well
never say die while our money holds
out, and in the meantime our luck
NAV have changed. Let's scatter
around and try to locate some KIND OF
lob: then when them new employees
O. Scraggsy quit or get fired-which1l
be after about two voyages-an' the
old man comes around hOldin' out the
olive branch O. peace, We'll give him
the horselaugh."
Three days Of diligent search failed
TO uncover the coveted job for either,
however, and on the morning OF the
fourth day Mr.. Gibney announced that
it would be necessary to raise the
wind" If the pair would breakfast.
They retired to the sidewalk to hold
caucus and Mr.. McGuffey located
dime which had dropped down inside
the lining Of his coat. "Ihat setties
IT." Gibney declared. "We've skipped
two meals but I'll be burned II we
skin another. Well ride out to the
| San Mateo county line on the trolley
with that dime an then hoof it over
the hills to Halfmoon bay. Scraggs
won't git away from the dock here un-
fiji after twelve o'clock, so we know
he'll lie at Halfmoon bay all night. Ii
we start now We'll connect with MIN
in time for supper. Eth, Bart?
"A twenty-mile hike on tee-totaliy
empty stomach, with battle royal on
our hands the minute we arrive, weak
an destitoote, amt quite my idea O
endowment, Glib, but I'll go you II It
kills me. Let's up hook an away. I'm
for gittin' back to work an usln
moral persuasion to git that new
boiler"
They took a hitch in their belts and
started. From the point at which they
left the trolley to their journeys end
was a stiff six-hour jaunt, up hill and
down dale, and long before the march
was half completed the unaccustomed
exercise had developed sundry gals
and blisters on the Gibney heels, while
the soles Of poor McGuffey's feet were
SO hot he voiced the apprehension that
they might burn to crisp at any mo-
ment and drop off by the wayside.
The crew of the Maggie had ceased
working cargo for the day and Cap
tain Scraggs was busy cooking supper
in the galley when the two prodigals,
exhausted, crippled and repentant,
came to the door and coughed propl'
tiously, but Captain Scraggs pretended
not to hear, and went on with his task
of turning fried eggs with an artistic
flip of the frying pan. So Mr.. GlD'
ney spoke, struggling bravely to ap,
pear nonchalant With his eyes on
the fried eggs and his mouth threaten
ing to SLAYER at the glorious sight, ne
said:
"Hcllo, there, Scraggsy, old tarpot
How goes it with the owner O. the fast
an commodious steamer Maggie? Git
that consignment O. post-holes aboard
yetT'
Mr.. Gibney's honest face beamed ex
: pectantly, for he was particularly par
tial to fried eggs. AS for his com
panion in distress, anything edible anc
which would serve to nullify the gnaw
ing at his internal economy would be
welcome. Inasmuch as Captain
Scraggs did not readily reply to Mr.
!, Gibney's salutation, McGuffey decided
to be more emphatic and to the point
albeit in joking way.
' 'eHurry up with them eggs, Scraggs,
he rumbled. "Me an GIBBS walked
! down from the city an we're hungry
:: Jawn D. Rockerfeller'd give millio1
dollars for my appetite. Fry min
y hard, Scraggsy. I want sometin
a solid"
"Get off my ship, you murderin' pi
rates." Scraggs screamed.
"Not till we've et," the practical
h minded engineer retorted. "Even thel
= we won't get off. Me an GID ain
/ got any feet left, Scraggs. If we ha'
2 to walk another step we'd be crippled
). for life. Fry my eggs hard, tel
= you"
"This is piracy, men. It's robber'
. on the high seas, an l can put yo'
o over the road for it," Scraggs Warne'
: them. "Whats more, I'll do It,"
$ 'The eggs, Scraggsy," doomed MI
|. Gibney, "the eggs"
" Half an hour later, as the pirates
) replete with provender, sat danglin
e their damaged underpinning over tn
; stern railing where the gentle wave
: lets laved and cooled them, captain
= Scraggs, accompanied by the new nav
It eating officer, the new engineer, an
q The Souarehead, came aft. The criI
t. ples looked up, surveyed their success
sors in office. and found the sight ia
d from reassuring.
q "rve already ordered you tw
# tramps offn my ship" Scrasgs pega
! formally, "an' 1 hereby, in the pres
" ence O reliable witnesses, repeats IN
a invitation. You amt wanted; you
+. rooms preferred to your comp,ny' al
>. bv stayin' a minute longer, in dehanc
+ O. nv orders, you're layin' yourselve
liable TO a charge O. piracy
" Mr.. Gibney carefully laid his pip
70 aside and stood up. He was quite a
!. imposing spectacle in his bare fee
N with his trousers rolled up to his grea
r. knees, thereby revealing his scarie
n flannel underdrawers. With slime
- groan McGuffey rose and stood besid
" his partner, and Mr.. Gibney spoke:
g "scraggs, tre,h,e: oe l1s not because "
80. 1T. - for we do where