The daily Alaskan., 1921-12-20


 and passed It to the winch. The two guns came out of the hold in Jig time, and while ScraggS and one deCkhand opened the after hold and got out am muuition for the guns, Mir. Gibney, as
 sisted by the other deckhund, pro
 crcGed To put one of the guns to- gather. He was Shrewd enough to
 realize that he would have to do prac- ucally all of the work of serving the gun himself in view of which condi-
 tion one gun would have to defend the Maggie. He had never seen mountain gun before. but he did not find it difficult to put the simple me rhunIsm together.
 Now. then. Scruggsy," he an- uouucrd chcprIully when the gun was finally assembled on the carriage. "gvl sizruhIr timber an spike 1t to the center O thc deck. I'll run the trail spade up against that cleat an tluJU keep the rrcoil from Icttin' the Am go backward. clean through the opposite rail and overheard. Gimme a coupler gallons o' diStilIute an some waste. somebody This cosmOline'S
 gor rn come out Q the Iuhe an out O ,lr hrrrch mechanism before we com mruce Shunru'."
 The enemy had approached within three miles by the time the piece was ready for action. Under Mir. Gibncy'S instructions Captain Scrug-s held the fuse setter In case it should he nee
 rSsary to adjust with shrupueI. Mir. Gtbnpy inserted his sights and took &
 preliminary sQuint. "A little differ rrr from gun-poiutin in the navy, but about the same principlr,' he declared. "lu the army ! believe they call this kind O Shuotln' direct fire. because you sight direct on the target iie scratched his ingenious head ana pN- amiurd the ammunition. Not a high explosive shell in the IUt." he mOurned. "Tu have to use percussion fire tO get 1 the range; then I'll drop back little 1 am spray her with shrapneL. Seems pity to smash up a fine Schuoue: ' like that one with percussion fire. I'd rather tickle 'em up bit with 1 shrapnel an scare 'em into runnIn' away"
 1 He got out the lanyard, slipped a cartridge in the hrrerh. paused. and scratched his head again. Ills culm Eal.bprur.na was driving Scraggs
 .razy. He reminded Mir Gibuey with
 .ome ssprrity that they were not ut- .Ilng a strawberry festival dnd for ! .He love of heaven to get busy.
 "Im osrimutIu' the range, you -npr." GiUuey reror,ed Looks 10 be about three miles Co me A little long, ! rIrbbr. for rhis gun, but-there'S Noth- ] m like trytu," and he sighted oCrr- 1 fully. Fire" he bHwled as the Mag i -ie rested au instant in the trough of 1 he spa-and a deckhand jerkcd the lanyard. Instantly Mir. Gihney Clapped ! he long glass to his eye,
 Good direction-over," he mur- nurcd. "Tn lay on her waterJine next time" He jerked open the brcech. ] elected the cartridge case, and rammed another cartridge home. This shot struck the water directly under the schuouer's bow and threw water over | her forrcastIe head. Mir. Gihney i smiled. spat overheard, and wiuked
 confidently at Captain Scraggs. Like Snparin' fish in bath tub," he de-
 r'ared. He bent over the fuse setter ~C0rrrrtor three zero" he intoned
 ~four eight hundred" He thrust ,arrr.'.a in the fuse setter, twisted
 |. $. n.d it in the gun, and fired a-ar "Dvrf' he growled.
 Something whined over the Maggie 1 and threw up a waterspout half : mile beyond her.
 "Dubs." jeprcd NIr. GIbnpy, and sighted again. This time hls shrapncl
 burst neatly on the schooner. Almost simultaneously shell from the ! schooner dropped into the sacked coal ! on the forecastle head of the Maggie
 and puvcloped her in black pail of
 smoke and cOul ddst. Captain ] SrrHggS screamed.
 "Tit for tat" the philosophical Gib- 1 ncv reminded him. We cant expect
 10 get away with everything. Scraggsy,
 old klddo." The words were scarcely
 out of his mouth before the Maggie's
 malnmast and about ten feet of her
 ancient railing were trailing along
 side. Mir Glbney whiStled softly
 through his teeth and successfully
 sprayed the Mexican again. "It breaks
 my heart to ruin that crafts canvas
 he declared. and let her have It once | more.
 My MagCie's rail Is shot away ! Captafn Scraggs walled, "an' only
 rebuilt 1t a week ago" Three more
 shots from the long gun missed them,
 bur the fourth carried away the cabin,
 leaving the wreck of the pilot house, with the helmsman unscathed, stick | ing m like sore thumb.
 "Turn her around and head straight for them" the gallant Gibney rOared. .gh.,. . .,-,II,r tarUat p0Uiu' lOWS