Middletown transcript., 1921-12-31

py cate Is
to 49, q. !. ~ %. ehture. In
tradin', there amt no adventure to
speak of. We ought to do a little
black-birdin', or raid some Of those
Jan pearl fisheries of the northern
coast Of Formosa."
"But we'll be chased by real gun
boats il we do that" objected Captain
Scraggs. "Those Jap gunboats shoot
to kill. Can't you think Of somethin'
else, Gib?"
SWELL" said Mr.. Gibney, 'for
starter, I can. Suppose we just head
straight for Kandavu island in the Fl
jis, and scheme around for cargo Of
black coral? It's only worth about fif-
ty dollars a pound. Kandavu lays
| somewhere in latitude % south, longi-
tude 178 west. and when I was there
last it was fair reekin' with cannibal
savages. But there's tons Of black
coral there, and nobody's ever been
able to sneak in and get away with
it. Every time boat used to land at
Kandavu, the native niggers would
have a white-man stew down on the
beach, and It's got so that shippers
give the island q wide BERTH"
"Gib, my dear boy" chattered Cap
tain Scraggs, "Tm man Of peace
and I'll"
"Scraggsy, old stick-in-the-mud,"
said Mr.. Gibney, laying an affectionate
hand on the shippers shoulder, you're
nothin' of the sort. You're fightin'
terantula, and nobody knows it bet
tern Adelbert p, Gibney. I've seen
you In action, Scraggsy. Remember
that. It's all right for you to say
you're man Of peace and advise me
and McGuffey to keep out Of the track
Of trouble, but we know that away
down low you're goin' around lookin'
for blood, and that once you're up agin
the enemy, you never bat an eyelash.
Eth, McGuffeyT'
McGuffey nodded; whereupon, Cap
tain Scraggs, making but poor ef-
fort to conceal the pleasure which Mr..
Gibney's rude compliment afforded
him, turned to the rail, glanced sea-
ward, and started to walk away to at
tend to some trifling detail connected
with the boat falls.
"All right, Glib, my lad" he said,
: affecting to resign himself to the inev-
liable, "have it your own way. You're
commodore and I'm only a plain
| captain, but I'll follow wherever you
lead. I'll 60 as far as the next man
J and we'll glom that black coral II we
J have to slaughter every man, woman
and child on the island. Only, when
we're sizzlin' in a pot don't you up
: and say l never warned you, because
: I did. How dye propose intimidatin
: the natives. Gib?"
"Scraggsy," said the commodore
, solemnly, we've waged private wal
) agin q friendly nation, licked 'en
and helped ourselves to their ship
: We've changed her name and rig and
e her official number and letters and
! we're sailin' under bogus papers. THAI
makes us pirates, and that old Maggie
I burgee foatin' at the fore amt moth
j in more nor less than the jolly Roger
: All right! Let's be pirates. Wht
e cares? When we slip into M'galat
? harbor we'll invite the king and hi.
a head men aboard for dinner. Wei
e get 'em drunk, clap 'em in doubl,
3 irons, and surrender 'em to their weep
$ in subjects when they've filed tn,
hold Of the Maggie II with blacl
I coral. II they refuse to come aboart
8 we'll shell the bush with that lonl
y gun and the Maxim rapid-fire gun
t we've got below decks. Thatll scar,
r 'em so they'll leave us alone and vi
e can help ourselves to the coral"
q Scraggs' cold blue eyes glistened
) lord, Gib," he murmured, "you'v'
e got head"
e Like playin' post-ofice." was Nc
d Guffey's comment.
d The commodore smiled. II though
d you boys would see it that way. Nov
tomorrow I'm going ashore to buy thre
II divfn' outfits and lay In big stocl
y Of provisions for the voyage. In tn
n meantime. while the carpenters ar
+ gettin' the ship into shape, we'll leav
?, the first mate in charge while we 8
- | 0SuVkS nuV 0ut0 SOOU IAAAVs N
q seen worse places than Panama"
Ill AS result Of this conference MI
g Gibney's suggestions were acted 1uT
3 on, and they contrived to make thei
t brief stay in Panama very agreeable
ls They inspected the work on the cana
! marveled at the stupendous engines
Il ing in the Culebra Cut; drank q lttt1t
+ gambled q little. McGuffey w4ippo
q q bartender. He was ordered al estet
q and six spiggoty little policem sen
+ to arrest him, were also thras !. tn
ID reserves were called out az n ric
e ensued. Mr.. Gihney, folio y th
y motto Of the syndicate, !. e.,
All for ons ara ono fol all-
United wo stan0. divided e fAll,