The daily Alaskan., 1921-12-17

NNpIAln SCIaEES lOoheu nun VNeL Mlh the closest approach to affection that had ever frightened his cold gray eye, and signing heavily, presently went on deck. As he passed up the companion way, thc first mate heard him mnrmur:
 "Gih's a fine lad. I'll be dad burned if he ain't."
 At six o'clock next morning the Maggie was rounding Point Loma, heading in for San Diego bay, and Captain SCragCs went below and awakened Mir. Gibney.
 "What's for breakfast, Scraggsy, old kid?" asked Mr. Gthney,
 Fried eggs" said Captain Scraggs, remembering Mir. Gibney's partialIty for that form of nutriment In the van isrod days Of the Creen-pea trade. Ham an fried eggs an a sizzlin' pot o' coffee. Thought a way out O our mess. Glh?"
 Not yet" replied Mir Gihney as he rolled out of bed. hut eggs Is always srmulnHn', and don't give up hope on full stomach"
 An hour later they were tied uD un- der the coal huukerS. and at Mr, GIh- ncy's suggestion some twenty tons Of sacked coal were piled on top of the f7'castlc head and on the main deck ford. fu case of emergency. They lay !n the harhor aII d0y until about four o'clock. when Mir. Gihney, by virtue of bis authority as supercarCO. ordered The lines cast off and the Maggie steamed out of the harhor. or Point Lorna they veered ro the south, !eav- ing the Coronado Islands on the star ',e1rd quarter. ten miles tO the west. Sir Gfhrpv was below with Captain SrragcS. hattlfng with the problem mat confronted them. when the mate stuck his head down the companion way to re9ort a large power schooner coming out from rhe lee of the COro- raaos and standing of on a course cal Culared to intercept the Maggie in an hour or two.
 Captain ScraCgs and Mir. Gihney sDrang uD on the bridge at once, the latter with Srroggs' long glass up to his eve.
 "Shc was hove to under the lee Of the island and the minute we came out of the hurbor and turned south she come uosin' after us" said the mate
 "Uumw muttcred Mir. Gihney. "Gaso- line schooner. Two masts and bald headed. About hundred and twenty ton. I should say, and showin' a pretty pair of heels. There's somethin' up fnr'd-yes-let me see-ye-es, there's two more-holy sailor, it's a Cunboat One oc those doggoned gasoline coast patrol nootS, and there's the federal flag flying at tue fore"
 "Lcrs put back 10 San Diego hay" ouaycrcd Captain Scraggs "Tu be durucd 1T relish the Idee O losin' the Maggie"
 "Too late." said the philosophical Gihner. "We're in Mexican waters now, and she can cut uS of from the bay. The only thing We can do Is to run for It and try to lose her after dark. Tell the engineer to crowd her to the limit. There nln'r much wind to speak Of. SO l guess we can mShSge to hold our own for 8 while. Never thelcSs. I've got a huuch that we'll be overhauled. Of course, you ain't got no papers to show, Scr0ggs, and they'll search the cargo, and confscate us and shoot the whole bloOmin' crowd of Us. l bet a dollar to a dOughnut that fellow Lopez sold us out, after the fashion of the country. can't help thinkin' that that gunboat was there just a-waitln' for Us to show up"
 For several minutes Mir. Gibney con- tinued to study the gunboat until there could no longer be any doubt that she intended to overhaul them. He made out that she had a long gun ford. with battery of two one-pound- CTS on top of her house and something on her port quarter that looked like Maxim rapid-fre gun. About twenty men, dressed in white cloth, could be seen on her decks.
 Presently MT. Gibney was inter rupted by Captain Scraggs pulling al his sleeve.
 "You was a gunner once, wasn't you, Gib?" said Captain Scraggs in a trembling voice.
 "Tou bet l was" replied Mir. Gibney. My shootln' won the trophy three times in succession when 1 was on the old Kearsarge. If I had one good gun and a half-decent crew, I'd knock that CuDboat silly before she knew what had hit her"
 "Gih. I've got an idee," said Captain Scraggs.
 "Out with it." said Mir. Gibney cheer fully.
 There was four little cannon low cred into the hold the last thing before We put on the main hatch, and the am munitiOn to load 'em with Is slowed in the after hold and very easy to get gf -"