Phoenix tribune., 1921-12-10
CHAPTER J.

been steamboating too many unprofit-
able years ON San Francisco bay, the
Suisun and San Pablo sloughs and
dOgholes and the Sacramento river to
be deceived as to the character of
that fog. and he remarked as much to
Mr.. Glbney. "We'd better turn back
to Halfmoon bay and tie up at the
dock" he added.
Calamity howlerl" retorted Mr..
Gibney and gave the wheel spoke or
two. "Scraggsy, you're enough to
make a real sailor sick at the
stomach"
"But l tell you she's a tule fog, Glib.
She rises up in the marshes of the
Sacramento and San Joaquin, drifts
down to the bay and out the Golden
gate and Just naturally blocks the
wheels of commerce While she lasts.
Why, I've known the ferry boats be-
tween San Francisco and Oakland to
get lost for hours on their twenty-min-
ute run-and all along of blasted
tule fog"
81 don't doubt your word a mite,
Seraggsy. I never did see a ferry-boat
skipper that knew shucks about
sailorizing," the imperturbable Gibney
responded. me, I'll smell my way
home in any tule fog"
"AIaybe you can an maybe you
can't, Glib, although far be 1t from me
to question your ability. I'll take It
FOR. NTo,-o,+l,1ne- -
a-gon' to run the risk o you havin'
catarrh o the nose an confusin' your
smells tonight. You amt got nothin'
at stake but your job, whereas If 1
lose the Maggie I lose my hull for
tune. Bring her about, Glib, an let's
hustle back"
"Don't be an old woman" Mr.. Glib
ney pleaded. "Scraggs, you just amt
got enough works inside you to fill a
wrist watch"
81 amt a-goin' TO poke around in
the dark an tule fog, feelin' for
the Golden gate" Captain Scraggs
shrilled peevishly.
"H-Ps bells an panther tracks !
I've got my old courses, an if I folIer
them we can't help Gettin' home"
Captain Scraggs laid his hand on
Mr.. Gibney's great arm and tried TO
smile paternally. "Gib, my dear boy"
he pleaded, control yourself. Don't
argue with me. Glib. I'm master here
an you're mate. Do 1 make myself
clearg"
you do, Scraggsy. But it won't
avail you nothin'. You're only master
becuz OF a gentIeman's agreement be-
tween us two, an because Tn man
enough to fgger there's certain rights
due you as owner O. the Maggie. But
don't you forget that accordin' to the
records O the inspectors Office, I'm
master Of the Maggie, an the way
figger It, whenever there's any call to
show little real seamanship, that
gentleman's agreement don't stand"
"Bzt this amt one O. them times,
Glib"
"TcG're whistlin' Il is If we run
from this here fog, it's skifs TO bat
tleships we don't get into San Fran
cisco bay an discharged before six
O'Clock tomorrow night BY the time
we've taken on coal an water an
what-all, it'll be eight or nine o'clock,
with me an McGuffey entitled to
mebbe three dollars overtime an
hEv,2' &c gySse ec' scrap with you to
git it-nct tc speak o. havin' to put to
sea the same night SOS to be back in
Halfmoon bay to load bright an early
next mornin'. Scraggsy, ain't no
night bird on this run"
"Do you mean to defy me- Chip
Captain Scraggs' little green eyes
cleaned balefully. Mr.. Gibney looked
down upon him with tolerance, as a
Great Dane gazes upon a fox terrier
Il certainly do, Scraggsy, old pepper
pot" he replied calmly. "What're you
goin' to do about ity The ghost Of a
smile lighted his jovial countenance.
"Nothin'-now. I'm helpless" Cap
tain Scraggs answered with deadly
calm. "But the minute we hit the
dock you an me parts company"
II don't know whether we will or
not Scraggsy. l amt heeled right
: financially to hit the beach on such
short notice"
'I'll get the police to remove you,
you blistered pirate" Scraggs
screamed, now quite beside himself.
Eyes? Well. the minute they let go
O. me I'll come back to the S. S. Mag
gle and tear her apart just to see
what makes her go" He leaned out
the pilot-house window and shifted.
"Tule fog, all right, Scraggs. Still,
that amt no reason why the ships
company should fast, is it? Quit bick-
erin with me, little one, an see if you
can't wrastle up some ham an eggs
want my eggs sunny side up"
Sensing the futiIity Of further argu-
ment, Captain Scraggs sought solace
in a stream of adjectival opprobrium,
plainly meant for Mr.. Gibney but de-
CONTINUED