The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-11-02
CHAPTER I.

Ser scrasgs a1 had fabe been ateamboating % p't too Fancisco bas tRe 9Hun 9nd 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 MT. Gibney. Wed better turn back to Halfmoon bay and tie up at the dock, he added.
 oflbney and gave the wheel a spoke orstwo. ''Scraggsy, you're enough to make a real sailor sick at the stom- ach.
 But I 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 lasts. Why, I've known the ferry boats between San Francisco and Oakland to get lost for hours on their twenty minute rln--and all along Of a blasted tule fog.'
 'I don't doubt your word mite, Scraggsy. I never did see a ferry boat skipper that knew shucks about sailor5zing:'' the impertrable Gibney responded. "Me, Ig1 smell my way home in any tule fog.''
 can't, Gib, although far be it from me to question your ability. I'll take 1t for. granted. Nevertheless. ain't agoin' to run the risk O you havin' 
 smells tonight You ain't got noth< ir'a at stake but your job, whereas if I lose the Maggie lose my hull for tune. Bring her about. Glib, an let's
 q can't be an old woman" MT, Cfbney pleaded. ''Scraggs, you just adn't got enough works inside you to fill a wrist watch"
 the dark an tule fog, feelin' for the Golden gate" Captain Scraggs shrdlbed peev1shly.
 Ills bells an panther tracks! I've got my old courses, an if l fol Ter them we can't help gettin' home"
 Captain Scraggs laid his hand on MT: Gibney's great arm and tried to boy he pleaded, "control yourself Don't argue with me, Glib. I'm mas ter here am you're mate. Do I make myself clear?"
 "You do. scraggsy. But it won't avail you nothin' You're only mas {; ter becuz of a gentleman's agreement hetwees1 us two, an because m man man : due you as owner O the Maggie. But dor't you forget that accordin' to the records O the inspectors office, I'm rracter of the Maggie, an the way f3syEea. it, whenever there's any call to sSDw little real .eamanship, that gentleInan's agreeTn ert don't stand" " Gib.''
 "You're whistlin it is. If we run from this here fog, it's skiffs 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-ail, it'll be eight or nine oscl~clS with me an McGuffey en- titled to mebbe three dollars over time an havin' to argue an scrap |, evssth you to git it-not to speak O haVir' to put to sea the same night sos to be back in Halfmoon bay to .l .oyie I,f Scraggsy,. I ain't no night bird on this run"
 s'Do you mean to defy me. Gib?' Captain Scraggs' little green eyes cleaned balefully. MT. Gibney look ed down upon him with tolerance as a Great Dane g1azes upon a fox ter rier. 'I certainly do, Scraggsy. old pepper-pot.' he replied calmly: ''What're your goin' to do about it ?' The ghost of a smile lighted his jo- vial countenance. Captain Scraggs answered with dead ly calm .'But the minute we hit the dock you an me parts company
 ''I don't know whether we will or Financially to hit the beach on such short notice"
 .'Tn get the police to remove you, you blistered pirate" Scraggs scream ed, now quite beside himself.
 aYes? Well, the minute they let go o's me I'll come back to the S. s. Maggie and tear her apart just to see what makes her go.' He leaned out the piIlot-house window and sniffed. Ns ''T'slle fog; all right, Scraggs. still 1hat ain't no reason why the ship cdppany should fast, is it? Quit biol1ea1n' with me, little one, an see If you can't wrastle up some ham an sgEs sps want my eggs sunny S'0s nlent, Captain Scraggs sought solace in a stream of adjectival opprobo1lum plainly meant for MT. Gibney but de Hvered, nevertheless, impersonally He closed the pilot house door furi- ously behind him and started for the galley.
 'Some bright day I'm goin' to git tired O hearin' you cuss my proxy, MT Gibney baw1ed after him, ''an when that fatal time arrives I'll scat ter a can O Kill-F1et over you an the shippin' wor1d'n know you nc more.'
 sOh go to-glory, you pig-iron pol isher" Captain Scraggs tossed back at him over his shoulder-and honor was satisfied. In the lee of the pilot house Captain Scrasgs paused, sci his infamous old brown derby hat or the deck and leaped furiousIy upon it with both feet. Six times he did this; then with blow of his fist he knocked the ruin back into a sem- blance of it's original shape and inn mediately felt better.
 ..If I was you. skipper, I'd hold my temper until l got to port; then 1ld git jingled an forgit my troubles in expensively," somebody advised him
 Scra ggs turned. In a little square hatch the head and shoulders of MT Bartholomew McGuffey, chief en- gineer; first. second and third assist ant engineer, oiler, wiper, waterten- der. and coal -passer of the Maggie appeared. He was standing on the steel ladder, that led up from his stuffy engine room and had evidently come up like a whale, for a, breath ot fresh air. ''The way you ruin then bonnets of yourn sure is a scandal, Mr McGuffey concluded. "If I had 2 temper as nasty as yourn I'd take soothin' sirup something for it.
 
 Before proceeding further witt this narrative, due respect or the readers curiosity directs that we di verge for a period sufficient to pre- sent a brief history of the steamer Maggie and her peculiar crew. We AL.crc;,