Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-12-01

the lid of the crate. Captain Scraggs
had his head inside the box a fifth of a
second later: -
nounced. Get a can opener, Glib, my
boy"
"Ginseng, for a thousand" mourned
Mr.. Gibney. "Scraggsy, you're five
dollars of my money 10 the good. Gin
seng always comes packed in alright
boxes"
He produced q can opener from the
cabin locker and fen to his work on n
corner of the Theoretically sealed box.
AS he drove in the point Of the can
opener. he paused, hammer in hand,
and gazed solemnly at Scraggs and
McGuffey.
Gentlemen" (again McGuffey
nodded approvingly) do you know
what a vacuum is?"-
II know" replied the imperturbable
NcGuffey. "a vacuum is an empty
hole that amt got nothin' in it,"
Correct" said Mr.. Gibney. "My
head is a vacuum. Me talkin' about
ginseng root Why. l must have wa
ter on the brainl Ginseng be dog
gonedl It's opium :"
Captain Scraggs was forced to grab
the seat OF his chair in order to keep
himself from jumping up and clasp
Ing Mr.. Gibney around the neck.
"Forty dollars a pound" he gasped.
-Glb-Gib, my dear boy-you've made
as wealthy"
Quickly Mr.. Gibney ran the can
opener around the edges of one corner
Of the zinc box, inserted the claws of
the hammer into the opening, and
with n quick, melodramatic twist, bent
back the angle thus formed.
Mr.. Gibney was the first to get
peep inside.
Great snakesl'' ne yelled, and fell
back against the cabin wall. A hoarse
scream of rage and horror broke from
Captain Scraggs. In his eagerness he
had driven his head so deep into the
box that he came within an inch of
kissing what the box contained--whlch
happened TO be nothing more nor less
than a dead Chinamanl Mr. McGuf-
fey, always slow and unimag native,
shouldered the skipper aside and
calmly surveyed the CHASTITY appari-
ton.
''Twig the yellow beggar will you.
iib?" said McGuffey; zone eye half
open for all the world like he was
winkIn' at us an enjoyin' tn joke"
Not muscle twitched In McGuf-
fey's Hibernian countenance. He
scratched his head for a moment, as
a sort OF first aid TO memory, then
turned and handed Mr.. Gibney ten dol
lars.
you win, Glib. It's Oriental goods,
sure enough"
"Robberl" shrieked Captain Scraggs,
and few at Mr.. Gibneys throat The
sight reminded McGuffey of terrier
worrying a mastiff. Nevertheless, Mr..
Gibney was still so unnerved at the
discovery of the horrible contents Of
the box that, despite his gigantic pro-
portions, he was well-nigh helpless.
"McGuffey, you swab," he yelled.
"Pluck this maritime outlaw off my
neck. He's tearin' my windpipe out
oy tn roots"
McGuffey choked Captain Scraggs
until he reluctantly let go Mr.. Gibney,
whereupon all three fed from the cab
In as from pestilence, and gathered,
an angry and disappointed group, out
on deck.
Opium" jeered Captain Scraggs,
with tears OF rage in his voice. Gin
seng! You and your Imagination, you
swine you Get off my ship, you lout
or I'll murder you"
Mr.. Gibney hung his head.
"Scraggsy-an' you, TOO, McGuffey-
got tO admit that this here is one on
Adelbert p. Gibney. Il"
"Oh. hear him." shrlled Captain
Scraggs. zone Oh him. It's two ON
you, you bloody-handed rngpicker.
suppose that other case contains
opium, too If there amt anorher
dead corpse In No. case I hope my
teeth may drop overheard"
"Shut up!" beloved Mr.. Gibney, in
q towering rage. "What howl have
you got comm? They're my China
men, amt they? / paid for 'em like
man, didn't /? All right, rhen. I'll
keep them two Cinnamon. You two
amt out cent yet an rs for this
five wins off you, Scraggs, It's blood
money; that's what 1t is, an hereby
gives II back to you. Now, quit yer
whinin', or by the tail o. the Great
Sacred Bull, I'll lock you up all night
in tn cabin along O. them two defunct
Celestlals."
Captain Scraggs "shut up" prompt.
ly, and contented himself with glover
ing at Mr.. Gibney. Tie mate sa
down on the hatch coaming, lit his
pipe, and gave himself up to medta
ton for fully five minutes, Mt The enc
Of which time McGuffey was aware
that his Imagination was about Il
come 10 the front once more.
"Well, gentlemen" (agaln McGuf
fey nodded approvlngly) 81 bet 1 get
my twenty bucks back outer them tive
Chinks," he announced presently.
HOW'LL yer d0it?" inquired McGuf
fey POLITELY.
How'll do II? Easy as fallIn
fhrotioh nm omen hatch I'm a-goin