The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-08
Continued From Yesterday

(Continued From Yesterday
 You won't do nothin' O the sort, Mac, because that's my barge an l ain't a-goin' to let it out O my sight. your steamer and prepaid the freight and it's up to you to handle it.
 "GibI"
 That's the programmed"
 t'AdeIbert," crooned MT. McGuffey, "ain't you got no heart? You know I got half interest in the Victor
 "O-oo-oh!" Captain Scraggs groan- ed, and his groan was that of a sea sick passenger. When he could look up again his face was ghastly with misery.
 ''Gtb," he pleaded sadly. you got us where the hair is short. Don't in- yoke the law an make us handle thai codfsh, Gib! It ain't right. Gimme leave to tow that barge-anything to keep your freight off the Victor. an we'll pull it up river for you-'
 Be a good feller, Glib. You usen- ter be hard an spiteful like that urged McGuffey.
 "Ill tow the barge free" walled Scraggs.
 MT. Gfbney sat calmly down on the stringer and lit a cigar. Nature had blessed him with a strong .constitu- tion amdiships and the contigutty of his tainted fortune bothered him but little. He squinted over the tip of the cigar at Captain 'Scraggs.
 " Ou're Just the same old Scra ggSy you was in the green-pea trade. All you need is a ring in yer nose Scraggsy, to make you a human hog. Here you goes to work an soaks me a dollar a ton when you'd be tickled to do the job for half O that, an then you got the gall to stand there appealin' to my friendship So you'll tow the barge up free, eh? We'll, just to make the transaction legal, I'll GriJ In1 fD, you have the barge. Skip to it, Scraggsy, an draw up a new bill, Suaranteein' to tow the barge for one dollar. Then gimme back $4990O an freight lbill.''
 Captain Scraggs darted into his cabin, dashed off the necessary docu- ment, and returning to the deck pre- sented it, together with the requisite refund, to MT. Gibney, who, in the meantime, had come aboard.
 Whatever are you a-goin' to do with this awful codf1sh, Glib % he de- manded.
 MT. Gibney cooked his hat over one ear and blew a cloud of smoke in the shippers face.
 Well, boys. I'll tell you Salted codfish that's been under water a long time gets most O the salt took out of enough, it'll get so alarmed ripe that it's what you might call offensive. But 1t makes good fertilizer. There afn't nothin' in the world to equal codfish, medium ripe, for fertilizer. I've rIgged up a deal with a orchard conB'ny that's layin' out a couple O. thousand acres O. young trees up in the delta lands O the Sacramento. I've sold 'em the lot, after first b;,yin' It rom the owners O. the schooner for a hundred dollars. Everytfme these orchard fellers dig a hole to plant a young fruit tree they aim to heave a codfish in the bottom O. the hole first, for fertilizer. There was upward O two hundred thousand codfish in that schooner an I've sold 'em for five cents each. delivered at Dunni- gan's landin'- I figure on cleanin' llp about seven thousand net on the deaf. thought me am Neils was stuck at flrst, but l got my imagination work
 Captain Scraggs sank Imply into McGuffy's arms and the two stared at the doughty commodore.
 Hit in the face with q fortune an' oldn Know it." gasped poor McGuf- fey. ''G5b, Pm sure glad you got out whole on that deal.''
 Thanks to a lack O imagination in you am Scraggsy I'm about two hundred and fifty dollars ahead O. my estimate now, on account O. the free tow O that barge. Me an Neils certalnly makes a nice littles pitt on account O this here codfish deal'
 
 the matter with reorganizin' the syn dicate ?'
 Be a good feller. AdeTbert," plead ed McGuffey.
 MT. Gfbney was never so vulnerable as when one ihe really lover called nm by his Christian name He drew an arm across the shoulders of Me Gu1ey and Scraggs, while Neils Hal yorsen stood by, his yellow fangs flashing with pleasure under his wal rus mustache.
 Scraggsy! Mac! Your fins! We'll reorganl~e the syndicate. an the min ute me an Neils finds ourselves with Dill O sale for a one-quarter inter est in the Victor. based on the aetna cost price, we'll tow this here barge-''
 An split the profits on the cod fish v Scra ggs queried eagerly.
 Certainly not. Me an Neils splits that fffty-ffty. A quarter O. then profits is too high a price to pay for your friendship, Scraggsy old deceit 1ul. Remember, I made that profit after you an Mac had pulled out o' the syndicate"
 That's logic" McGuffey declared
 Its highway robbery" Scraees snarled T won't sell no quarter in @ te1est to you or The squarehead, Gib
 Then you'll load them codfish aboard. or pay demurrage on that barge for every day they hand around 'em an chucks 'em overheard r. sue you an Mac for my lost profits. git a judgment agin you, an take over the Victor to satisfy the 1udgment '
 You're a seq lawyer, Gib," Scra ggs retorted sarcastical1y.