Phoenix tribune., 1921-12-24


forgot to curse his navigating officer
for the latter's stubbornness in refusing
to turn back when the fog threatened.
He clutehed Mr.. Gibney by the right
arm, thereby interrupting for an In
stant the dismal outburst from the
Maggie's siren.
"Gib," he moaned. '1'm a ruined
man. How're we ever to get the old
sweetheart off whole2 Answer me
that, Glib. Answer me, say. How're
we to get my Maggie off the beach?'
Mr. Gibney shook himself loose from
that frantic grip and continued his
pull on the whistle until the Maggie,
taking a false note, quavered, moaned,
spat steam a minute and subsided with
what might be termed a nautical sob.
''Now, see what you've done?" he
bawled. you've made me bust the
whistle"
ANSWER my question, Glib"
"We'H never get her off if you don't
quit interferin' an give me time to
think. I'll admit there amt much Of
chance, because it's dead low water
now an just as soon as the tide is at
the flood she'll drive further up the
beach an fall apart"
Perhaps McGuffey will have heart
enough to telephone into the city for
a tug"
"Tain't scarcely probable, Scraggsy.
You abused him vile an threw a lot
of fodder at him."
Il wish I'd been took with paralysis
first" Scraggs walled bitterly. you'd,
best jump ashore, Glib, an phone in.
We're just below the Cliff house and
you can run up to one o them beach
resorts an phone in to the Red Stack
Tug Boat company"
"'Twouldn't be ethics for me, the
registered master o the Maggie, to
desert the ship, Scraggsy, old stick-in-
the-mud. What's the matter with get
tin your own shanks wet?"
81 dassen't, Glib. I've had a touch
of chills an fever ever since I used
to run mate up the San Joaquin
sloughs. Here's nickel to drop in
the telephone slot, Glib. There's a
good fellow"
"Scraggsy, you're deludin' yourself.
Show me tugboat skipper that would
come out here on a night like this to
pick up the S. S. Maggie, two decks
an no bottom an loaded with garden
truck, an I'll wag my ears an look
at the back O. my neck. She amt
worth it."
"Ain't worth it, Why, man, I paid
fifteen hundred hard cash dollars for
her"
Fourteen hundred an ninety-nine
dollars an ninety-nine cents too much
They seen you comm. However,
grantin for the sake Of argument
that she's worth the tow, the next
question them towboat skippers'll ask
is: Who's goln' to pay the billT
It'll be two hundred an fifty dollars
at the lowest fgger, an if you got
that much credit with the towboat
company you're some high financier.
Amt that logic?"
"Fm afraid" Scraggs replied sadly,
sit is. Still, they'd have lien on
the Maggie"
Steamer ahoyI" came voice from
the beach.
"Man with megaphone," Mr.. Glib
ney cried. "Ahoyl Ahoy, there"
"Who are you an what's the trou-
ble?"
Captain Scraggs took it upon him
self to answer: American steamer
Mag"
Mr.. Gibney sprang upon him tiger
ishly, placed a horny, tobacco-smelling
|, palm across Scraggs' mouth and effec-
lively smothered all further sound.
american steamer Yankee Prince"
he bawled like a veritable Bull Of
Bashan, "of Boston, Hong Kong to
Frisco, with a general cargo of sandal
wood, rice an silk. Wherere we atT'
"Just outside the Gate. Half mile
O the Cliff house."
Telephone in for tug. We're in
nice shape, restin' easy, but our rud-
der's gone an the after web O. the
| crank shaft busted. Telephone in,
my man, an I'll make it up to you
when we get a safe anchorage. Who
are you?"
'Lindstrom, of the Golden Gate Life
! Saving station"
'Tll not forget you, Lindstrom. My
owners are Yankees, but they're
sports"
"All right. I'll telephone. On my
wayI"
"God speed you" murmured Mr..
Gibney, and released his hold on Cap
tain Scraggs, who instantly threw his
arms around the navigating officers
burly neck. II forgive you, Adelbert,
he crooned. 81 forgive you freely. By
the tail of the Great Sacred Bull,
you're marvel. She's an all night fog
or I'm a Chinaman, and if it only
stays thick enough"
It'll hold" Gibney retorted logged
ly. Its a tule fog. They always
hold. Quit huggin' me. Your breath's
bad"
Cantain Seraoos hurled forcihlv