Middletown transcript., 1921-11-05


Hicks, an II 1t would be
agreeable to you to have me for your
chief your recommendation would go
a long way toward landin' me the Job.
I'd sure make them engines behave"
"What vessel have you been on late
lyT Hicks demanded cautiously, for
he knew Mr.. McGuffey's reputation for
non-reliability around pay day.
II been with that freshwater scaven-
ger, Scraggs, in the Maggie for most
a year."
"Did you quit or did scraggs fire
your"
HE fired me-" McGufey replied
honestly. IF he hadn't I'd have quit,
so it's a toss-up. Comm in from
Halfmoon bay last night we got in the
fog an piled up on the beach jus
below the Cliff house"
"This is interesting" Jack FlGherty
murmured. you say she walked
ashore on you, McGuffey7 Well, I'll
be shot!"
"She did. Scraggs blamed 1t on me,
Flaherty. He said I didn't obey the
signals from the bridge, one word led
to another, an he went dancin' mad
an ordered me off his ship Well, It's
his ship-or 1t was his ship, for I'll
bet a dollar she's ground to powder
by now-so all l could do was obey.
l hoped overheard an waded ashore.
l suppose all my clothes an things Is
gone by now. I left everything aboard
an had to borrow this outfit from
Scab Johnny" He grinned pathetical-
ly. $50 I guess you understand, Cap
tain Hicks, Just how bad need that
Job I spoke about minute ago."
"Tll think it over, Mac, an let you
know" Hicks replied evasively.
Mr.. McGuffey, sensing his defeat,
retired forthwith to hide his embar-
rassment and distress; as the door
closed behind him, Hicks and F1aherty
faced each other.
"Jack," quoth Dan Hicks, "can two
towboat men, holdin' down two hun
dred-dol]ar jobs an presumed to have
been out O. their swaddlin' clothes for
at least thirty years, afford to be
laughed off the San Francisco water
front?'
II know one of them that can't,
Dan. At the same time, can rat like
Phineas P. Scraggs and beachcomb-
er like his mate Gibney make q pair
Of star-spangled monkeys out of said
two towboat men and get away with
it?"
"They did that last night. Still, I've
known monkeys that would fight an
was human enough to settle a grudge.
Follow me, Jack"
Together they repaired to Jackson
street bulkhead. Sure enough, there
lay the Maggie, rubbing her blistered
sides against the bulkhead. Captain
Scraggs was nowhere in sight, but Mr.,
Gibney was at the winch, swinging
ashore the crates Of vegetables which
The Squarehead and three longshore'
men loaded into the cargo net.
"We're outnumbered," Jack Flaherty
whispered. Lets wait until she's un
loaded an Gibney an Scraggs are
aboard alone"
They retired without having at
tracted the attention Of Mr.. Gibney.
Promptly at twelve o'clock the long
shoremen knocked off work for the
lunch hour and Neils HalvOrser
drifted across the street to cool his
parched throat with steam beer
While waiting for Scraggs to come uI
out Of the engine room, and take hin
to luncheon, Mr.. Gibney sauntered af1
and was standing gazing reflectively
upon spot on the Maggie's ster1
where the hawsers had chafed away
the paint, when suddenly his fore
bodings Of evil returned to him a thou
sand fold stronger than they had beer
since Scraggs' return to the little ship
He glanced up and beheld gazing
down upon him Captains Jack Fla
herty end Daniel Hicks. Battle was
imminent and the valiant Gibney
knew it; wherefore he determined in
stantly to meet it like a man.
"Howdy, men," he saluted them
"Glad to have you aboard the yacht,
and he stepped backward to give him
self fighting room.
"Here's where we collect the tow
age bill on the S. S. Yankee Prince,
Dan Hicks Informed him, and leapet
from the buIkhead straight down a
Mr.. Gibney. Jack Flaherty followed
Mr.. Gibney welcomed Captain Hick!
with terrific right swing, whicl
missed; before he could guard, Dar
Hicks had planted left and righ
where they would do the most goot
and Mr.. Gibney went into clinch tt
save himself further punishment.
"Scraggsy." he bawled, "Scragg
sy-y-y! Help! Murder! It's Hick!
and Flaherty! Bring an ax!"
He flung Dan Hicks at Jack Fla
herty; as they collided he rushed il
and dealt each Of them a powerful
poke. However, Messrs. Hicks ant
Flaherty were sizeable persons ant
while, individually, they were NJ
match for the tremendous Gibney
nevertheless what they lacked IL
horsepower they made up in pugnacit!
and the salt sea seldom breeds /.
craven. Captain Scraggs thrus. 1
frightened face up through the engine
room hatch, but at sight Of the battl,
royal taking place on the deck aft
his blood turned to water and b.