, 1921-10-29
CHAPTER v.

disturb the routine Of life aboard the
Maggie. until Bartholomew McGufey.
having heard certain Waterfront whis-
perA, considered It the part OF pru-
dencs to lay his information before
scraggs and Mr.. Gibney.
Look here. scrnggs.- he began
briskiy. SITS all fine an dandy to
promise me a new boiler. but when do
I git it7'
''why, jes' MS coon as we can get
this glut o. freight behind Us. Bart,
my boy You've managed with the old
boiler this long. 80 II pears to me you
might be patient IN bear with II q
mite longer. Bart"
"oh. I amt tryin' to be disagreeable.
Scraggs, only II sort o. worries me to
have to 80 along without bein' able to
use our whistle"
"we'n FIX It when business Stacks
up" scrnggs decided with nnality. He
glanced Mt his watch. "Sufferin'
sailori" he cried In simulated dis
tress. "Here IT'S n o'clock an I amt
collected a dollar o. the freight money
from the last voyage. I must beat it,
When Captain Scragrs had "beaten
It," Gibney and McGurey exchanged
expressive giances. Hes runnin' out
on u.s." McGufrey complained.
Even so. Bart, even 20. Therefore.
rhe thing for US to do Is to run out
on him. In other words. weTi work a
month. save our money. an then. with
out a word O. complaint or argument,
we'll walk out"
"oh. I amt exactly broke. Glib. I
got e~ighty-Hve dollars"
"Then.- quoth Gibney decisively,
well 20 on strike tonight. Scraggsyll
he stuck In port a week before he can
get another engineer an another navi-
gatin' oficer. me an you bein' the
only two natural-born fools in San
Francisco an ports adjacent, an be-
fore three days have passed he'll be
huntin' US up to compromise"
II don't want no compromise. What
want Is a new boiler"
You'll git It. Wen make him order
the paint an the boiler an pay for
both In advance before wen aeree to
go back to work."
Tho engiaeer nodded his approval
and after sealing their pact with q
hearty handshake. they turned to and
commenced di~scharging the Maggie.
When Captain Scraggs returned to
the little steamer shorty after i've
o'clock, to his great a1.axement, he
discovered Ar. Gibney and McGufrey
dressed In their other suits-including
caiiuloiA collars ana rpfu
'The cargo's out, scraggsy, my son,
the decks has been washed down an
everything in my department is ship
shape" Thus Mr.. Gibney.
Likewise In mine" McGufrey
added.
Consequently" Mt. Gibney con-
Guided. we're quittin' the Maggie an
II it's all the same to you wen have
U time"
"My dear Glib. Why. whatevers
come over you two boysf"
"Stow your chatter. Scraggs. Shell
out the cash. You've fooled us once
In the matter o. that new boiler an
the paintin'. an we're not goin' to
give you a second chance. Come
through-or take the consequences.
Wen sail nc more with a liar an q
fraud"
"Them's hard words. Mr.. Gibney.-
The truth is alters bitter" McGuf-
fey opined.
Captain Scraggs paused to consider
the serious ~predicamept which con-
fronted him. It was Saturday night.
BE knew MFR. McGufrey to be the pos
SCISSOR Of more money than usual and
II he could assure himself that this
reserve should be dissipated before
Monday morning he was aware, from
experience. that the strike would be
broken by Tuesday At the lntest. And
he could afford that delay. He re-
solved. therefore. on diplomacy.
well. I'm sorry" he answered with
every = .arance of contrition. 'You
fellers me In the nine-hole an ]
can't help myself. At the game time.
I appreciate fully your pint Of view,
while reaiizin' that 1 can't convince
you o. mino So we won't have no
hard fee,in's at partin'. boys, an to
show You I'm a sport I'll treat to a
French dinner an a motion picture
show nfterward. Further. I shall re-
gard a refusal OF said invite ms n
pers.nal afrront.-
To be Continued