The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-12-23

capabilities, Hicks, an if 1t would be
agreeable to you to have me for your
chief your recommendation would &c
a long way toward landin' me the job
I'd sure make them engines behave"
what vessel have you been on late
ly?" Hicks demanded cautiously, for
he knew Mr.. McGuffey's reputation for
non-reliabAity 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
you"
"He fired me-" McGuffey replied
honestly. eff 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 Flaherty
murmured. "You say she walked
ashore on you, McGuffey? 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 it was his ship, for I'll
bet dollar she's ground to powder
| by now-so all l could do was obey.
l hoped overheard an waded ashore.
I suppose all my clothes an things is
gone by now. left everything aboard
an had to borrow this outfit from
Scab Johnny" He grinned pathetical-
ly. $50 guess you understand, Cap
tain Hicks, just how bad need that
job 1 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 Flaherty
| faced each other.
"Jack," quoth Dan Hicks "can two
towboat men, holdin' down two hun
dred-douar 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.'"
81 know one of them that can't,
Dan. At the same time, can rat like
Phineas P. Scraggs and a beachcomb-
er like his mate Gibney make 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 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.
"Were 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 oFMr Gibney.
Promptly at twelve o'clock the long.
shoremen knocked off work for the
lunch hour and Neils Halvorsen
drifted across the street to cool his
parched throat with steam beer
While waiting for Scraggs to come UP
out Of the engine room, and take him
to luncheon, Mr.. Gibney sauntered aft
and was standing gazing refiectively
upon spot on the Maggies stern
where the hawsers had chafed away
the paint, when suddenly his fore
bodings of evil returned to him thou.
sand fold stronger than they had been
since Scraggs' return to the little ship
He glanced up and beheld gazing
down upon him Captains Jack Fla.
herty and Daniel Hicks. Battle was
imminent and the valiant Gibney
knew 1t; wherefore he determined in
stantly to meet it like 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 leaped
from the bulkhead straight down al
Mr.. Gibney. Jack Flaherty followed
Mr.. Gibney welcomed Captain Hicks
with terrific right swing, which
missed; before he could guard, Dan
Hicks had planted left and right
where they would do the most good
and Mr.. Gibney went into clinch tc
save himself further punishment.
"Scraggsy." he bawled, "Scragg
sy-y-y! Helpl Murder! It's Hicks
and Flaherty! Bring an axr'
He flung Dan Hicks at Jack Fla
herty; as they collided he rushed in
and dealt each of them a powerful
poke. However, Messrs. Hicks anl
Flaherty were sizeable persons ant
while. individually. they were ne
match for the tremendous Gibney
nevertheless what they lacked In
horsepower they made up in pugnacity
and the salt sea seldom breeds 6
craven Captain Scraggs thru,
frightened face up through the engine
room hatch. hut at sight of the battl,
royal taking place on the deck aft
his blood turned to water and Ia