Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-11-24
CHAPTER VI.

The tide was still at the flood and
the two adventures made fast progress
toward the Chesapeake. Choosing a
favorable opportunity as the vessel
dipped, they grasped her martingale,
climbed up on the bowsprit, and ran
along the bowsprit TO the to-gallan'-
focastle. On the deck below dead
man lay in the scuppers. and such
horrible stencil pervaded the vessel
that McGuffey was taken very Ill and
was forced 10 seek the rail.
"Scurvy or somethin'," Mr Gibney an
nounced, quite calmly. There should
be chloride Of lime In the mates store
room-I1l scatter some on these poor
devils. Too close to port now TO chuck
EN- overheard. Anyhow, Bart, me an
you amt doctors, nor yet coroners or
undertakers, so you'd better skip along
an build a fire under the donkey aft.
Matches in the galley, of course"
He trotted down to the main deck
and prowled aft. On the port side OF
her house he found two more dead
men. and a cursory inspection of the
bodies told him they had died Of sour
Wy. He circled the ship, came back
10 the focastle. entered. and found
four men alive in their berths, but too
far gone TO leave them. 9TH have you
boys in the Marine hospital tonight"
he Informed the poor creatures, and
sought the masters cabin. Lying on
his bed, fully dressed, he found the
skipper OF the Chesapeake. The man
was gaunt and emaciated.
The freebooter OF the green-pea
trade touched his wet forelock respect
fully. my name is Gibney, sir, an l
hold an unlimited license as first mate
of sail or steam. l was passln' up
the coast on a good-for-nothin' little
bumboat. an seen you in distress, so
me an a friend swum over TO give
you the double o. You're In a bad
way, sir"
1.-TWO hundred and eighty-seven days
from Hamburg, Mr.. Gibney. Our vege-
tables gave out and we drank too much
rain water and ate too much fresh fish
down in the Doldrums. Our potatoes
all went rotten before we were out
two months. Naturally. the ships Of
ficers stuck Ii out longest, but when
we drifted in here this morning, l was
the only man aboard able to stand up.
I crawled up on the to'-gallan' fo'cas-
tie and let go the starboard anchor. I'd
had it cock-billed for three weeks
All / had to do was knock out the
stopper"
While Mr.. Gibney questioned him
and listened avidly to the horrible tale
of privation and despair, McGuffey
appeared to report brisk fire under
the donkey and to promise steam In
forty minutes also that the Maggie
was hove TO q cable length distant
with her crew digging under the deck
load of vegetables for the small boat
Help yourself to belayin' pin, Bart
an knock EN- on the heads II they
fry to come aboard" Mr.. Gibney or
dered nonchalantly.
do I understand there is a steamer
at hand. Mr.. Gibney?" the master OF
the Chesapeake queried.
"Tbere's an excuse for one, sir. The
little vegetable freighter Maggie. She'll
never be able 10 tow you in, because
she amt got power enough. an II
she had power enough she amt got
coal enough. Besides, Scraggs, her
owner, is a rotten bad article an be
fore he'll put a rope aboard you he'll
tie YOU up on a contract for hgger
that'd make an angel weep. The way
your ship lies an everything, me an
McGuffey can sail her In for you al
half the price"
"I can't risk my ship in the hands
OF two men," the sick captain an
swered. "She's too valuable and so Is
her cargo. II this little steamer viii
tow me In I'll gladly give her my tow