The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-12-16

| mile to the south of the position Of
| the Maggie, and then came cautiously
| up the coast, whistling continuously
to acquaint the Yankee Prince with
| their presence in the neighborhood
| In anticipation Of the necessity for
replying to this welcome sound, Cap
| tain Scraggs and Mr.. Gibney had, for
the past two hours, busted themselves
getting up another head of steam in
the Maggie's boilers, repairing the
whistle and splicing the wires of the
engine room telegraph. Like the wise
men they were, however, they declined
to sound the Maggie's siren until the
| tugs were quite close. Even then, Mr.
Gibney shuddered, but needs must
when the devil drives, so he pulled
| the whistle cord and was rewarded
with weird, mournful grunt, dying
away into gasp.
Sounds like she has the pip" Jack
Flaherty remarked to his mate.
''Must have taken on some of that
quized, sand now her tubes have gone
| to glory"
Immediately both tugs kicked ahead
| under a dead slow bell, guided by a
series of toots as brief as Mr.. Gibney
could make them, and presently both
| tug lookouts reported breakers dead
| ahead.
! Dan Hicks sent man forward to
heave the lead under the nose Of the
| Aphrodite, which was edging in gin
| gerly toward the voice. He had a
searchlight. but he did not attempt
to use it, knowing full well that in
such a fog 1t would be of no avail
Guided, therefore, by the bellowings
| of Mr.. Gibney, reinforced by the shrill
| yips of Captain Scraggs, the tug crept
in closer and closer, and when it
seemed that they must be within a
| hundred feet of the surf, Dan Hicks
| trained his Lyle gun in the direction
| of Mr.. Gibney's voice and shot heav-
| ing line into the fog.
Almost simultaneous with the report
| of the gun came a shrek of pain from
Captain Scraggs. Straight and true
| the wet, heavy knotted end of the
| heaving line came in over the Maggie's
quarter and struck him In the mouth.
In the darkness he staggered back
from the singing blow, clutched wild
| ly at the air, slipped and rolled over
| among the vegetables with the pre-
cious rope clasped to his breast
81 got It," he sputtered, 81 got 1t,
Glib"
"Safe, Or Mr.. Gibney bawled. "Pay
out your hawser."
They met 1t at the taffrail as 1t
came up out of the breakers, wet but
| welcome. "Pass 1t around the main
mast, Scraggy," Mr.. Gibney cautioned.
| sIf we make fast to the TOWN. bits,
| the first jerkll pull the anchor bolts
| up through the deck"
| When the hawser had been made
fast to the mainmast, the leathern
lungs of Mr.. Gibney made due an
nouncement of the fact to the ex-
pectant Captain Hicks. GAS soon as
you feel you've got grip on her." he
yelled, "just hold her steady so she
won't drive further up the beach when
| get my anchor up. She'll come out
like loose tooth at the top of the
| flood"
The Aphrodite forged slowly ahead,
taking In the slack of the hawser.
Twenty minutes later, after much
backing and swearing and heaving of
lines the Bodega's hawser was also
put board the Maggie. Mr.. Gibney
judged it would be safe now to fasten
this line to the towing bits.
Suddenly Captain Scraggs remem-
bered there was no one on duty In the
Maggie's engine room. With half
sob. he slid down the greasy ladder.
tore open the furnace doors and COM
mepced shoveling In coal with reck-