, 1921-11-05
CHAPTER VI

SHhr EN- We
The. tide was still ut the flood and
the two Adventures made fast progress
toward the Chesapeake. Choosing q
favorable opportunity as the vessel
dipped. they grasped her martlngnle.
climbed up on the bowsprit. and raj
along the bowsprit TO the to-gnllan'-
fo'castIe. On the deck below a dead
man lay In the scuppers. and such a
horrible stencil pervnded the vessel
that McGufey was taken very Ill and
was forced to seek the rail.
"Scurvy or somethin'." Mr.. Gibney IN
nounced, quite calmly. There should
be chloride OF lime in the mates store
room-rll 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 Mt.
Matches In the galley. OF course"
lie 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
TO the fo'castle, entered. and found
four men alive In their berths. but too
far gone to leave them. "I1l 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. 1 was passin' up
the coast on a good-for-nothin' little
bumboat, an seen you In distress. SO
mn an a friend swum over t. give
you the double o. You're In a bad
way. SIR"
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
hcers stuck 1t out longest. but when
we drifted in here this morning, 1 was
the only man aboard able to stnnd up.
/ crawled up on the to'-galian' fo'cas-
tie and let go the s%tarboard anchor. I'd
had It cock-billed for three weeks.
All I had to do was knock out the
stopper"
While Mr.. Gibney questioned him
and listened avidly to the horrible tale
Of %privntion and despair. McGufey
appeared to report a brisk FIRE under
the donkey and to promise steam In
! forty minutes; also that the Maggie
was hove to n cable length distant
with her crew digging under the deck
load Of vegetables for the small boat
Help yourself to n belayin' pin, Bart
an knock 'em on the heads II they
try 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.
There's an excuse for one, sir. The
little vegetable frelghter Maggie. Shell
never be able to tow you in, because
she amt got power enough. mn II
she had power enough she amt gol
coal enough. Besides. Scraggs, hei
owner. Is a rotten bad article IN be
fore he'll put u rope aboard you he'll
tie you up on a contrnct for a fggeI
that'd make an angel weep. The wa,
your ship lies an everything. me an
McGurey can sail her in for you a
half the price,"
7 can't risk my. ship In tho hnnd