The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-12-09
CHAPTER I.


the coast shortly after the Maggie
had rounded Pillar Point at sunset and
readed north. Captain Scraggs had
been steamboating too many unprofit-
able years on San Francisco bay, the
SuiSun and San Pablo sloughs and
dogholes and the Sacramento river ia
be deceived as to the character OF
that fog, and he remarked as much to
Mr. Gibney. "We'd better turn back
to Halfmoon bay and tie up at the
DOCK" he added.
Calamity howler!" retorted Mr.
Gibney and gave the wheel spoke OF
two. 'Scraggsy, you're enough to
make real sailor sick at the
stomach"
But tell you she's tule fog, Glib
She rises up In the marshes of the
Sacramento and San Joaquin, drifts
down to the bay and out the Golden
gate and just naturally blocks the
wheels of commerce while she lasts.
Why, I've known the ferry boats be-
tween San Francisco and Oakland to
get lost for hours on their twenty-min-
ute run-and all along of a blasted
tule fog"
II don't doust your word a mite,
Scraggsy. 1 never did see q ferry-boat
skipper that knew shucks about
sailorizing," the imperturbable Gibney
responded. "Me, I'll smell my way
home in any tule fog"
Maybe you can an maybe you
can't, Glib, although far be it from me
to question your ability. I'll take IT
for granted. Nevertheless, l amt
a-goin' to run the risk O. you havin'
catarrh O. the nose an confusin' your
smells tonight. You amt got nothin'
at stake but your job, whereas If ]
lose the Maggie I lose my hull for
tune. Bring her about, Glib, an let's
hustle back"
"DOnt be an old woman" Mr.. Glib
ney pleaded. "Scraggs, you just amt
got enough works inside you to fill a
wrist watch"
81 amt a-goin' to poke around in
che dark an a tule fog, feelin' for
GAe Golden gate" Captain Scraggs
Cnrllled peeVlSnly.
HIS bells an panther tracks
Eve got my old courses, an if foller
them we can't help gettin' home"
Captain Scraggs laid his hand on
Mr.. Gibney's great arm and tried tc
smile paternally. "Gib, my dear boy,
Re pleaded, control yourself. Don't
argue with me, Glib. Pm master here
en- you're mate. Do 1 make myself
Ciear?"
you do, Scraggsy. But it won't
evail you nothin'. You're only master
tnsc:g of a gentleman's agreement be-
tween us two, an because I'm man
enough to figger there's certain rights
due you as owner O. the Maggie. But
don't you forget that accordin' to the
records o the inspectors Office, I'm
master of the Maggie, an the way
figger 1t, whenever there's any call to
show a little real seamanship, that
gentleman's agreement don't stand"
'But this amt one O. them times,
Glib"
you're whistlin' it is. If we run
y,
tleships we don't get into San Fran
cisco bay an discharged before six
o'clock tomorrow night. BY the time
we've taken on coal an water an
what-all, it'll be eight or nine o'clock,
with me an McGuffey entitled to
mebbe three dollars overtime an
havin' to argue an scrap with you to
git it-not to speak o. havin' to put to
sea the same night SOS to be back in
Halfmoon bay to load bright an early
next mornin'. Scraggsy, I amt no
night bird on this rum"
"Do you mean, to defy me, Gib?"
Captain Scraggs' little green eyes
cleaned balefully. Mr.. Gibney looked
down upon him with tolerance, as a
Great Dane gazes upon fox terrier.
81 certainly do, Scraggsy, old pepper
pot" he replied calmly. "What're you
goin' to do about it?" The ghost of a
smile lighted his jovial countenance
"Nothin'-now. I'm helpless" Cap
tain Scraggs answered with deadly
calm. But the minute we hit the
dock you an me parts company"
81 don't know whether we will or
not. Scraggsy. I amt heeled right
financially to hit the beach on such
short notice."
"Tll get the police to remove you,
you blistered pirate" Scraggs
screamed, now quite beside himself.
Eyes? Well, the minute they let go
O. me I'll come back to the S. S. Mag
gle and tear her apart just to see
what makes her CO." He leaned out
the pilot-house window and shifted.
''Tule fog, all right, Scraggs. Still,
that amt no reason why the ships
company should fast, is it? Quit bick-
erin with me, little one, an see if you
can't wrastle up some ham an eggs.
i want my eggs sunny side up"
Sensing the futility of further argu-
ment, Captain Scraggs sought solace
In stream of adjectival opprobrium,
plainly meant for Mr.. Gibney but de-
ivered, nevertheless, impersonally. He
closed the pilot-house door furiously
behind him and started for the galley
Some bright day I'm goin' to git
tired O. hearin' You cuss my proxy
Mr.. Gbney bawled after him, "an
when that fatal time arrives I'll scat.
ter a can O. Kill-Flea over you an the
shippin' worldll know you no more"
-'Oh. 60 to-glory. you pig-iron pol
isher Captain Scraggs tossed back
az aim over his shoulder-and honor
ms $: i's.ied. In the lee of the pilot