, 1921-12-03

Oto ". t1Q t1e z 70 X A handy man
with a rooe chisei can do lots Of
t-aES He can change those mines TO
sights. the I'VE 70 a ak. and tho seven
to = nine. I've seen II done bsfore.
Then we'll rig q foretopmast and a
sptnnaker boom on her. nj bend a
nsherman's staysail- Nothing like II
hen you're sailing n little OF the
wind Scragss. you have the papers
Of the ofe Makgie. and we all have
u licenses regular enough. Dig Up
the old papers. scraggsy. and III doctor
EN- up to at b Maggie II. Az for
our armament. well dismount the
guns and stow 'em away In the hold
until we get down on the Colombian
coast, and while we're lying in Pan
anna repairing the holes where my
shots went through her. and putin
new planks In her decks where the
old plankin' has been scored By shrap-
mel. those paraqueets viii think we're
as peaceful as chipmunkE. Better look
owe your supplies. McGufey. and SEQ
II there's any paint aboard. I'd JUST
a. lief give the old girl a different
urezs Detore we drop anchor in Pan
anna"
Glib said Captain scrasgs. earnest
iy, "Tn keel-haui and s~hull-drag the
man that ays you amt got a great
head"
BY the lord" supplemented McGuf-
fey, you have"
The commodore smiled and tapped
his frontal bone with his forennget.
"Imagination, my lads, Imagination
he said, and reached for h last OF the
punch.
Exactly three weeks from the date OF
the naval battle which took place on
the Coronado islands. and whereby Mr..
Gibney became commodore. and man.
aging owner OF the erstwhne Mexican
coast patrol schooner Reina Maria. that
vessel sailed put OF the harbor OF Pam
mi completely ~rejuvenatec. Not q
scar m her shapely lines gave evil
dence Of the s%anguinary engagement
through which h had passed.
Mr.. Gibncy had her painted a creamy
white with a dark blue wetcriine. Sho
had had her bottom cleaned n
scrnped and the copper sheathing over-
hauled and patched up. Her sails
had been overhauied, inspected. and
repaired wherever necessary. and in
order to be On the safe side. Mr.. Glib
ney, upon motion duly made by him
and seconded by McGunfey Ito whom
the seconding Of the Gibney motions
had developed into . habit), purchased
an extra suit Of new sails. The en-
gines were overhauled by the faith
full McGuffey and q large store Of dis
tillate stored In the hold. Captain
Scraggs, with his old-time aversion to
expense. made n motion (which was
seconded by McGuffey before he had
taken time to consider Its import) pro
viding for the abolition Of the office
Of chief engineer while the Maggie II
was under satI at which time tie
! chief ex-oficto was to hold himself
under the orde-s of the commodore and
be transferred to the deck department
II necessary. Mr.. ,Glbney approved the
measure and 1t went Into effect. Only
on entering or leaving a port, or in
case OF chase by an enemy, were the
engines to be used. and McGuffey was
warned to be extremely saving Of his
distillnte.
Mr.. Gibney made a splendid Job Of
changing the vessels name. and as
she chugsed lazily out Of Panama bay
and lifted to the long ground-swell Of
the Pacific. It is doubtful II even her
late Mexican commander would have
recognized her. She was indeed a
beautiful craft. and Commodore Glib
ney's heart swelled with pride as he
stood an, coming the man at the
wheel. and looked her over. It seemed
like a sacrilege now, when he reflected
how he had trained The gun Of the old
Maggie on her that day OF the Coro-
nados. and It seemed to him now even
a greater sacrilege to have braxenly
planned to enter her as a privateer in
the struggles Of the republic OF Colon
'bia. The past tense is used advisedly.
for that project was now entirely on.
much to the secret delight OF Captain
Scraggs. who. II the hero Of one naval
engagement. was not anxious to take
part In another. In Panama the free
hooters Of the Maggie II learned that
during Mr.. Gibney's absence on his
flibustering trip the Colombian revolu-
tionists had risen and struck their
blow. After the fashion of a hot
headed and impetuous people, they had
entered the ontest absolutely un-
trained. As a result, the war had last
ed just two weeks. the leaders had
been inccntinently shot, and the white
winged dove of peace had once more
spread her pinions along the borders
of the. Gold coast
Commodore Gibney was Disguised be.
yond measure, and at a special meet.
Ing OF the syndicate, called in the
cabin of the Maggie II that same eve.
ming, It was finally decided that they
should embark on an indefinite trad
ing cruise in the South seas. or until
such time as It seemed their services
must be required to free a downtrod-
den people from a tyrant's yoke.
Captain Scraggs and McGufey had
never been in the South seas. but they
had beard that a fair margin Of profit