Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1921-10-27
CHAPTER ~.

CHAPTER IN.
In the office of the Red Stack Tug
Boat company Captain Dan Hicks.
master Of the tug Aphrodite; Captain
Jack Flaherty. master of the Bodega.
and Herman, the assistant superin-
tendent on night watch, sat around
a hot little box stove engaged In that
occupation SO dear to the maritime
heart. to-wit: spinning sea yarns.
The telephone rang and Tiernan an
swered. Hicks and Flaherty hitched
forward In their chairs to listen.
"Hello. :. -. Yes, Red Stack Office.
Steamer Yankee Prince. /.
What's that? silk and rice? /.
Half mile below the Cliff house.
Ell? Sure. I'll send a tug right
away. Lindsfrom."
Herman hung up and faced the two
shippers. Gentlemen" he announced
heres chance for little salvage
money tonight. The American stenm.
err Yankee Prince Is ashore half a
mile below the Cliff house. She's a
big tramp with a Valuable cargo from
Hong Kong, with the rudder gone and
her crank shaft busted"
ITS high water mt twelve thirty
seven, Jack Flaherty pleaded. "You'd
better send me. Herman. The Bodega
has more power than the Aphrodte. I"
This was the truth and Dan Hicks
knew II. hut he was not to be beaten
out of his share of the salvage BY
such tlImsy argument. Jack" he
pleaded, don't be hog all the time.
The Yankee Prince Is an eight thou
sand-ton vessel and It's a tw0-tug Job
BETTER send. us both, Herman, and play
safe. Chances are our competitors
have three tugs on the way right
now"
what wonderful imagination you
have. Dan. Eight thousand tons !!
You're crazy. man. She's thirteen
hundred net register and know It be.
cause was In Newport News when
they launched her. and went out with
her skipper on the trial trip. She's a
long, narrow-gutted craft. with en-
gines aft, like lake steamer"
"We'll play SAFE" Herman decided.
go to it--both of you, and may the
best man win. She'll belong to you.
Jack, if she's thirteen hundred net and
you get your line aboard first. If she's
as big as Dan says she Ia, you'll be
equal partners"
But he was talking TO himself.
Down the docks Hicks and Flaherty
were racing for the respective COM
mands. each shouting TO his night
Waterman to pipe all hands on deck.
Fortunately, goodly head of steam
was up In each tugs boilers: because
of the fog and the liability to COLI
sions and consequent hasty summons,
one engineer on each tug was on duty.
Out through the Gate they nosed
their way. heaving the lead continu-
ously, made wide detOur around Mile
rock and the Seal rocks. swung a
mile to the south Of the position of
the Maggie, and then came cautiously
up the coast. whistling continuously
TO acauaint the Yankee Prince with
their presence IN the neighborhood,
in anticipation of the necessity for
replying to this welcome sound. Cap
tain Scraggs and MFR. 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 Maggle's siren until the
tugs were quite close. Even then, Mr.
Gibney shuddered, hut needs must
when the devil drives, so he pulled
the whistle cord and was rewarded
with a weird. mournfuI grunt, dying
away Into a gasp.
Sounds like she has the pip" Jack
Flnherty remarked to his mate.
'Must have taken on some of thar
dirty Asiatic water" Dan Hicks sol.lo.
qtIized. land now her tubes have gone
to glory"
Immediately both tugs kicked ahead
under dead slow hell. guided hy a
series of toots MS brief MS MIR Chimney
could make them, and presently both