The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-11-21

Scraggs. The old Maggies along side and me and Gib's filbusters. the matches on our prisoners"
 Thank God" said MT. MGibney piously, T didn't kill you Come to look into the matter. didn't kill any body, though I see half a dozen Mex jeans around these decks more or less cut up: Where. you been all these years, Mac.''
 T been chief engineer in the Mex ican navy replied McGuffey. Have you captured us in the name of the United States or what?"
 We've captured you in the name of Adelbert P. Gibney," was the re- ply. T been huntin' all my life for a ship of my own, and now I've gother. Lord, Mac. she's a beauty, ain't she? :? | All hardwood finish, teak rail, we'll found, and just the ticket for the Captain Gibney at last.''
 Where do come in. Glib? asked Captain ScraggS modestly.
 Well, seein' as the Maggie has two holes through her hull below the waterline, and is generally nicked to pieces, you might quit askin' ques tions and get back aboard and put the pumps on her. You're lucky if Descanso bay. If she sinks, don't worry. I'll give you a job as my first mate. Mac, you're my engineer, but not at no fancy Mexican price.
 
 blasted cent more or less. Is that fair %
 McGuffey said it was, and went be- low to tune up his engine. MT. Gibney took the wheel of the gunboat, and sent Captain Scraggs back aboard the Maggie, and in a few minutes both vessels were. bowling along toward Desca nso bay They were off the bay at midnight, and while with Mir Gib- ney in command of the federal gun boat Captain Scraggs had nothing to fear, the rapid rise of water in the hold of the Maggie was sadly discon- certing. About daylight he made up his mind that she would sink within two hours, and without pausing to whine over his predicament, he promptly beadhed her. She drove far up the beach, with the slack water breaking around her scared stern, and when the tide ebbed she lay high and dry. And the rebel soldiers came dropping down from the Megano rancho and falling upon her carcass | like so many ants. quickly distributed her cargo amongst them, and disap- peared.
 Captain Scraggs sent hfs crew out i MT. Gibney in rowing his prisoners | ashore, and when finally he stood alone beside the wreck of the brave 1 old Maggie, piled up at last in the port of missing. ships, something snapped within his greast and the l big tears rolled in quick succession | down his sun-tanned cheeks. The old | hulk looked peculiarly pathetic as | she lay there, listed over on heI
 beam ends. She had served him well
 but she had finished her last voyage and with some vague idea of saving | her old bones from vandal hands | Captain Scraggs, sobbing audibly scattered the cont of half a dozeI
 cans of kerosene over her decks ant
 in the cabin, lighted fires in three diff feretn sections of the wreck, and lief
 her to the consuming flames. Hal
 an hour later he stood on the batter
 ed decks of the gunboat sbeside Glib
 ney and McGuffey and watched tn
 dense clouds of smoke that heralde.
 the passing of the Maggie.
 She was a good old hulk,' sai' Mir. Gibney. And now, as the spec ! ial envoy of the Liberal army o Mexico, fsere's draft on Los Angelo
 for five thousand bucks, Scraggsy l which constitutes the balance du !, you on this here filibuster trip. O course, I needn't remind you, Scragg sy, that you'd never have earned thi money if 1t hadn't been for AdeEoer P. Gibney. workin' his imaginatio money, and while couldn't save you ship, did save your life. As a rewar for all this. don't claim one cent ( the money due you, as I could if
 wanted to be rotten mean. I'm goil 5 to keep this fine little power schoone ' for my share of the loot. She's nicke ! ! up some. but that only bears evidenc z to what a bully good shot I am. an | | it won't take much to fix her up a u ship-shape again. Usin' high burs , shrapnel ain't very destructive. A '1 them bumps an scratches can e planed down: But we'll have to ( v some mendin' on her canvas-I'll te q the world. She's called the Reir " " Maria, but I'm going to run her v, Panama and change her name. She e be known as Maggie II, out of respe d for the old girl that's burnin' | ', there on the beach"
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