Cheyenne Wells record., 1922-03-23

But, Glib. my dear boy" protested
Captain Scraggs. this Is insanity
II know it," said Mr.. Gibney calmly.
"Scraggsy, you're perfectly right. But
I'd sooner die fightin' than let them
stand me up agin wall in Ensenadn.
We're fllbusters. Scrnggsy. and were.
caught with the goods. l. for one. am
goin' down with the steamer Maggie.
but I'm goin' down fightin' like
bear"
"Maybe-maybe we can outrun her.
Glib" half sobbed Captain Scragss.
"No hope" replied Mr.. Gibney.
"Fight and die Is the last resort.
She's eight miles astern and gainin
every minute, and when she's within
two miles she'll open fire. OF course.
we won't be hit unless they've got a
Yankee gunner aboard"
Lets run up the Stars and Stripes
and dare 'em to fire on u.s." said Cap
tuin Scrnggs.
"No," said Mr.. Gibney firmly. my
old man died for the flag an I've
sailed under 1t too long to. hide be-
hind 1t when I'm in Dutch. Well
fight. II YOU was ever navigatin' Of
iicer on n Colombian gunboar. Scraggs.
you'd realize what 1t means to run
from Mexican"
Captain Scrngcs sdid nothing fur
tler Perhaps he was little ashamed
of himself In the face of Mr.. Glib
ney's simple faith in his own ability;
perhaps In his veins, oil unknown,
there flowed taint of the heroic
blood Of some forgotten sea-dog. Be
that as 1t may. something did swell
In his breast when Mr.. Gibney spoke
Of the flag and his scorning to hide
behind it. and Scraggs' snagsle teeth
came together with a snap.
"All right. Glib. my bly," he said
solemnly, "I'm with you. Mrs. Scraggs
has slipped her cable and there amt
nobody to mourn for me. But IL we
can't fight under the Stars and Stripes.
BY the tail of the Great Sacred Bull,
we'll have flag Of our own." and
leaving Mr.. Gibney and the crew to
get the guns on deck. Captain Scraggs
ran below. He appeared on deck pres
emily with along blue burgee on which
was embluZoned In white letters the
single word Maggie. 1t was his own
housetlag, and with trembling hands
he ran 1t to the fore and cast Its
wrinkled folds to the breeze Of heaven.
"Gosd old dishcloth !" shrieked Mr..
Gibney. "She never comes down."
I'D If she does" said Captain
Scraggs profanely. t>
While all this was going on. IA deck
hand had reeved block and tackle
through the end of the cargo gaff
and passed it to the winch. The two
guns came out of the hold in Jig time.
and while Scrnggs and one deckhnnd
opened the after hold and got out am
munition for the guns. Mr.. Gibney. as
sisted by the other deckhund. pro-
ceeGcd to put one of the guns to-
gether. He was shrewd enough to
tp1lize that he would have to do prac.
tically all of the work of Serving the
gun himself. in view Of which condi-
ton one gun would have to defend
the Maggie. He had never seen
mountain gun before. but he did not
find it difficult to put the simple me-
chanism together.
Now, then. 'Scraggsy." he an
Dounced cheerfully when the gun was
finally assembled on the carriage,
''get sizeable timber un spike it to
the center O. the deck. I'll run the
trail spade up against that cleat an
thatll keep the recoil from lettin' the
gun 20 backward. clean through the
opposite rail and overheard. Gimme
coupler gallons o. distillate an some
waste. somebody. This cosmOline's
got to come out o. the tube an out o.
the breech mechanism before we COM
mence shOotin'."
The eiieiny had approached within
three miles by the time the piece was
ready for action. Under Mr.. Gibney's
instructions Captain Scraggs held the
fuse setter in case it should be nee
"S>ary to adjust with shrapnel. Mr..
';ibney inserted his sights and took {;
preliminary squint. "A little differ
cnt from gun-p"intin' in the navy. but
about the same princiole." he declared.
In the army ! bclie;'e they call this
kind o .shootin' direct fire, because
You sight direct on. tie, target ,.Hc
scratched his ingenious. head and OK
amined the ammunition Not high
explosive shell in the lot" he mourped.
III hnve to use percussion fire to get
the range; then I'll drop bnck, a little
an spray her with shrapnel. seems
q pity to smash up fine Schooner
like that one with percussion fire, I'd
rather tickle 'em up bit with
sbrapnel an scare 'em into rurr,n'
away"
He got out the lanyard, slippe,l a
cartridge in the breech, paused. an1
scratched his head again. His calm
delfberat;on was driving Scrarrs
crazy. He reminded Mr.. Gibney with
some asperity that they We're not at.
'eEdin: strawberry festival and for
the love of heaven to get busy.
I'm estimatin' the range. Won
sripc," Gibney retorted. Looks TO he
ihpOf thrQp rniIpS IN vro A