The Owosso times., 1922-03-17
CHAPTER v.

A week had elapsed and nothing of
an eventful nature had transpired to
disturb the routine of life aboard the
Maggie, until Bartholomew McGuffey,
having heard certain waterfront whis-
pers, considered 1t the part of pru-
dence to lay his information before
Scraggs and Mr.. Gibney.
look here, Scraggs," he began
briskly. ''It's all fine an dandy to
promise me a new boiler, but when do
git it?"
"Why, jes' AZ soon as we can get
this glut o freight behind us, Bart,
my boy You've managed with the old
boiler this long, so it pears to me you
might be patient an bear with it a
mite longer, Bart"
"Oh amt tryin to be disagreeable.
Scraggs, only it sort o. worries me to
have to go along without bein' able to
use our whistle"
"We1l fix 1t when business slacks
up" Scraggs decided with finality He
glanced at his watch. "Sufferin'
sailor!" he cried in simulated dis
tress. "Here It's one o'clock an I amt
collected a dollar o. the freight money
from the last voyage. / must beat it."
When Captain Scraggs had "beaten
IT, Gibney and McGuffey exchanged
expressive glances. Hes runnin' out
on u.s." McGuffey complained.
'Even so, Bart, even so. Therefore,
the thing for us to do is to run out
on him. In other words, Wen work q
month, save our money, an then, with
out word o. complaint or argument
We'll walk out"
"Oh, / amt exactly broke, Glib. l
got eighty-five dollars"
"Then," quoth Gibney decisively,
'we'll go on strike tonight. Scraggsy'll
be stuck in port week before he can
get another engineer an another navi-
gatin' officer. me an you bein' the
only two natural-born fools in San
Francisco an ports adjacent, an be-
fore three days have passed he'll be
huntin' us up to compromise"
81 don't want no compromise What
i want is new boiler"
"You'll git 1t. Wen make him order
the paint an the boiler an pay for
both in advance before Wen agree to
go back to work"
The engineer nodded his approval
and after sealing their pact with
hearty handshake, they turned to and
commenced discharging the Maggie.
When Captain Scraggs returned to
the little steamer shortly after five
o'clock, to his great amazement, he
discovered Mr.. Gibney and McGuffey
dressed in their other suits-including
celluloid collars and cuffs.
"The cargo's out, Scraggsy, nv son.
the decks has been washed down an
everything in my department is ship
shape" Thus Mr.. Gibney.
Likewise in mine," McGuffey
added.
consequently" Mr.. Gibney con-
cluded, "we're quittin' the Maggie an
If It's all the same to you we'll have
our time"
my dear Glib. Why, whatever's
come over you two boys?"
"Stow your chatter, Scraggs. Shell
out the cash. You've fooled us once
in the matter o. that new boiler an
the paintin', an we're not goin' to
give you second chance. Come
through-Or take the consequences.
Well sail no mcre with liar an
fraud"
"Them's hard words, Mr.. Gibney."
"The truth Is alters bitter" McGuf-
fey opined.
Captain Scraggs paused 20 consider
the eerious predicarsent which con-
fronted him. 1t WIS Saturday night.
He knew Mr.. McGuffey to be the pos
SCISSOR of more money than usual and
if he could assure himself that this
reserve should be dissipated before
Monday morning he was aware, from
experience, that the strike would be
broken by Tuesday at the latest. And
he could afford that delay. He re-
solved, therefore. on diplomacy.
"well. I'm sorry" he answered with
every appearance Of contrition. "You
fellers got me IN the nlne-hole an
can help myself. At the same time.