The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1922-01-26
CHAPTER x.

"Wen Scraggsy, old hunks, this is
pleasant, amt it?' said Mr.. Gibney,
and spat on the deck of the Maggie II.
"Right-o," replied Captain Scraggs
cheerily, Though when | was a young
feller and first went to sea, it wasn't
considered no pleasantly to spit on
nice clean deck. You might cut that
out, Glib. It's vulgar"
"Passin over the fact, Scraggs, that
you amt got no call to jerk me up on
sea eitycat, more particular since Pm
the master and managin' owner Of this
here schooner, I'm free to confess,
Scraggsy, that your observation does
you credit. l just did that to see If
you was gOn' to take as big an inter-
est in the new Maggie as you did in
the old Maggie, and the fact that you
object to me eXpectOratin' on the deck
proves to me that you're leavin' behind
yCu all them bay sCow tendencies Of
the green-pea trade. 1t leads me to be-
lieve that you'll rise to high rank and
distinction in the Colombian navy.
Your fin Scraggsy. EXpeCtOratin' on
the decks is barred, and the Maggie II
goes under navy discipline from now
on. Am l right?'
Fright as a right whale" said Cap
tain Scraggs. And now that you've
given that old mate of mine the course,
and we've temporarily plugged up the
holes in this here Mexican gunboat,
and everything points to safe and
profitable voyage from now on, sup
pose you delegate me as committee
of one to brew a sCuttle Of grOg after
which the syndicate holds a mettin'
and lays out a course for It's future
conduct. There's a few questions Of
rank and privileges that ought to be
settled once and for all, so there can't
be no comeback"
"The point is we'll taken and it is
sc ordered" said Mr.. Gibney, who had
once held office in Harbor Is, Master
and Pilots Association of America, and
knew a fragment or two of parla-
mentary law. Rustic up the grOg, call
McGuffey up out Of the engine room,
and We'll hold the meetin'."
Twenty minutes later Scraggs came
concoction of a kettle of whisky punch !;
whereupOn the three Adventures went
below and sat down at the cabin table
for a conference.
Il move that Glib be appointed presi-
dent Of the syndicate" said Captain
Scraggs.
Second the notion" rumbled Nc
Guffey.
'The notions carried" said Mr.. Glib
ney, and banged the table with his
horny fist THE meetin' will please
come to order. The chair hereby ap-
points Phineas Scraggs secretary Of
the syndicate, to keep record of this
and all future meetins of the board.
| | will now entertain propositions of
any and all natures, and l invite the
members Of the board to knock the
stopper out of their jaw tackle and
| go to It,"
81 move" said Captain Scraggs, that
b. McGuffey, Esquire, be, and he is
hereby appointed, chief engineer of the
Maggie II at a salary not to exceed
| the wage schedule Of the Marine En-
gineers' Association Of the Pacific
coast, and that he be voted a
one-fourth interest in the vessel and
all subsequent profits"
second the notion" said Mr.. Glib
ney, land not to hamper the business
Of the meetin', Wen just consider that
motion carried unanimous"
B. McGuffey, Esquire, rose. bowed
his thanks, and sat down again, ap-
parently very much confused. 1t was
evident that he had something to say,
but was having difficulty framing his
thoughts in parliamentary language.
"Heave away, Mac" said Mr. Glib
ney.
Cast off your lines, McGuffey."
chirped Scraggs.
Thus encouraged, McGuffey rose
bowed his thanks once more, moistened
his larnyx with a gulp of the punch,
and spoke:
"Feller members and brothers OF the
syndicate: In the management Of the
deck department of this new craft OF
ourn, my previous knowledge Of the
worthy president and the unworthy
secretary leads me to believe that
there's goln' to be trouble. A shin
divided agin herself must surely 90
on her beam ends. Now, Scraggsy
here has been master so long that the
juice of authority has sorter soaked
into his marrer bones. For twenty
years it's been 'Howdy do, Captain
Scraggs,' Have a drink, Captain