Phoenix tribune., 1922-02-11

dollars of my money to the good Gin.
seng always comes packed in air-tight
boxes"
He produced a can opener from the
cabin locker and fell to his work on a
corner of the Theoretically sealed box
As he drove in the point of the car
opener, he paused, hammer in hand
and gazed solemnly at Scraggs and
McGuf1'ey.
Gentlemen" (again McGuffey
nodded approvingly) "do you know
what a vacuum is?'
Il know" replied the imperturbable
McGuffey. "a vacuum is an empty
hole that amt got nothin' in it."
Correct" said Mr.. Gihney. 'My
head is a vacuum. Me talkin about
ginseng root! Why, 1 must have wa
ter on the brainI Ginseng be dog
goned It's opium!"
Captain Scraggs was forced to grab
the seat of his chair in order to keep
himself from jumping up and clasp
ing Mr.. Gibney around the neck.
Forty dollars a pound" he gasped.
"Gib-Gib, my dear boy-you've made
us wealthy"
Quickly Mr.. Gibney ran the can
opener around the edges of one corner
of the zinc box, inserted the claws of
the hammer into the opening, and
with quick, melodramatic twist, bent
back the angle thus formed.
Mr.. Gibney was the first to get a
peep inside.
Great snakesl" he yelled, and fell
back against the cabin wall. A hoarse
scream of rage and horror broke from
Captain Scraggs. In his eagerness he
had driven his head so deep into the
box that he came within an inch of
kissing what the box eontained-which
happened to be nothing more nor less
than dead ChinamanI Mr.. McGuf-
fey, always slow and unimaginative
shouldered the skipper aside, and
calmly surveyed the ghastly appari-
tion.
''Twig the yellow beggar, will you,
Gib?' said McGuffey zone eye half
open for all the world like he was
winllin' at us an enjoyin' tn joke"
Not a muscle twitched in McGuf-
feys Hibernian countenance. He
scratched his head for a moment. as
a sort of first aid to memory, then
turned and handed Mr.. Gibney ten dol
lars.
"You win, Glib. It's Oriental goods.
sure enough"
"Robber" shrieked Captain Scraggs,
and flew at Mr.. Gibney's throat. The
sight reminded McGuffey of a terrier
worrying a mastiff. Nevertheless. Mr..
Gibney was still so unnerved at the
discovery of the horrible contents of
the box that, despite his gigantic pro-
portions, he was well-nigh helpless.
"McGuffey,, you swab," he yelled.
"Pluck this maritime outlaw off my
neck. He's tearin' my windpipe out
by tn roots"
McGuffey cho!Sed Captain Scraggs
until he reluctantly let go Mr.. Gibney,
whereupon all three fled from the cab
in as from a pestilence, and gathered,
an angry and disappointed group, out
on deck.
"Opium!" jeered Captain Scraggs,
with tears of rage in his voice. "Gin-
sengl You and your Imagination, you
swine, you'll Get off my ship, you lout,
or I'll murder you"
Mr.. Gibney hung his head.
"Scraggsy-an' you, too, McGuffey-
l got to admit that this here is one on
Adelbert p. Gibney. IL"
"Oh, hear him." shrilled Captain
Scraggs. "One on himi It's two on
you, you bloody-handed ragpicker.
suppose that other case contains
opium, too! If there amt another
dead corpse in No. 2 case hope my
teeth may drop overboarG.'
"Shut up" beloved Mr.. Gibney, in
a towering rage. "What howl have
you got comm? They're my China
men, amt they? l paid for 'em ike
a man, didn't 1? All right, then. IN
keep them two Chinamen. You two
amt out cent yet, an as for this
five l wins off you, Scraggs, it's blood
money; that's what it is, an | hereby
gives it back to you. Now, quit yer
whinin', or by the tail O the Great
Sacred Bull, I'll lock you up all night
in tn cabin along O. them two defunct
Celestials.p
Captain Scraggs "shut up" prompt
ly, and contented himself with glover
ing at Mr. Gibney. The mate sat
down on the hatch coaming, lit his
pipe, and gave himself up to medita-
ton for fully five minutes, at the end
of which time McGuffey was aware
that his Imagination was about to
come to the front once more.
"Well, gentlemen" (again McGuf-
fey nodded approvingly) 81 bet I get
my twenty bucks back outer them two
Chinks," he, announced presently.
How'll yer do it?" inquired McGuf-
fey POLITELY.
"How'n | do it? Easy as fallin'
through an open hatch. I'm a-goin'
t keep them two stiffs in til boxes
until dark, an then Pm a-goin' to take
'em out, bend rope around their
middle, drop 'em overheard an anchor
'em there all night Il SEQ th' lad we