Williams news., 1922-06-16

| after that there derelIct before the revenue cutter gets her an blows her out O the path O commerce with a | stick O dynamite"
 Forthwith MT. Gibney and Neils,
 after snatching hasty breakfast, de- | parted for the waterfront, where they | chartered tug for three days and put to sea. At about ten o'clock Cap | tain Scraggs and McGuffey strolled | leisurely down to Jackson street wharf to inspect the Victor. By noon they had completed a most satisfactory in spection of the steamers hull and
 boilers, and bought her in for seven thousand dollars. Captain Scraggs was delighted. He said she was worth ten thousand. Already he had de- cfded that heavy and profitable freights awaited the syndicate along the Sacramento river, where the farm
 CTS and orehardists had been for years the victims of a monopoly and a gentlemen's agreement between the
 two steamboat lines that piled be- tween Sacramento, Stockton and San Francisco.
 On the afternoon of the third day MT. Gibney and Neils Halvorsen re turned from sea. They were unutter- ably weary and hollow-eyed for lack of sleep.
 ''WeIl, I suppose you two suckers found that derelict," challenged Me Guffey.
 "Yep. Found her an got line aboard an lowed her in, am 1t was a tough job. She's layin' over on the Berkeley tide flats, an at lowtide to- morrow we'll go over an find out what we've got. Don't even know her name yet. She's practically sub- merged
 'tI think you was awful foolish, Glib, buyin' a pig in a poke that way. don't believe in goin' in blind. Me an Macs bought real ship. We own the Victor.''
 ''I'm dead on my feet" growled the commodore, and jumping into bed he refused to discuss the matter further and was sound asleep fin a jiffy.
 MT. Gibney was up bright and early and aroused the syndicate to action. The tide would be at its lowest ebb at nine thirty-one and the commodore figured that his fortune would be ly- ing well exposed on the Berkeley tide flats. He engaged diver and small gasoline launch, and after an early breakfast in a chophouse on the Elm barcadero they started for the wreck.
 They were within half mile of it, heading right into the eye of the wind, when Captain Scraggs and McGuffey- stood erect in the launch simultaneous ly and sniffed like pair of-well, sea dogs.
 Dead whale," suggested McGuffey.
 "I hope 1t ain't Gib's fortune," re- piled Scraggs drily.
 "Shut up," believed MT. Gibney. He was sniffing himself by this time, for as the launch swiftly approached the derelict the unpleasant odor became more pronounced.
 Fletcher that schooner was in col lisiOn with a steamer" Captain Scraggs announced. "She was cut down right through the fo'castle with the watch below sound asleep. an this here fragrance appeals to me as a sure sign of job for the coroner"
 MT. Gfbney's eyes flashed, but he made no reply. They had rounded the stern now, and her name was visible.
 "Schooner Kadiak, Seattle" read | Scraggs. Little old three sticker a | years old an cut clear | through just abaft the foremast. Me | Guffey, you don't s'pose this here's a | pirate craft an just bulgin' with gold"
 tSure," retorted the engineer with | a slow wink, tainted wealth.
 MT. Gibney could stand their hack ling no longer. 'Looky here, you two," he bawled out angrily. 'I got hunch I picked up a lemon, but I'm a-wfllin' to tackle the deal with Neils if you two think I didn't do right by the syndicate a-runnin' up a bill of ex- pense towin' this craft into port. 1 ain't goin' to stand for no kiddin', even if we are in a five-hundred-do dollar towage bill. Man is human an bound to make mistakes"
 'Don't kid the commodore, Scraggsy. This aromer O roses is more'n strong man can stand, so cut out the iosh.''
 (TO BE CONTINUED)