The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1922-03-17

ly, spat, and spoke to McGuffey, soto
voce: "By George, the Joke amt all
on Scraggsy," he said. Then turning
to Captain Scraggs: Help yourself to
the mustard, Scraggsy, old tarpot.'
Captain Scraggs took Off his hat,
rolled up his sleeves, and made dive
for the royal presence. His majesty,
lacking the scientific training Of his
prime minister, seized handful of
the Scraggs name and tore at IL cruel
ly. A well-directed kick In the shins,
however, caused him to let go, and n
moment later he was flying up the
beach with the angry Scraggs in full
king off and rounded him up so
Scraggs could get at him, and the lat
ter at once "dug In" like terrier.
After five minutes of mauling and
tearing Captain Scraggs was out Of
breath, so he let go and stood off a
few feet to size up the situation. The
wicked McGuffey was laughing immod-
erately, but to Scraggs it was no
laughing matter. The fact of the mat
ter was the king was dangerous and
Scraggs had glutted himself with re-
venge.
81 don't want to beat an old man to
DEATH" he gasped finally. "I'll let the
scoundrel go. He's had enough and he
won't fight. Let's mosey along back
to the schooner and leave them here
to amuse themselves the best way they
know how"
"Right-O." said Mr.. Gibney, and
turned to walk down the beach to the
boat. A second later hoarse scream
of rage and terror broke from his lips.
whats up2" cried McGuffey, the
laughter dying out of his voice, for
there was hint Of death In Mr.. Glib
ney's cry.
'Marooned!" said the commodore
hoarsely. "Those two sailors have
pulled back to the schooner, and
there-look, Mac! My Gawd!-
McGuffey looked, and kis face went
whittier than the foaming breakers be-
yond which he could see Maggie ii, I'M
der full sail, headed for the open sea.
The small boat had been picked up,
and there was no doubt that Mt her
present rate of speed the schooner
would be hull down on the horizon by
sunset.
"The murderin' hound" whispered
McGuffey, and sagged down on the
sands. ooh, the murderin' hound of u
mattel"
''It's-it's mutiny," gulped Captain
Scraggs In hard, strained voice,
"That bloody fiend of a mate The sly
sneak-thief, with his pleasant smile
and his winnin' waysl Saw chance
to steal the Maggie and her rich cargo,
and he is leavln us here. marooned on
desert island. with two cannibals."
Captain Scraggs fairly shrieked the
last two words and burst into tears.
'Lord, Glib, old man." he raved, "what-
ever will we do?"
Thus appealed to, the doughty COM
modore permitted his two unmatched
optics to rest mournfully upon his
shipmates.
He gulped and thoughtfully rubbed
the knuckies of his right hand where
the skin was parked off. He thought
of the silly joke he and McGuffey had
thought to perpetrate on Captain
Scraggs by leading him up against a
beating ut the hands Of q cannibal
king, and with the thought came a
grim, hard chuckle, though there was
the look Of thousand devils in bis
eyes.
swell. Mac, old sporty boy, I guess
there amt much to do except to make
up our minds to die like gentlemen. If
l was ever fooled by a man in my life,
/ was fooled by that doggone mate.
thought he'd tote square with the syn
dictate. I sure did"
For long time McGuffey gazed sea-
ward. He was slower than his ship
mates in making up his mind that the
mate had really deserted them and
sailed away with the fortunes Of the
syndicate. OF the three, however, the
stoical engineer accepted the situation
with the best grace. He spurned the
white sand with his foot and faced Mr..
! Gibney and Captain Scraggs with just
the suspicion of q grin on his homely
face.
81 make q notion" he said, shat
the syndicate pass resolution con-
demnin' the action Of the mate"
1t was a forlorn hope, and the jest
went over the heads Of the deck de-
partment. Said Mr.. Gibney sadly:
There amt no more Maggie II syn
dicate."