The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-05-01

Wss Asa
my Maggie's Tail Is Shot Away"
at point-blank range I'll just rake
everything off that schOoner's decks.
Guess I'll get half a dozen cartridges
set an ready for the big scene. Up
with you, Admiral Scraggs, an hold
the fuse setter steady"
I'm agin war" Scraggs quavered.
"Gib, it's sure h-ll."
rats! It's invigoratin', Scraggsy.
There amt hothin' wrong with war,
Scraggsy, unless you happen to get
killed. Then it's like cholera. You
can cure every case except the first
one"
They had come inside the minimum
range Of the Mexican's long gun now,
50 that only the one-pounders con-
tinued to peck at the Maggie. Evil
IDENTIFY the Mexican was as eager to
get to close quarters rs Mr.. Gibney.
for he held steadily on his course.
"Well, it's time to put over the big
stuff" Mr.. Gibney remarked presently.
Here's hopn' they don't pot me with
rife fire while I'm extendin' my COM
pliments."
AS the first muzzle burst raked the
Mexican Captain Scraggs saw that
most Of the terrible blast of lead had
gone too high. Nevertheless, it was
effective, for to man the crews OF
the one-pounders deserted their posts
and tumbled below; seeing which the
individual in command lost his nerve.
He was satisfied now that the Internal
Maggie purposed ramming him; he had
marveled that the filibuster should
use shrapnel, after she had ranged
with shell Che did not know it was
percussion shrapneD and in sudden
panic he decided that the Maggie, NOR
tally wounded, purposed getting close
enough to sink him with shell-tire if
she failed to. ram him; whereupon the
yellow stre:E came through and he
waved his arms frantically above his
| head in token Of surrender. . sr4.
"She's hauled down her rag"
shrieked Scraggs. "Be merciful, Glib.
There's men dyin' on that boat"
Lay alongside that craft" Mr.. Glib.
ney shouted to the helmsman. The
schooner had hove to and when the
Maggie also hove to some thirty yards
to windward Of her Mr.. Gibney in
formed the Mexican, in atrocious Span
ish well mixed with. English that If
| the latter so much as lifted his little
finger he might expect to be sunk like
a dog. Down below, everybody but
the helmsman, or I'll sweep your
decks with another muzzle BURST" he
Numbered.
The Mexican obcyed and Captain
| Scraggs went up in the pilot house and
laid the terribly battered Maggie
alongside the schooner. The instant
she touched, Mr.. Gibney sprang
aboard, quickly followed by Captain
Scrasgs, who had relinquished' the
| helm to his first mate.
Suddenly Captain Scraggs shouted,
look, Glib, for the love of the Lord,
look!" and pointed with his finger. At
the head of the little iron-railed COM
panion-way leading down into the en-
CINE room man was standing. He
had a monkey wrench in one hand. and
| q greasy rag in the other.
Mr.. Gibney turned and looked at the
man.
"McGuffey. for thousand!" he bel
lowed, and ran forward with out
stretched hand. Captain Scraggs was
mt Gibney's heels, and between them
they came very nearly dislocating Bar
tholomew McGuffey's arm.
L "NIcGuffcy, my dear boy" said Cap
| tain Scraggs. "Whatever are you
a-doin' on this heather battleship?"
Mel" calculated Mr.. McGuffey, with
his old-time deliheration. "Why, I'm
the chief engineer Of this craft. I had
a good job, too, but l guess it's all of
now, and the Mexican governmental
fire me. Say, who chucked that buck
shot down into my engine room?"
admiral Gibney did it," said
Scraggs. 1.-THE old Maggie's along
side and me AMI GIBBS tilibusters. Bear
hand, Mac. and help us clap the
matches ON our prisoners"
THANK Cod" said Mr.. Gibney pious
7 IS, S'T didn't kill you. Come to look
into the matter, ! didn't kill anybody
though l see half dozen Mexicans
around decks. mores or less cut up
Where you been all these years, Mac?'
II been chief engineer in the Mexi
can nnyy.,' srenliet1 NfcGuffey. Have