The Owosso times., 1922-03-17

| iSpiStS Will pIoNc'tueT, sat uuHSiihs
their damaged underpinning over the
stern railing where the gentle wave
lets laved and cooled them, Captain
| Scraggs, accompanied by the new navi-
eating officer, the new engineer, and
The Squarehead, came aft. The Grip
pies looked up, surveyed their success
sors In office, and found the sight far
from reassuring.
| "Tve already ordered you two
tramps off'n my SHIP" Scraggs began
formally, "an' / hereby, in the pres
ence o reliable witnesses, repeats the
invitation. You amt wanted your
rooms preferred to your comp'ny, an
by stayin' minute longer, in defiance
o. my orders, you're layin' yourselves
liable to charge o. piracy"
Mr.. Gibney carefully laid his pipe
aside and stood up. He was quite an
imposing spectacle in his bare feet,
with his trousers rolled up to his great
| knees, thereby revealing his scarlet
flannel underdrawers. With a stifled
groan, McGuffey rose and stood beside
his partner, and Mr.. Gibney spoke:
"Scraggs. be reasonable. We amt
| lookin' for trouble; not because we
| don't relish it, for we do where
couple o. scabs Is concerned, but for
the simple reason that we amt i'm the
best O condition to receive it, al
though If you force it on us We'll do
our best. If you chuck us off the Mag
| gle an force us to walk back to San
| Francisco, we're goin' to be reported
as missin'. Honest, now, Scraggsy,
old side-winder, you amt goin' to
maroon us here, alone with the vege-
! tables, are yOu?"
"You done me dirt. You quit me
| cold. Git out. Two can play at
dirty game an every dog must have
his day. This is my day, Glib. Scat !"
"Pers'nally," McGuffey announced
quietly. 81 prefer to die aboard the
| Maggie, If I have TO. This amt NOV.
in day with b. McGuffey, Esquire"
"Them's my sentiments, too,
Scraggsy."
"Then defend yourselves. Come on,
| lads. Bear q hand an we'll bounce
| these muckers overheard" The
| Squarehead hung back, having no in
tention of waging war upon his late
comrades. but the engineer and the
new navigating officer stepped briskly
| forward, for they were about to fight
| for their Jobs. 4, Mr.. Gibney halted the
advance by lifting both great hands
| In n deprecatory manner.
"FOr heavens sake, Scraggsy, have
a heart Don't force us TO murder
| you. II we're peaceable, what's to
prevent you from givin' us a passage
| back to San Francisco, where we're
| known an where We'll have at least
a fightin' chance to git somethin' to
eat occasionallyT
"You know mighty we'll what's to
| prevent me, Glib. | amt got no pas
senger license, an I'll he keel-hauled
an skul-dragged If | fall for your
cute little game, my son. / amt layin
myself liable to fine from the inspec-
tors an maybe have my ticket book
took away to bo&."
Enough Of this gab," Mr.. Gibney
roared. "My patience Is exhausted.
I'm dog-tired an Pm gOin' to have
peace If l have to fight for it. Me an
Bart stays aboard the steamer Maggie
until she gets back to Frisco town or
until we're hove overheard in the in
terim by the weight Of numbers. An
If any man, or set o. male bipeds that
calls themselves men, Is so foolish as
to try to evict us from this packet,
then all l got to say Is that they're
triflin with death. got my arms left,
even II my feet Is on the fritz,
Scraggs," he continued, "an' IL you
start anything I'll hug you an your
crew to death. I'm rip-roarn' griz-
zly bear once I'm started an there's
such thing as drivin' a man to des-
peration."
The bluff worked! Captain Scraggs
turned to his retainers and with
condescending and paternal smile,
said: Boys, let's give the dumb
fools their own way. If they insist
upon takin' forcible possession o. my
ship on the high seas, there's only one
name for the crime-an' that's piracy,
punishable by hangin' from the yard
arm. Wen Just let 'em stay aboard
an turn 'em over to the police when
we git back to the city"
He started for his cabin and the
crew, vastly relieved, followed him.
The pirates once more sat down and
permitted their hot feet to loll over
board.
About ten o'clock next morning the
little vessel completed taking on her
cargo, the lines were cast off, and the
homeward voyage was begun. Messrs.
Gibney and McGuffey were seated on
the stern bits as the Maggie came
abreast the Point Montara fog signal
station, when Mr.. Gibney observed
long telescope poking out the side win
dow of the pilot house, and following
the direction in which the telescope
was pointing he made out large bark
standing In dangerously close to the
beach. In fact, the breakers were tum-
bling In long white streak over the
reefs less than quarter Of mile
from ner.
In an instant all was excitement
aboard the Maggie. "That looks like