The Owosso times., 1922-03-10

| a liar"
"The same to you and many of
them," Flaherty replied, not bit
abashed. "You said she was an eight
| thousand-ton tramp"
II never went so far as to say I'd
been aboard her on trial trip, though
and did cut down her tonnage, show
in l got the fragments Of con-
| science left" Hicks defended himself.
He closed the book with q sigh and
placed it hack on the shelf, just as
the door opened to admit no less
parsonage than Bartholomew McGuf-
fey, late, chief engineer, first assist
| ant, second assistant third assistant
| wiper, Oiler. water-tender and stOker
of the s. S. Maggie. With a brief nod
to Jack Flaherty Mr.. McGuffey ap-
preached Dan Hicks.
81 been lookin' for you. captain" he
| announced. "Say, l hear the chief O.
the Aphrodite's goin to take three
months layoff to get shet Of his rheu-
matism. Is that straight?"
81 believe it is, McGuffey"
"Well, say, I'd like to have a chance
to substitoot for him. You know my
capabilities. Hicks, an If II would be
agreeable to you to have me for your
chief your recommendation would go
long way toward landin' me the Job.
I'd sure make them engines behave"
"What vessel have you been on late
| lyT Hicks demanded cautiously. for
he knew Mr.. McGuffey's reputation for
non-reiabilty around pay day.
81 been with that freshwater scaven-
ger, Scraggs, in the Maggie for most
year."
did you quit or did Scraggs fire
you?"
"He fired me-" McGuffey replied
honestly. "If he hadn't I'd have quit,
so IT'S toss-up. Comm in from
Halfmoon bay last night we got in the
fog an piled up on the beach ju,
below the Cliff house"
"This is interesting" Jack F1aherty
murmured. "YOu say she walked
ashore on you, McGuffey? Well, I'll
be shot,"
"She did. Scraggs blamed II on me,
Flaherty He said didn't. obey the
signals from the bridge. one word led
to another. an he went dancin' mad
an ordered me off his ship. Well, it's
his ship-or ii was his ship, for TIL
bet dollar she's ground to powder
by now-so all I could do was obey.
l hoped overheard an waded ashore.
l suppose all my clothes an things is
gone by now. left everything aboard
an had to borrow this outfit from
Scab Johnny" He grinned pathetical-
ly. $50 l guess you understand, Cap
tain Hicks, just how bad I need that
job I spoke about minute ago"
''I'll think it over, Mac, an let you
know" Hicks replied evasively.
Mr.. McGuffey. sensing his defeat.
retired forthwith to hide his embar-
rassment and distress; as the door
closed behind him, Hicks and Flaherty
faced each other
Jack" quOth Dan Hicks, "can two
tOwboat men, holdin' down two hun
dred-dOllar jobs an presumed to have
been out o. their swaddlin' clothes for
at least thirty years, afford to be
laughed off the San Francisco water
front?"
81 know one of them that can't,
Dan. At the same time, can q rat like
Phineas p. Scraggs and beachcomb-
er like his mate Gibney make a pair
of star-spangled monkeys out of said
two towboat men and get away with
it?"
"They did that last night Still, I've
known monkeys that would fight an
was human enough to settle grudge.
Follow me, Jack"
Together they repaired to Jackson
street bulkhead. Sure enough, there
lay the Maggie, rubbing her blistered
sides against the bulkhead. Captain
Scraggs was nowhere In sight, but Mr..
Gibney was at the winch, swinging
ashore the crates Of vegetables which
The Squarehead and three lOngshore-
men loaded into the cargo net.
Were ou'numbered." Jack Flaherty
whispered. Let's wait until she's un-
loaded an GiDney an Scraggs are
dDOhTU dIOllt.
They retired without having at
tracted the attention t~ Mr.. Gibney.
Promptly at twelve O'clock the long
shoremen Knocked off work for the
lunch hour and Nels Halvorsen
drifted across the street to cool his
parched throat with steam beer.
While waiting for Scraggs to come up
out of the engine room, and take him
to luncheon, Mr. Gibney sauntered aft
and was standing gazing rnflectively
upon a spot on the Maggie's stern
where the hawsers had chafed away
the paint, when suddenly his fore
bodngs Of evil returned to him a thou
sand fold stronger than they had been
since Scraggs' return TO the little ship.
He glanced up and beheld gazing
down upon him Captains Jack Fla
herty end Daniel Hicks. Battle was
imminent and the valiant Gibney
knew It: wherefore he determined in
stantly to meet II like man.
"Howdy, men," he saluted them.
"Glad to have you aboard the yacht"
and he stepped backward to give him
self fighting room.