Phoenix tribune., 1922-07-08

phre Ieet, cursed, and hoped back
into the chair again. McGuffey stared
incredulously. "Gib, my dear boy"
quavered Scraggs, "say that agln."
"Yes," continued the commodore
placidly. wen just get shet O. her
peaceable like by givin' her to this
mate. Don't forget, Scraggsy, old tar
pot, that this mates been passin' him
self Off for you in Honolulu, an If
there's ever an Investigation, the trail
leads to the Maggie II. This mates
admitted being Captain Scraggs, an If
he's found with the schooner In his
possession it'll take a heap O. evidence
for him to prove that he amt Captain
Scraggs. Wen just keep this here mate
In the brig while we're disposing of
our black coral, pearl, shell and copra
in Honolulu, an then, when we've
cleaned up, an got our passages
booked for San Francisco"
"But who says we're goin' back to
San FranciscoT' cut In McGuffey.
why, where else would men with
money in their pockets head for, you
oil-soaked piece of ignorance? Amt
you had enough adventure to do you a
spellT demanded Captain Scraggs.
Me an GIBBS for goin' back to San
Francisco, so shut up. If you got any
objection, you're outvoted two to one
in the syndicate"
McGuffey subsidized, growing, and
Mr. Gibney continued:
when we're. ready to leave Homo
lulu, we'll bring this mate on deck.
make him a kind Christian talk an
give him the Maggie II with the COM
pliments O the syndicate He'll think
our sufferins on that Island has
touched us with religion an he'll be so
tickled he'll keep his mouth shut.
Then, with all three of us safe an out
o. the mess, an the evidence off our
hands, we'll clear out for Gawd's coun-
try an look around for some sort of
profitable Investment"
The commodore sighed. "She's a
love Of boat an 1t breaks my heart
to give up the only command I've ever
had, but the fact is, Mac, her possess
sion by us is dangerous, an we don't
need her, an we can't sell her because
her records got blurs on it. We can't
convey a clean an satisfactory title.
Anyhow, she didn't cost us a cent an
there amt no real financial loss If we
give her to this mate. He'd be glad to
get her If she had yellow Jack aboard.
an If he's caught with her he'll have
to do the explainin'. When you're
caught with the goods in your posses
sion. Mac, 1t makes the explainin' all
) the harder. Besides, we're three to
one, an If 1t comes to a showdown
later we can outswear the mate"
Captain Scraggs picked his snaggle
teeth with the little blade Of his jack
knife and cogitated a minute.
swell" he announced presently, star
be 1t from me to fly in the face O. a
felon's death. I've made heap o.
money, follerin' GIBBS advice, an bust
my bob-stay if don't stay put on this.
Glib, It's your lead"
swell, I'll follow suit Glb's got all
the trumps," acquiesced the engineer.
'We got plenty o. dough an no board
bills comm due, so we'll loaf along
shore until Glib digs up somethin'
good"
"How about Nells?" querled Captain
Scraggs. "Do we continue to let that
ex-deckhand In on our fortunes?"
eff Neils HalvOrsen had asked you
that question when he come to rescue
you the day you lay a-dyin' o. thirst
on that desert island, wouldn't you
have said yes?'
"Sure pop"
'Then don't ask no questions that's
unworthy of you," said Mr.. Gibney Sc
verely. 81 don't want to see none o.
them green-pea trade ethics croppin
up in you, Scraggsy. If 1t wasn't for
that Swede the sea-gulls'd be pickin'
our bones now. Neils Harvorsen Is in
cluded in this syndicate for good"
Amen" This from the honest Nc
Guffey.
"Meetin's adjourned" said Captain
Scraggs fcily.
Under the direction of the crafty
commodore. the valuable cargo of the
Maggie II was disposed of in Homo
lulu. During the period while the
schooner lay at the dock discharging,
Captain Scraggs and McGuffey pru-
IDENTIFY remained In the cabin with the
perfidious mate, In order that, should
an investigation be undertaken later
by the Treasury department. no man
might swear that the real Phineas
Scraggs, fllibuster, had been ir. ilono-
lulu on certain date The Kanaka
crew of the schooner Mr.. Gibney man.
aged to ship with an old shipmaster
friend bound for New Guinea, so their
testimony was out of the way for a
while, at least
When the Maggie II was finally dis
charged and the proceeds of her rich
cargo nestled, in crisp bills of large
denomination, in money belt under
Mr. Gibney's armpits and next his ras-
cally skin, he purchased tickets under
assumed namoe for hfnocolf Coroo0c