Williams news., 1922-03-17
CHAPTER VII.

When Captain Scraggs, after aban- doning all hope of salving the bark CheSaDeake, returned to the Maggie, the little craft reminded him of noth- ing so much as the ward for the in corrigible of an insane asylum. Due to Captain ScraggS' stupidity and the general inefficiency of the Maggie, the new navigating officer was of the op1n- ion that he had been swindled out of his share of the salvage, while the new engineer, furious at having been en- gagged to baby such a ruin as the Mag gie's boiler turned out to be, blamed Scraggs' parsimony for the loss of his share of the salvage. Therefore, both men aired with the utmost frankness their opinion of their employer. One word borrowed another until diplomat fc relations were severed and, in the language of the classic, they mixed it.' They were fairly well matched, and, to the credit of Captain Scraggs be it said, whenever he believed him. self to have a fighting chance Scraggs would fight and fight well, under the Tom-cat rules of fsticuffs.
 Following a bloody battle in the pilot house, he subdued the mate; following his victory he was still war mad, so he went to the engine-room hatch and abused the engineer. As a result of the days events, both men quit when the Maggie was tied up at Jackson street wharf and once more Captain Scraggs was helpless. In his extrem- ity, he wished he hadn't been so hard on MT. Gibney and McGuffey, for he realized he could never hope to get them back until their salvage money should be spent.
 Goddess and wholly irreclaimable as have been and doubtless were, each possessed in bounteous measure the sweetest of human attributes, to-wit: a soft, kind heart and a forgiving spir- it. Creatures of impulse both, they found 1t absolutely impossible to nour- ish grudge against Captain Scraggs, when, upon returning to Scab JOhnny's boarding house, their host handed them a grubby note from their enemy. It was short and sweet and sounded quite sincere; MT. Gibney read 1t aloud:
 "On Board the Maggie, Saturday night. Dear Friends:
 am sorry. You hurt me awful with your Ridden when you took the Chesa- peake away from me. To CT is human but to forgive is devine. After what I done I don't expect you two to come back to work ever but for Gods sake don't give me the dead face when we meat sgin. Remember we been ship mates once.
 "P. P. Scraggs."
 "Why, the pore ol' son of a horse thief" MT. Gibney murmured, much l moved at this profound abasement. | "Of course we forgive him. It ain't l manly to hold a grouch after the cul- | prit has paid his fair price for his | sins. By an large, I got a hunch, l Bart. that old Scraggsy's had his les | son for Once." eff you can forgive him. I can, Gib." 'Well, he's certainly cleaned him. self handsome. Bart. Telephone for a messenger boy" and MT. Gibney sat down and wrote: | ''Scraggsy, old fanciful. we're square. Forget 1t and come to breakfast with us at seven tomorrow at the Marigold cafe. I'll order deviled lam kidneys for three. It's alright with Bart also.
 "Yours,
 "Gib."
 This note, delivered to Captain l the gloom from the latter's miserable soul and sent him home with light l heart to Mrs. Scraggs. At the Mari gold cafe next morning he was almost Ouched to observe that both Gibney 1 md McGuffey showed up arrayed in iungarees, wherefore Scraggs knew his ate enemies purposed proceeding to he Maggie immediately after breakfast md working in the engine room all lay Sunday. Such action, when he Inew both gentlemen to be the pos 'essors of wealth far beyond the ireams of avarice, bordered so close y on the miraculous that Scraggs made mental resolve to play fair in the ,uture- least as fair as the limits 'f his cross grained nature would per nit He was so cheerful and happy hat McGuffey, taking advantage of he situation, argued him into some minor repairs to the engine.
 About nine o'clock, as Mr. Gibney l yas on his way to the Marigold Cafe
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