The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-05-15
(Continued from last issue)


"Why, where else would men with
money in their pockets head for, you
oil-s0aked piece of ignorance? Amt
you had enough adventure to do you a
spell?" demanded Captain Scraggs.
"A1e 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 sufferln's 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, Well clear out for Gawd's coun-
try an look around for some sort of
profitable investment"
The commodore sighed. "She's
love Of a boat an 1t breaks my heart
to give up the only command I've ever
had, but the fact is, Mac, her posses
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 cent an
there ain't 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, it 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 minute.
"Wen." he announced presently, "far
be 1t from me to fly in the face o.
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"
"Well, I'll follow suit. Gib's got all
the trumps," acquiesced the engineer.
1--WE got plenty O. dough an no board
bills comm due. so we'll loaf along
shore until Glib digs up somethn'
good"
"How about Nells?" qucried Captain
Scraggs. "DO we continue to let that
1,ou In
"If 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 se-
verely. II 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
Gufrey.
"Meetln's adjourned" said Captain
Scraggs icily.
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 Mt the dock discharging,
Captain Scraggs and A1cGuffey 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. tillbuster, had been in Homo
lulu on certain date. The Kanaka
crew Of the schooner Mr.. Gibney man.
aged to ship with an old sh;pmaster
friend bound for New Guinea, so their
testimony was out Of the way for
while, mt 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 names for himself, Scraggs.
McGuffey and Halvorsen on the liner
Hilonian due to sail Mt noon next day.
These details attended to, the Mag
gle II backed away from the dock un-
der her own power and cast anchor Off
the quarantine station. The mate was
then brought on deck and made to
confront the syndicate.
1T appears, my man." the commo-
dore began, that you was too anxious
to horn in on the profits O this expe-
dition, so In moment O. human weak
ness you did your employers an evil
deed. We had it all fggered out to
feed you to the sharks on the way
home, because dead men tell no tales,
but our sufferin's on that island hns
caused us all to look with milder
eye on mere human Shortcomings. The
Good Book says: Forgive us our tres
passes as we forgive those what tres
pass asin u.s. an amt asas,1ed to