Phoenix tribune., 1922-01-21
THE GREEN PEA PIRATES
Continued from page three)

Of protest and proceeded to make his
arrangements, regardless of the mas
ter's consent. AS he and McGuffey
busted themselves, laying the leading
blocks along the deck, they glanced
toward the Maggie and observed Cap
tain Scraggs hurting crates Of vege-
tables overheard in an effort to get at
the small boat quickly. Hell die
when the freight claims come in," Mr..
McGuffey chortled. Poor OF Scrag-
gsy!"
When Captain Scraggs came aboard,
Mr.. Gibney escorted him around to the
masters cabin, introduced him, and
stood by while they bargained 1.-THE
tow will cost you five thousand. Cap
tain" Scraggs began pompously.
Me an McGuffey'll sail you in for
four" Gibney declared.
Three thousand" snarled Scraggs.
"Sailin's cheap as dirt at two thous-
and. AS a matter of fact, -Scraggsy,
me an Mac'll sail her in for nothin'
just to skin you out O. the salvage"
Two thousand dollars is my lowest
figure" Scraggs declared. Take it
or leave it, Captain. Under the cir
cumstances. bargaining is useless. Two
thousand is my last bid"
The figure Scraggs named was prob
ably one fifth of what the master Of
the Chesapeake knew a court would
award; nevertheless he shook his head.
ITS straight towing job. Captain,
and not a salvage proposition at all.
A tug would tow me in for two hun
dred and fifty, but III give you fivel
hundred"
Remembering the vegetables he had
jettisoned, Scraggs knew he could not
afford to accept that price. I'm
through" he bluffed-and his bluff
worked.
"Taken, Captain Scraggs. Write out
an agreement and I'll sign it."
With the agreement in his pocket,
Scraggs, followed by Gibney, left the
cabin. "One hundred each to you an
Mac If you'll stay aboard the Chesa-
peake, steer her, an help the Maggie
out with what sail you can get on
her" Scraggs promised.
''Take a long, runnin' jump at your
self. Scraggsy, old sorrowful. The best
me an Macll do is to help you cock
bill the anchor, an that'll cost you
ten bucks for each of us-in advance"
The artful fellow realized that Scraggs
knew nothing whatever about a sailing
ship and would have to depend upon
The Squarehead for the information
he required.
"All right. Here's your money"
Scraggs replied and handed Mr.. Glib
ney twenty dollars. He and Neils
Halvorsen then went forward. got out
the steel towing cable, and fastened a
light rope to the end of it. The skiff
fioated off the ship at the end of the
painter, so The Squarehead hauled ii
in, climbed down into the skiff. and
made the light rope fast to a thwart
then, with Captain Scraggs paying out
the hawser, Neils bent manfully to the
oars and started to tow the steel cable
back to the Maggie. Half way there,
the weight of the cable dragging be-
hind slowed The Squarehead up and
eventually stopped him. Exerting all
his strength he pulled and pulled, but
the sole result Of his efforts was to
wear himself out, seeing which the
Maggie's navigating officer set the lit
tie steamer in toward the perspiring
Neils, while Captain Scraggs, Gibney,
and McGuffey cheered Justify.
Suddenly an oar snapped Instantly
Neils unshipped the remaining oar,
sprang to the stern, and attempted, by
sculling, to keep the sklffs head up to
the waves. But the weight of the
cable whirled the little craft around,
a wave rolled in over her counter, and
half-f1lled her; the succeeding wave
completed the job and rolled the skiff
over and The Squarehead was forced