Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-01-27

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1.-THE same to you and many of
Them" Faherty replied, not a bit
abashed. "YOu said she was an eight
thousand-ton tramp"
! never vent 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 a con-
science left" Hicks defended himself.
He closed the book with sigh and
placed it back on the shelf, lust 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 brief nod
to Jack Flaherty Mr.. McGuffey ap-
preached Dan Hicks.
Il been lookin' for you, captain" he
announced. "Say, hear the chief o.
the Aphrodite's goin' to take a three
months layoff to get shet of his rheu-
matism. Is that straight?'
II believe 1t is, McGuffey."
well, say, I'd like to have a chance
to substitoot for him. You know my
capabilities, Hicks, an IL 1t would be
agreeable to you to have me for your
chief your recommendation would go
a long way toward landin' me the JOB.
I'd sure make them engines behave"
what vessel have you been on late
ly?" Hicks demanded cautiously. for
he knew Mr.. McGuffey's reputation for
non-reliability around pay day.
II been with that freshwater scaven-
ger, Scraggs, In the Maggie for most
year"
did you quit or did scraggs fire
your
'He fred me-" McGuffey replied
honestly. eff he hadn't I'd have quit.
so it's a toss-up. Comm in from
Halfmoon bay last night we got in the
fog an piled up or the beach Jus
below the Cliff house"
'This is interesting" Jack F1aherty
murmured. you say she walked
ashore on you, McGuffey7 Well, I'll
be shot"
"She did. Scraggs blamed 1t 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 1t was his ship, for I'll
bet a dollar she's ground to powder
by now-so all l could do was obey.
hoped overheard an waded ashore
I suppose all my clothes an things Is
gone by now. Tleft everything aboard
an had to borrow this outfit from
Scab Johnny" He grinned pathetical-
~. $50 guess you understand, Cap
tain Hicks, just how bad need that
job I spoke about a minute ago."
"T'n 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.
slack" 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 thet cant
Dan. At the same time, can 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 20 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
"We're outnumbered," Jack Flaherty
whispered. Lets walt until she's IN
loaded an Gibney an Scraggs are
aboard alone
They retired without having at
tracted the attention Of Mr.. Gibney.
Promptly at twelve o'clock the long
shoremen knocked off work for the
lunch hour and Neils Halvorsen
drifted across the street to cool his
parched throat with steam beer.
While waiting for Scraggs to come mp
out Of the engine room, and take him
20 luncheon, Mr.. Gibney sauntered aft
and was standing gazing refectively
upon a spot on the Maggie's stern
where the hawsers had chafed away
the paint, when suddenly his fore
boiings Of evil returned to him thou
sand fold stronger than they bad been
since ScraE=s' return to the little ship.
He glanced up ard beheid gazing
down upon him Captains Jack Fla
herty and Daniel Hicks. Battle was
imminent and the valiant Gioney
knew II; wherefore he determined in