The Owosso times., 1922-04-07

II
that 1t amt ginseng, but Oriental
goods"
"I1l 60 you five dollars, just fr
ducks" responded Captain Scraggs
heartily. "McGuffey to hold the stakes
an decide the bet"
"Done," replied Mr.. Gibney. The
money was placed in McGuffeys
hands, and a moment later, with
mighty effort, Mr. Gibney pried off
the lid of the crate. Captain Scraggs
had his head inside the box fifth of
second later.
Sealed zinc box inside" he an
nounced. "Get can opener, Glib, my
boy"
"Ginseng for a thousand" mourned
Mr.. Gibney. "Scraggsy, you're five
dollars of my money to the good. Gin
seng always comes packed in alright
boxes
He produced a can opener from the
cabin locker and fell to his work on
corner of the hermetically sealed box.
AS he drove in the point of the can
opener. he paused, hammer in hand,
and gazed solemnly at Scraggs and
McGufl'ey.
Gentlemen" (again McGuffey
nodded approvingly) "do you know
what a vacuum is?'
81 know" replied the imperturbable
McGuffey. "a vacuum is an empty
hole that amt got nothin' in it."
Correct" said Mr.. Gibney. "My
head is vacuum. Me talkin' about
ginseng root Why, must have wa
ter on the brain Ginseng be dog
goned It's opium!"
Captain Scraggs was forced to grab
the seat Of his chair in order to keep
himself from jumping up and clasp
ing Mr.. Gibney around the neck.
"Forty dollars a pound" he gasped.
"Gib-Gib, my dear boy-you've made
us wealthy"
Quickly Mr.. Gibney ran the can
opener around the edges Of one corner
Of the zinc box, inserted the claws Of
the hammer into the opening, and
with a quick, melodramatic twist, bent
back the angle thus formed.
Mr.. Gibney was the first to get
peep inside.
Great snakes" he yelled, and fell
back against the cabin wall. A hoarse
scream of rage and horror broke from
Captain Scraggs. In his eagerness he
had driven his head so deep into the
box that he came within an inch of
kissing what the box contained-which
happened to be nothing more nor less
than a dead Chinaman! Mr.. McGuf-
fey, always slow and unimaginative,
shouldered the skipper aside, and
calmly surveyed the CHASTITY appari-
tion.
"Twig the yellow beggar, will you,
Gib? said McGuffey; lone eye half
open for all the world like he was
winkin' at us an enjoyin' tn joke"
Not a muscle twitched in McGuf-
feys Hbernian countenance. He
scratched his head for moment, as
sort IF first aid to memory, then
turned and handed Mr.. Gibney ten dol
lars.
"You win, Glib. It's Oriental goods.
sure enough"
"RObber ~ shrieked Captain Scraggs,
and flew at Mr.. Gibney's throat. The
sight reminded McGuffey Of terrier
worrying mastiff. Nevertheless, Mr..
Gibney was still so unnerved at the
the box that, despite his gigantic pro-
portions. he was well-nigh helpless
"McGuffey, you swab," he yelled.
"Pluck this maritime outlaw off my
neck. He's tearin' my windpipe out
by tn roots"
McGuffey choked Captain Scraggs
until he reluctantly let go Mr.. Gibney,
whereupon all three fled from the cab
in as from a pestilence, and gathered,
an angry and disappointed group, out
on deck.
"Opium!" !" jeered Captain Scraggs,
with tears Of rage in his voice. Gin
seng! You and your Imagination, you
swine, you! Get off my ship, you lout,
or I'll murder YOU"
Mr.. Gibney hung his head.
"Scraggsy-an' you, too McGuffey-
l got To admit that this here Is one on
Adelbert p. Gibney. Il"
"Oh, hear him." shrilled Captain
Scraggs. Zone on him It's two on
you, you bloody-handed ragpicker. i
suppose that other case contains
opium, too! II there amt another
dead corpse In No 2 case hope my
teeth may drop overheard"
"Shut up!" beloved Mr.. Gibney, in
a towering rage. "What howl have
you got comm? They're my China
men. amt they? paid for 'em like
a man, didn't I? All right, then. I'll
keep them two Cinnamon. You two
amt out a cent yet, an as for this
five I wins off you, Scraggs, it's blood
money; that's what 1t Is. an hereby
gives It back to you. Now, quit yer
whinin', or by the tail o. the Great
Sacred Bull, I'll lock you up all night
in tn cabin along o. them two defunct
Celestials-"