Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-03-15

"O-oo-ohl 7" Captain Scraggs groaned,
and his groan was that of a seasick
passenger. When he could look up
again his face was CHASTITY with mis-
cry.
"Gib," he pleaded sadly, "you got
us where the hair is short. Don't in
woke the law an make us handle that
Goldfish, Glbl II amt right. Gimme
leave TO tow that barge-anything TO
keep your freight OFF the Victor, an
Wen pull IL up river for you"
"Be good Teller, Glib. You usen'ter
be hard an spiteful like that" urged
McGuffey.
I'm tow the barge free" walled
Scraggs.
Mr.. Gibney sat calmly down on the
stringer and lit a cigar. Nature had
blessed him with a strong constitu-
ton amidships and the contiguity Of
his tainted fortune bothered him but
little. He squinted over the tip of the
cigar at Captain Scraggs.
you're just the same old Scraggsy
you was in the green-pea trade. All
you need is a ring I'm yer nose.
Scraggsy, TO make you a human hog.
Here you goes 10 work an sOaks me
a dollar a ton when you'd be tickled
TO death 10 do the job for half o. that,
an then you got the gall to stand
there appealln' TO my friendship So
you'll tow the barge up free, Ell? Well.
just TO make the transaction legal, I'll
give you a dollar for the job an let
you have the barge. Skip to Il,
Scraggsy, an draw up a new bill,
guaranteeln' to tow the barge for one
dollar. Then gimme back $4,000 an
I'll hand you back this receipted
freight bin"
Captain Scraggs darted into his cab
In. dashed Off the necessary document.
and returning to the deck, presented
IL, together with the requisite refund.
10 Mr.. Gibney. who, I'm the meantime,
had come aboard.
"Whatever are you a-goIn' 10 do
with this awful Goldfish, Gib?" he de-
handed.
Mr.. Gibney cooked his hat over one
ear and blew a cloud of smoke in the
shippers face.
swell, boys, I'll tell you. Sailed
Goldfish that's been under water long
time gets most O. the salt took out of
Il, an even at sea, If it's left long
enough, It'll get so darned ripe that
it's what you might call offensive. But
IL makes good fertilizer. There amt
nothin' in the world TO equal Goldfish.
medium ripe, for fertilizer. I've rugged
up a deal with a orchard cOmp'ny
that's layin' out a couple o. thousand
acres o. young trees up in the delta
lands o. the Sacramento. I've sold 'em
the lot, after first buyin' IL from the
owners o. the schooner for a hundred
dollars. Every time these orchard fell
lers dig a hole to plant a young fruit
tree they aim TO heave a Goldfish In the
bottom o. the hole first, for fertilizer.
There was upward o. two hundred
thousand Goldfish in that schooner an
I've sold 'em for five cents each, de-
livered at Dunnigan's landln'. / fig
GER on cleanin' up about seven thou
sand net on the deal. l thought me an
Nells was stuck at first, but l got my
Imagination wOrkin'-"
Captain Scraggs sank Imply into
McGuffey's arms and the two stared
at the doughty commodore.
"Hit i'm the face with a fortune an
didn't know It," gasped poor McGuffey.
"Glb, I'm sure glad you got out whole
on that deal"
Thanks TO a lack o. imagination In
you an Scraggsy I'm about two hun
dred an fifty dollars ahead o. my
estimate now, on account o. the free
tow o. that barge. Ne an Neils GER
tainly makes a nice little split on
account o. this here Goldfish deal"
Glib" chartered Scraggs, whats
the matter with reorganizin' the syn
dlcateT
BE a good Teller, Adelbert."
pleaded McGuffey.
Mr.. Glbney was never so vulnerable
as when one he really loved called
him by his Christian name. He drew
an arm across the shoulders of Nc
Guffey and Scraggs. while Neils Hal
vorsen stood by, his yellow fangs
flashing with pleasure under his wal
rus mustache.
"Scraggsyl Macl Your fms Wen
reorganize the syndicate, an the min
ute me an Neils finds ourselves with
a bin o. sale for a one-quarter inter-
est IN the Victor. based on the actual
cost price. we1l tow this here barge"
"An' split the profits on the cod
fishg' Scraggs uueried eagerly.
Certainly not. Me an Nels splits
that fifty-fifty. A quarter o. them
profits is too high a price TO pay for
your friendship, Scraggsy, old deceit
full. Remember. / made that profit
after you an Mac had pulled out o.
the syndicate"
That's logic" McGuffey declared.
sits highway robbery" Scraggs
snarled. Il won't sell no quarter in
terest to you or The Squarehead, Glib.
Not on them terms"
"Then you'll load them Goldfish