Williams news., 1922-05-12

hdo d hiOhhCy "1ChNA III OAiC hoho anu a greasy rag in the Other-
 MT. Gibney turned and looked at the tuan.
 | ''McGuffey, for thousand i'' he bel I lowed, and ran forward with out l stretched hand. Captain Scraggs was at Gibney's heels, and between them they came very nearly dfslocating Bar thoiomew McGuffey's arm.
 'McGuffey, my dear boy" said Cap tain Scraggs. "Whatever are you a-dofn' this heather battleship?"
 Mel" calculated MT. McGuffey, with his old-time deliberation. "Why, I'm | the chief engineer of this craft. 1 had | a good job, too, but I guess it's all off now. and the Mexican governmental fire me. Say, who chucked that buck shot down into my engine roOm?"
 Admiral Gibney did it," said Scraggs. ''The old Maggie's along side and me aud Gib's filibusters. Bear a hand. Mac, and help us clap the matches on our prisoners"
 | "Thank God" said MT. Gibney pious- l ly, "I didn't kill you. Come to look into the matter, I didn't kill anybody, | though I see half a dozen MeXicans l around decks more or less cut up. Where you been all these years, Mac?"
 "I been chief engineer in the Mexi-
  | you captured us in the name of the | United States or what?"
 "We've captured you in the name of Adelbert P. Gibney," was the reply. ''I | been huntin' all my life for a ship of my own. and now I've got her. Lord, Mac, she's a beauty, ain't she? All | hardwood finish, teak rail, well found. and just the ticket for the island trade Well, well, well! I'm Captain Gibney at last"
 "Where do I come in, Gib?' asked Captain Scraggs modestly.
 "Well, seein' as the Maggie has two holes through her hull below the wa terline, and is generally nicked to pieces, you might quit askin' questions and get back aboard and put the pumps on her. You're lucky if she don't sink on you before we get to Des- canso bay. If she sinks, don't worry. I'll give you a job as my first mate Mac you're my engineer, but not at no i fancy Mexican price, I'll pay you the union scale and not a blasted cent more or less. Is that fair?'
 McGuffey said it was, and went be- low to tune up his engine. MT. Glbney took the wheel of the. gunboat. and sent Captain Scraggs back aboard the Maggie, and in a few minutes Doth N6SS0lS were DOWllHS dlOhS lOH ttA' VI Descanso, bay. They were off the bay at midnight, and While with MT. Gib- ney in command of the federal gun boat Captain Scraggs had nothing to fear the rapid rise of water in the hold of the Maggie was sadly discon- certing About daylight he made up his mind that sl-e would sink within two hours, aD7 without pauslng to whine over ais predicament, he promptly bea.:ned her. She drove far up the beach, with the slack water breaking around her scared stern, and when the t.de ebbed she lay high and dry. And the rebel soldiers came trooping down from the Megano rancho ai.d falling upon her carcass like so any ants, quickly distributed her cargo amongst them, and disap- peared.
 Captain ScraggS sent his crew out aboard the captured gunboat to assist Mr. Gifney in rowing his prisoners ashore, and when finally he stood alone beside the wreck of the brave old Maggie, piled up at last in the port of missing ships, something snapped wfthiE lis breast and the big tears roried in quick succession down his sun tanned cheeks. The old hulk looked peculiarly pathetic as she lay
  She had served him well, but she had finished her last voyage, and with some vague idea of saving her old bones from Tandal hands, Captain ScraggS, sobting audibIy, scattered the contents of half dozen cans of kerosene over her decks and in the cabin, lighted fires in three different sections of the wreck, and left her to the consuming flames. Half, an hour later he stood on the battered decks of the gunboat beside Gibney and McGuffey and watched the dense clouds of smoke that -heralded- the passing of the Mag gie. "She was good old hulk" said Mr. Gibney. And now, as the spe- ciaI envoy of the Liberal army of Mex ico, here's draft on Los Angeles for five thousand bucks, Serag ggsy, which constitutes the balance due you on this here flibuster trip. Of course, I needn't remind you, Scraggsy, that you'd never have earned this money if it hadn't been for Adelbert F. Gibney workin' his imagination overtime. I've made you a chunk of money, and while I couldn't save your ship, 1 did save your life. As reward for all this, I don't claim one cent of the money due you, as I could if I wanted to be rotten mean. I'm gOin' to keep share of the loot. She's Eicked up some, but that only bears evidence to what a bully good shot I am, and 1t