The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-04-20


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, Glbi 1t amt right. Gimme
leave TO tow that barge-anything to
keep your freight OF the Victor, an
wen pull It up river for you"
BE a good feller. Glib. You usen'ter
be hard an spiteful like that" urged
McGuffey.
"Tll tow the barge free" walled
Scraggs.
Mr.. Glbney sat calmly down on the
stringer and lit a cigar. Nature had
blessed him with strong constitu-
tion amidships and the contigulty 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 ring in yer nose,
Scraggsy, 10 make you a human bog
| Here you goes to work an soaks me
a dollar a ton when you'd be tickled
10 death to do the Job for half o. that.
an then you got the gall to stand
there appealin' 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 II.
Scraggsy, an draw up new bill,
guaranteein' to tow the barge for one
dollar. Then gimme back $4,000 an
III hand you back this receipted
freight bill"
Captain Scraggs darted into his cab
In, dashed Off the necessary document.
and returning to the deck. presented
IL, together with the requisite refund.
TO Mr.. Gibney. who, In the meantime,
had come aboard.
"whatever are you a-go,n' to do
with this awful Goldfish, Gibf" he de-
! manded.
Mr.. Gibney cooked his hat over one
ear and blew a cloud 0. smoke In the
shippers face.
"Well, boys. I'll tell you. Salted
Goldfish that's been under water long
time gets most o. the salt took out of
II, an even at sea, II it's left long
enough, it'll get so darned ripe that
it's what you might call offensive. But
1t makes good fertilizer There amt
nothin' in the world to equal Goldfish.
medium ripe, for fertilizer. I've rigged
| up q deal with a orchard comp'ny
that's isyin' out a couple O. thousand
acres o young trees up In the delta
lands O. tAe Sacramento. I've sold 'em
the lot, after first buyin' II from the
owners o. tie schooner for hundred
| dollars. Every time these orchard fel-
lers dig hole to plant young fruit
| tree they aim &c 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 landin'. | fig
ger on cleanln' up about seven thou
sand net on the deal. thought me an
Neils was stuck at first, but | got my
Imagination workin'-"
Captain Scraggs sank Imply into
McGuffey's arms and the two stared
at the doughty commodore.
"Hit In the face with fortune an
didn't know it, gasped poor McGuffey
''Gib, I'm sure glad you got out whole
OF 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. Me an Nells GER
tainly makes nice little split on
account o. this here Goldfish deal"
"Gib," chattered Scraggs, whats
the matter with reorganizln' the syn
| dicater
BE good feller, Adelbert,"
pleaded McGuffey.
Mr.. GibDey was never so vulnerable
as when one he really loved called
him ~ 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.
"Scraggsy Mac, Your finsi Wen
reorganize the syndicate. an the min
ute me an Neils finds ourselves with
bin O. sale for a one-quarter inter-
est In the Victor. based on the actual
cost price. wen tow this here barge"
"An' split the profits on the cod
ishT" Scraggs queried eagerly,
Certainly not. Me an Neps splits
that ffty-fifty. A quarter o. them
profits is too high a price 10 pay for
your friendship, Scraggsy. old deceit
fuI. Remember, made that profit
after you an Mac had pulled out O.
the syndicate"
That's logic" McGuffey declared.
"lt's highway robbery" Sersggs
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
aboard, or pay demurrage on that
barge for every day they hang aroand /:
IA hnarI - haaI,S oa,1.,n.