Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-02-16
CHAPTER XIV.

glneer BartnOlouleW Mc6ultey were
enabled To declare in all sincerity Tor
AZ least with as much sincerity as one
might reasonably expect from this band
OF rowing rascals), that they had en-
tirely recovered from their narrowing
experiences on the desert island OF Tu-
vana-tholo, in the Friendly group.
Al the shout Of Land. ho" Mr. Nc
Guffey yawned, stretched himself and
sat up I'm the wicker lounglng chair
where he had Sprawled for days with
Mr.. Gibney and Captain Scraggs, I'M
der the awning on top OF the house
He flexed his biceps refiectively, while
his companions. stretched at full
length in their respective chairs
watched him lazily
AS a member o. the Maggie syndi-
cate an Ownin' an votin' a quarter IN
terest" doomed the engineer, 81 here
by call n meetin' o. the said syndicate
for the purpose o. transactin' any an
all business that may properly come
before the meetin."
pass the word for Nells Halvor-
sell, SuEHt>Atu MI. Ntifhft'H- bltoo
his squarehead soul" he added.
1--WE got quorum without him, an
besides this business Is 3rst between
MS three 81
"Meetnm come TO order" The
commodore tapped the hot deck with
his bare heel twice. Haul away,
Mac" 81
Il move you. gentlemeH. that it be
the sense o. this meetin' THAT p. Nc
Guffey, Esquire, be an be is hereby
app'inted committee OF one 90 lam
the eveylastin' daynghts fout O that
sinful former chief mate o ourn for
abandonin' the syndicate TO a horrible
death on that there desert island. Do
l hear a second to that notion"
Second the notion chlrped Cap
tain ScraggS.
"The notions denied" announced
Mr.. Gibney firmly.
"Now. looky here. Glib. that amt
fair. Didn't YOU fight Tabu-Tabu an
didn't Scraggsy fight the king o Kan
davu? I amt had no tightin' this en-
tire wage an l did cal'late to lick
that doggone mate"
"Mac It can't be done nohow."
ooh. il can't, Ell? Well, I'll just bet
you two boys my interest in the syndi-
cate"
1T amt that, Mac, It amt that. No
bodys doubtin your natural ability
TO mop him up. But It amt policy
You wasn't sore agin 'em cannibal
savages, was you? You made Neils
go back an save 'em, an II took us
two DAYS TO beat up TO the first In
habited island an drop EN- off"
"But a cannlbal's like a dumb beast,
Glib. He amt responsible. This mate
knows better"
"Ah" Mr.. Gibney leveled a horny
forehnger at the engineer That's
where you hit the malt on the head.
He's too fly, and there's only two
ways to keep him from hyin' away
with us. The first is 10 feed him To
the sharks and the second is TO treat
him like long-loSt brother | know
he ought 10 be move overheard. but !
amt got the heart 70 kill him i'm cold
blood. Consequently, we got TO let
the villain live, an if you 60 10 beatin'
him up, Mac, you'll make him sore an
he'll peach on us when wy get to Homo
lulu. If us three could get back TO San
Francisco with clean hands, I'd say
lick the beggar an lick him for fair.
Bat we got 10 remember that this mate
was one o. the original filibuster crew
o. the old Maggie I. The day we
tackled the Mexican navy an tool.
this power schooner away from EN-,
we put ourselves forty fathom plumb
outside the law. an this mate was
present an knows il. We've changed
the vessels name an rig an doct0red
ND the old Maggie's papers 10 suit the
Maggie III. an we've give her new
dress But at that. It's hard 10 dis
guise a ship I'm a live port, an the Sc
cret service agents o the Mexican gov
eminent may be a-layin' for us In San
Francisco; and with this here mate
agin us an ready TO turn states evil
dence, we're pirates under the law, an
IL don't take much Imagination 10 see
three pirates swingin' from the same
yard-arm No, sir, Mac. | amt got
no wish, now that were fixed nice an
comfortable with the worlds goods, 70
be hung for pirate 10 the mere shank
O. my youth. Why, I amt fifty year
old yet"
"By the tail o the Great Sacred
Bull" chartered Scraggs. "Gib's right
McGufey was plainly disappointed.
81 hadn't thought o. that at all Glib. ]
been cherishin' the thought O lammin'
the whey out'n that mate, but II you
say 90 I'll give up the idee. But II
bringin the Maggie III into home wa
tiers is lnvltln' death, what In blue
blazesre we goin' to do with herT
Mr.. Gibney smiled-an arch, cunning
smne. wen give her TO that muir
derin' mate, free gratis"
Captain Scraggs bounded out OF his
chair, struck the hot deck with his
bare feet, cursed. and hoped back
into the chair again. McGufey stared
incredulously. "Gib, my dear boy
quavered Scraggs, say that agin.'