The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-05-03

that we engage some enterprlsin' orr
entail for that job"
'"Carried," said Mr.. Gibney. ANY
further business?"
Once more McGuffey stood up. "Gen-
Stlemen and brothers Of the syndicate"
he began, "I'm satisfied that the back
bitin', the scrappin', the petty jeal-
ousies and general cussedness that
+ characterized our lives on the old
Maggie will not be duplicated on the
Maggie II. Them vicious days is gone
| forever, I hope. an from now on the
motto of&ns three should be-:
CAN for one and one for all
/ United we stand, divided we fall
| This earnest little speech, which
came straight from the honest McGuf-
fey's heart, brought the tears to the
commodore's eyes. Under the inspira-
ton of McGuffey's unselfish words the
glasses were refilled and all three
pledged their friendship anew. AS for
Captain Scraggs, he was naturally of
a cold and selfish disposition, and Nc
Guffey's toast appealed more to his
brain than to his heart. Had he known
what was to happen to him in the
days to come and what that simple
little motto was to mean in his par
ticular case, it is doubtful If he would
have tossed off his liquor as gaily as
he did.
"rhere's one thing more that we
mustn't neglect" warned Mr.. Gibney
before the meeting broke up. "We've
got to run this little vessel into some
dOg-hOle where there's nice beach
and smooth water, and change her
name. l notice that her old name
Reina Maria is screwed into her bows
and across her stern in raised gilt let
tiers, contrary to law and custom
Well snip 'em off, sandpaper every
spot where there's letter, and re-
paint it; after which we'll rig up a
stagin' over her bow and stern, and
cut her new name, Maggie H. right
into her plankin'. Nobody'll ever sus-
pect her names been changed. no.
tice that the official letters and num-
bers cut into her main beam is F-C-P
1851. I'll change the F to E, and the
c. to o, and the to r. A handy man
with q wood chisel can do lots Of
things. He can change those mines to
Fights, the five to six, and the seven
to nine. I've seen it done before.
Then we'll rig foretopmast and a
spinnaker boom on her, and bend a
tisherman's staysail. Nothing like it
when you're sailing little off the
wind. Scraggs, you have the papers
of the old Maggie, and we all have
our licenses regular enough. Dig up
the old papers, Scraggsy, and I'll doctor
'em up to fit the Maggie II. AS for
our armament, We'll dismount the
guns and stow 'em away in the hold
until we get down on the Colombian
coast, and while we're lying in Pan
ANA repairing the holes where my
shots went through her, and putin
new planks in her decks where the
old plankin' has been scored by shrap-
mel, those paraqueets will think we're
as peaceful as chipmunks. Better look
over your supplies, McGunfey, and sec
if there's any paint aboard. I'd JUST
as lief give the old girl different
dress before we drop anchor In ram
ANA"
"Cib." said Captain Scragss, earnest
~, 'Tll keel-haul and shull-drag the
man that says you amt got great
head"
by the lord" supplemented McGuf-
fey, you have"
The commodore smiled and tapped
his frontal bone with his fOrefinger.
''ImagInation, my lads, Imagination
he said, and reached for the last Of the
punch.
- Exactly three weeks from the date OF
the naval battle which took place off
the Coronado islands, and whereby Mr..
Gibney became commodore and man
aging owner of the erstwhile Mexican
coast patrol schooner Reina Maria, that
vessel sailed out of the harbOr Of Pan
ANA completely rejuvenated. Not a
scar on her shapely lines gave evil
dence Of the sanguinary engagement
through which she had passed.
Mr.. Gibney had her painted creamy
white with dark blue waterline. She
had had her bottom cleaned and
scraped and the copper sheathing over
hauled and patched up. Her sails
had been overhauled, inspected, and
repaired wherever necessary, and in
order to be on the safe side, Mr.. Glib
ney, upon motion duly made by him
and seconded by McGuffey Ito whom
the seconding Of the Gibney motions
had developed into a habit, purchased
an extra suit of new sails. The en-
gnes were overhauled by the faith
full McGuffey and a large store Of dis
tillate stored in the hold. Captain
Scraggs, with his old-time aversion to
expense, made motion (Which was
seconded by McGuffey before he had
taken time to consider its impOrt) pro-
viding for the abolition of the Office
Of chief engineer while the Maggie II
was under sail, at which time the
chief ex-officio was to hold himself
= AZ. n.