The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-01-26

| nppeared 10 report IA brisk fire under
the donkey and to promise steam In
forty minutes; also that the Maggie
was hove TO cable length distant,
with her crew digging under the deck
load ~ vegetables for the small boat.
| Help yourself To belayin' pin, Bart.
an knock 'em on the heads II they
try TO come aboard" Mr. GIbney or
dered nOnchalantly.
"Do understand there is n steamer
at hand. Mr.. Glbneyf" the master of
the Chesapeake queried.
There's an excuse for one, sir. The
little vegetable freIghter Maggie. She'll
never be able to tow you In. because
she amt got power enough. an IL
she had power enough she aIn't got
coal enough. Besides. Scraggs. her
owner, Is a rotten bad article an be-
fore he'll put rope aboard you he'll
tie you up on contract for q figger
thatd make an angel weep. The way
your ship lies an everything. me an
McGuffey can sail her In for you at
half the price"
II can't risk my ship In the hands
OF two men," the sick captain an
swered. "She's too valuable and so Is
her cargo. II this little steamer will
tow me In I'll gladly give her my tow
line and let the court settle the bill"
"Not by Million" Mr.. GIbney pro-
tested. beg pardon. sir. but you don't
know this here Scraggs like I do. I
couldn't think OF lettln' him set foot
on this deck"
| "You couldn't think of II? Well.
when did you take command OF my
ship7"
you're fotsam an jetsnm. sir. an
practically In the breakers. You're
sick. an. for all know. delrlous. so
for the sake o. protcctin' You. the
sick seaman In the fo'cnstle an the
owners, I'm takin command"
The master of the Chesapeake
reached under his pillow and produced
pistol. "Out of my cabin or I'll riddle
you." he barked feebly.
Mr.. Glbney departed without word
of protest aud proceeded TO make his
arrangements. regardless Of the mas
ter's consent. AS he and McGuffey
busted themselves. laying the leading
blocks along the deck. they glanced
toward the Maggie and observed Cap
tain Scrnggs hurling crates of vege-
tables overheard In M effort TO get at
the small boat quickly. Hell die
when the freight claims come In." Mr..
McGuffey chortled. Poor oil Scrag-
gsyw
When Captain Scraggs came aboard.
Mr.. Gibney escorted him around to the
masters cabin. introduced him, and
stood by while they bargniEed "rhe
tow will cost you five thousand. Cap
tain" Scraggs began pompously.
"Me an McGuffeyll sail you IN for
four" Gibney declared
Three thousand" snarled Scraggs.
"Sallin's cheap as dirt at two rhous-
and. As a matter OF fact. Scraggsy.
me an Mac'll sail her In for notlin'
just to skin you out o. the salvage"
1.-TWO thousand dollars Is my lowest
figure" Scraggs declared. Take II
or leave II, Captain. Under the cir
cumstances, bargaining is useless. Two
thousand is my last bid"
The figure Scraggs named was prob
ably one fifth OF what the master OF
the Chesapeake knew court would
award nevertheless he shook his head
ITS a straight towing job. Captain.
and not salvage proposition at all.
A tug would tow me In for two hun.
dred and fifty but I'll give you five
hundred"
Remembering the vegetables he had
jettisoned, Scraggs knew he could not
AFFORD TO accept that price. "Tm
through he bluffed-and his blum
worked.
Taken, Captain Scraggs. Write out
an agreement and I'll sign IT,"
With the agreement In his pocket.
Scraggs, followed by Gibney, left the
cabin. zone hundred each to you an
Mae II you'l stay aboard the Chesn-
peake, steer her, an help the Maggie
out with what sail you can get on
her" Scraggs promised.
Take long, runnin' jump at your
self. Scraggsy old sorrowfu. The best
me an Mach do is to help you cock
bill the anchor, an thatll cost you
ten bucks for each OF us--in advance"
The artful fellow realized that Scrnggs
knew nothing whatever about sailing
ship and would have to depend upon
The Squarehead for the information
he required.
"All right Here's your money"
Scraggs replied and handed Mr.. Glib
ney twenty dollars. He and Neis
Halyorsen then went forward. got out
the steel towing cable. and fastened
light rope TO the end OF H. The skin
iioated of the ship at the end OF the
painter, so The Squarehead hauled II
in. climbed down into the skiff. and
made the light rope fast to n thwart;
then, with Captain Scraggs paying out
the hawser, Neils bent manfulIy to the
oars and started 10 tow the steel cable
back to the Maggie. Half way there
the weight of the cable dragging be
- rIrn-