Cheyenne Wells record., 1922-02-09

Tie iOOheu up dI JdCk rIuueTty.
"Flaheity." he said, II think you're
liar
1.-THE same to you and many of
them." f1aherty replied, not a bit
abashed. "You said she was an eight
thousapd-ton tramp"
II never went SO far as to say I'd
been aboard her on trial trip, though
and did cut down her tonnage. show
in got the fragments Of con-
science left" Hicks defended himself.
He closed the book with sigh and
placed 1t back on the shelf, just as
the door opened to admit no less
parsonage than Bartholomew McGuf-
fey. late chief engineer. first assist
ant. second assistant. third assistant,
wiper, oIler. wnter-tender and stoker
OF the 8. s. Maggie. With brief nod
to Jack Flaherty Mr. McGuffey mp
preached Dan Hicks.
81 been lookIn' for you. captain" he
announced. "Say. I hear the chief O.
the Arhro,lite's goIn' to take three
months layoff to get shet Of his rheu-
matism. Is that stra!ght?"
~ believe It is. McGuffey."
"Well, say. I'd like to have chance
to substitoot for him. You know my
capabilities. Hicks, nm II II would be
agreeable to you to have me for your
CHEF your recommendation would GO
n long way toward Inndin' me the Job.
I'd sure make them engines behave"
"What vessel have you been on late
Ivy" Hicks demanded cautiously. for
he knew Mr.. McGufrey's reputation for
nOn-reliability around pay day.
81 been with that freshwnter scaven-
ger. Scrnggs. In the Maggie for most
year."
"Did you quit or did Scraggs fire
you?"
"He fired me-" McGuffey replied
honestly. "If he hadn't I'd have quit.
so IT'S tOss-up. Comm In from
Hnlfmoon bay Inst night we got In the
fog an piled up on the beach jus
below the ClIfY house."
"ThIs is interesting" Jack Flnhcrty
ashore Oh you. McGufrey? Well. I'll
he shot!"
"She did. Scraggs blamed 1t on me.
Flaherty. He said I didn't obey the
| signals from the bridge. one word led
| to another, an he went dancln' mnd
an ordered me OF his ship. Well. It's
his ship-or 1t was his ship. for I'll
bet dollar she's ground to powder
by now-so all I could do was obey.
I hOrped overheard an waded ashore.
I suppose all my clothes an things Is
gone by now. left everything aboard
an had to borrow this outfit from
Scsb Johnny" He grinned pathetical-
ly. $50 guess you understand. Cap
tain Hicks. just how bad need that
Sub l spoke about minute ago"
"I'll think 1t over, Mac, an let you
KNOW" Hicks replied evasively.
Mr.. McGuffey, sensing his defeat.
| retired forthwith to hide his embar-
rassment and distress; as the door
closed behind him, Hicks and Flaherty
faced each other.
"Jack," Quoth Dan Hicks. "can two
towboat men, holdin' down two hun
dred- dollar jobs an presumed to have
been out o. their swaddlin' clothes for
at least thirty years. afford to be
laughed of TIE San Francisco water
front?" -'
81 knov one Of them that can't,
Dan. AZ the same time, can n rat like
PhineAs r. Scraggs and beachcomb-
er like his mate Gibney make pair
of star-spangled monkeys ont of said
two towboat men and get away with
it,"
''They did that last night. Still. I've
known monkeys that would fight an
was human enough to settle grudge.
Follow me. Jack"
Together they repaired to Jackson
street bulkhead. Sure enough, there
lay the Maggie, rubbing her blistered
sides against the bulkhead. Captain
Scraggs was nowhere In sight, but Mr..
Gibney was at the winch, swinging
ashore the crates Of vegetables which
The Squarehead and three longshore-
men loaded into the cargo net.
"We're outnumbered." Jack Flaherty
whispered. Lets wait until she's un-
loaded an Gibney an Scraggs are
aboard alone"
They retired without having at
tracted the attention OF MIR. Gibney.
Promptly at twelve o'clock tie long
shoremen knocked off work for the
lunch hour and Neils Halvorsen
drIfted across the street to cool his
parched throat with steam beer.
While waiting for Scraggs to come up
out of the engine room. and take him
to luncheon. Ar. Gibney sauntered aft
and was standing gazing refectively
upon spot on the Maggie's stern
where the hawsers had chafed away
the paint, when suddenly his fore
bodings Of evil returned to him thou
sand fold stronger than they had been
since Scraggs' return to the little ship.
He glanced up and beheld gazing
down upon him Captains Jack Fla
herty and Daniel Hicks. Battle was
Imminent and the valiant Gibney
knew It; wherefore he determined In
ssantly to meet 1t like man.