The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-04-26

|
and gazed solemnly ut Scraggs and
McGut1ey.
"Gentlemen," (again McGuffey
nodded approvingly) "do you know
what vacuum is?"
II KNOW" replied the imperturbable
McGuffey. "A vacuum is an empty
hole that amt got nothin' in it," Vi.
Correct" Said Mr., Gibney. 'AIy
head is vacuum. Me talkin' about
ginseng root !! Why, must have wa
ter on the brain! Ginseng be dog
goned! It's opium" ''-
Captain Scraggs was forced to grab
the seat Of his chair in order to keep
himself from jumping up and clasp
Ing Mr.. Gibney around the neck.
Forty dollars pound" he gasped.
"Gib-Gib. my dear boy--you've made
us wealthy"
Quickly Mr.. Gibney ran the can
opener around the edges of one corner
of the zinc box, inserted the claws Of
the hammer into the opening, and
with quick melodramatic twist, bent
| back the angle thus formed,
Mr.. Chimney was the first to get q
peep inside.
Great snakes!" he yelled, and fell
| back against the cabin wall A hoarse
scream of rage and horror broke from
Captain Scraggs. In his eagerness he
had driven his head so deep into the
! box that he came within an inch Of
| kissing what the box cOntained-which
happened to be nothing more nor less
than a dead Chinaman! Mr.. McGuf-
/ fey, always slow and unimaginative,
shouldered the skipper aside, and
calmly surveyed the CHASTITY apparl-
| ton.
'Twig the, yellow beggar, will YOU,
Gib?" said McGuffey; lone eye half
open for all the world like he was
winkin' at us an enjoyin' tn joke"
Not 4 muscle twitched in McGuf-
feys Hibernian colutenance. He
scratched his head for moment. as
sort Of first aid to meuovy, then
turned and handed Mr.. Gibney ten dol
| lars.
"You win, Glib. It's Oriental goods,
| sure enough"
"Robber.' shrieked Captain Scraggs,
and flew ut Mr.. Gibney's throat. The
| sight reminded McGuffey of terrier
| worrying a mastiff. Nevertheless, Mr.,
! Gibney was still so unneryed at the
discovery of the horrible contents of
the box that, despite his gigantic pro-
| portions, he was well-nigh helpless.
"McGuifey, you swab," he yelled.
"Pluck this maritime outlaw off my
/ neck. He's tearin' my windpipe out
by tn roots"
McGuffey choked Captain Scraggs
! unlil lie reluctantly let go Mr.. Gibney,
whereupon all three fled from the cab
in rs from pestilence, and gathered,
an angry and disappointed group, out
on deck.
opium" jeered Captain Scraggs,
with tears Of rage in his voice. "Gfn-
scng! iou and your imagination, you
swine, you! Get Off my ship, you lout,
or I'll murder YOU" i
Mr.. Gibney hung his head.
"Scraggsy-an' you, too, McGuffey-
Igot to admit that this here is one on
Adelbert p. Gibney. H." =.
"Oh, hear him." shrilled Captain
Scraggs. "One on him! It's two on
you, YOU hloody-handed ragpicker. /
suppose that other case contains
opium, too! If there amt another
dead corpse in No. 2 case 1 hope my
teeth may drop Overboa1G.''
."Shut up" beloved Mr.. Gibney, in
towering rage. "What howl have
you got comm? They're my China
men. amt they? paid for 'em like
man. didn't I? All right, then. I'll
keep them two Cinnamon. You two
amt out cent yet, an as for this
five wins Off you, Scraggs, it's blood
money; that's what it is, an hereby
gives 1t back to you. Now, quit yer
whinin', Or by the tail o. the Great
Sacred Bull, I'll lock you up all night
in tn cabin along O. them two defunct
Celestials."
Captain Scraggs "shut up" prompt
ly, and contented himself with glover
ing at Mr.. Gibney. The mate sat
down on the hatch coarling, lit his
pipe, and gave himself up to medita-
ton for fully five minutes, ut the end
of" which time McGuffey was aware
that his Imagination was about to
come to the front once more.
"Well, gentlemen" (again McGuf-
fey nodded approvlngly) II bet I get
my twenty bucks back outer them two
Chinks," he announced presently.
How'll yer do it," inquired McGuf-
fey politely.
"How'll LIDO It? Easy as fal!in'
through, an open hatch. Pm a-goin'
t keep them two stiffs in tn boxes
until dark, an then Pm a-gcin' to take
'cm out, bend rope around their
middle. drop 'em overheard an anchor
em there all night. I see tn lad we
opens up in No. case has had Il beau
tiful job of embalmin' done on him,
but il let them soak all night. like
Il mackerel, they'll timber up an look
kinder fresh. Then first thing in tn
mornin' III telephone tn coroner an
tell him l found two floaters out in
tn bay an for him to come an get
em. I been along the waterfront long