Phoenix tribune., 1922-01-07

sit up; then they pounced upon him,
lifted him to the rail, and dropped him
overheard. Captain Scraggs shrieked
in protest at this added touch of bar
barity, and Dan Hicks, turning, be-
held Scraggsy's white face at the
hatch.
you're next, Scraggs," he calico
cheerfully, and turned to peer over the
rail- Mr.. Gibney had emerged on the
surface and was swimming slowly
away toward an adjacent float where
small boats landed. He climbed
wearily up on the float and sat there,
gazing across at Hicks and Flaherty
without animus, for to his way of
thinking he had gotten off lightly, con-
sidering the enormity of his Offense.
The least he had anticipated was three
months in hospital, and so grateful
was he to Hicks and Flaherty for
their forbearance that he strangled a
resolve to 1ay" for Hicks and Fla
herty and thrash them Individually
something he was fully able to do
and forgot his aches and pains in a
lively interest as to the fate of Cap
tain Scraggs at the hands Of the tow
boat men. He was aware that Cap
tain Scraggs had failed ignominiously
to rally to the Gibney appeal to repel
boarders, and in his own expressive
Technology he hoped that what the
enemy would do to the bastard would
be "a-plenty."
The enemy, meanwhile, had turned
their attention upon Scraggs, who had
lodged below like q frightened rabbit
and sought shelter In the shaft alley.
He had sufficient presence of mind, as
he dashed through the engine room, to
snatch a large monkey wrench off the
tool rack on the wall, and, kneel!ng
just inside the alley entrance he
turned at bay and threatened the in
vaders with his weapon. Thereupon
Hicks and Flaherty pelted him with
Jumps of coal, but the sole result of
this assault was to force Scraggs
further back into the shaft alley and
out of range.
war and decided to drown Scraggs out.
Dan Hicks ran up on deck and re-
turned dragging the deck fire hose be-
hind him. He thrust the brass nozzle
into the shaft-alley entrance and in
vited Scraggs to surrender uncondi-
tionally or be drowned like a Kitten.
Scraggs, knowing his own fire hose,
defied them, so Dan Hicks started the
pump while Flaherty turned on the
water. Instantly the hose burst up on
deck and Scraggs' jeers of triumph
filled the engine room. The enemy
was about to draw lots to see which
one of the two should crawl into the
shaft alley and throw a cupful of
chloride of lime (for they found a can
of this in the engine rOom) in Captain
Scraggs face, when q, shadow dark
ened the hatch and Mr.. Bartholomew
McGuffey demanded belligerently
whats goin' on down there? Who
the devils takin' liberties In my en-
gine room?"
Dan Hicks explained the situation
and the just cause for drastic action
which they held against the fugitive
in the shaft alley. Mr.. McGuffey con-
sidered a few moments and made his
decision.
'If what you say is true-an' amt
in position to dispute you, not havin'
been present when you hauled the
Maggie off the beach, I don't blame
you for feeling sore. What do blame
you for, though, is carryin' the war
aboard the Maggie. If you wanted to
whale Glib an Scraggsy you should ha'
laid for 'em on the dock. Under the
circumstances, you make this per-
S'nal affair, an as a member O. the
crew O the Maggie got to take a
hand an defend my skipper agin youse
two. Fact is, gentlemen, / got date
to lick him first for what he done to
me last night. Howsumever, that's a
private crouch. The fact remains that
you two jumped my pal Bert Gibney
an licked him somethin' scandalous.
Hicks, I'll take you on first. Come up
out of there, you swab, and fight. Fla
herty, you stay below until send for
you; if you try to climb up an horn in
on my fight with Hicks, Gibney'u brain
you"
A faint cheer came from the shaft
alley. "Good old Mac. At-a-boy!"
you're on, McGuffey. Nobody ever
had to beg me to fight him." Dan
Hicks replied cordially, and climbed
to the deck. To his great surprise,
Mr.. MeGuffey winked at him and drew
him off to the stern Of the Maggie.
"There'H be no fight" he declared,
although we'll thud around on deck
an yell a couple O. times to make
Scraggs think we're goin' to 1t. He
iggers that by the time I've fought
you an Flaherty l won't be fit for
combat with him, even il lick you
both; he's got it all figgered out that
I'll wait a couple O days before
tacklin' him, an he thinks my tenn
peril cool by that time an he can
argy me out O. my revenge Savey7"
II twig"
Mr.. Gibney had returned to the
Maggie by this time and he now took