The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-05-16

Il amt saying she is," Mr.. Gibney
retorted testify. "Lemme finish read
in'I" He continued:
'REPORTS PASSING DEREL1CT
THE steam schooner Arethusa,
Grays Harbor to Oakland Long wharf,
reports passing derellct schooner
twenty miles Off Point Reyes at six
o'clock last night. The dcrelict was
down by the head, and her rail just
showed above the water. It was i'm
possible to learn her identity.
"Thn presence Of this derelict in
the steamer lanes t.: North Pacific
ports Is distinct menace to raviga-
ton, aud 1t is probable that a revenue
cutter will be dispatched today to
search for the derelict and either tow
her into port or destroy her."
"Gentlemen O. the syndicate, them's
the only two items in the shippin'
page that looks likely. The question
Is, in which lies our fortuEc?"
Neils Halvorsen spoke up, giving it
as his opinion that the fortune. telling
lady probably knew her business and
that their fortune really lay at sea.
The dcrelict was at sea. How else,
then, could the prophecy be inter-
preted?
"Wsll, this steamer Victor isn't ex-
actIy travelling overland" McGuffey
suggested. He had secret hankering
to mess around some real engines
again. and gave 1t as his opinion that
fortune was nope likely to Turk In q
solid stern-wheel steamer with good
engines and boilers than in battered
hulk Mt sea. CAPTAIN Scraggs agreed
with him most heartily and tie vote
resulted, Mr.. Gibney incliniug toward
the derelict.
"What're we goin' to do about 1t,
Gib?" Captain Scraggs demanded.
"Whcn in doubt, Scraggsy, old tar
pot, always play trumps. In order to
make no mistake, right after break
fast you an McGuffey go down to
Jackson street wharf am' interview
this man Coakhey about his steamer
Victor. You been goin' to sea long
enough to know, a good hull when You
see it, an IL WE can't trust Mac to
know IL good SGT Of inner works we'd
better dissolve fthe syndicate. AS for
me an Neils, .we'n 80 down to the
From: an charter tug an chase out
nfter that there derelict before the
revenue cutter gets her an blows her
out q the path O. commerce with a
stick O. dynamite"
Forthwith Mr.. Gibney and Neiis,
after snatching a hasty breakfast, de-
parted for the Waterfront. where they
chartered t'tg for three days and
put to sea. At about ten o'clock Cap
thin Scra&gs and McGuffey strolled
leisurely down ITO Jackson street wharf
to inspect tle4 Victor. BY noon they
had completcdsa most satisfactory in
spcction of tt c steamers hull and
boilers. and bd ught her in for seven
thousand dollars. Captain Scraggs
was delighted. He said she was worth
ten thousand. ; Already he had de-
rided that heavy and profitable
freights awaited the syndicate along
the Sacramento pdver, where the farm
ers and orcha rdists had been for
years the victinIs Of monopoly and
n gcntlemcn's agreement between the
two steamboat lines that piled be-
tween SucramentoA Stockton and San
| Francisco.
On the afternoonAof the third day
| Mr.. Gibney and Nei7s Halvorsen re-
turned from sea. 1Hley we're unutter'
ably weary and (hoIlow-eyed for lack
Of sleep.
swell, suppose you two suckers
found that dereliet," challenged Nc
Guffey.
YEP, Found her an got n line
aboard an towed Ner in. an it was
n tough job. She's layin'\ over on the
Berkeley tide flats, an nt' 'owtide to,
morrow we'll 60 over am find out
what we've got. Don't even know her
name yet. Shells practically sub
merged" ~