The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1922-03-03
CHAPTER x-contInued.

SEVSAG eTN SN-SVttAtt1S0s
81
there's one thing more that we
mustn't neglect" warned Mr.. Gibney
before the meeting broke up. 'We've
rot to run this little vessel into some
dog-hole where there's nice beach
and smooth water. and change her
name. notice that her old name
Reina Maria 10 screwed into her bows
and across her stern in raised gilt let
tsrs, contrary to law and custom.
Wei snip EN- on. sandpaper every
SPOT where there's Q letter. and re-
paint t.; after which we'll rig up a
staxin' over her bow and stern. and
cut her new name, Maggie H. right
Int her plankin'. Nobody'll ever sus-
psct her names been changed. no
tiss that the ofncial letters and num-
bers cut into her main beam L. F-C-P
-oe57. I'll change the r to Il, and the
o to o, and the p to r. A handy man
With q wood chisel can do lots Of
things. He can change those mines to
Fights, the Ave 20 six, and the seven
to q nine. I've seen 1t done before.
Then well rig foretopmast and a
srinnaker boom on her, and bend a
esherman's staysail. Nothing like 1t
when you're sailing little Off the
wind. Scraggs, you have the papers
Of the old Maggie, and we all have
our licenses regular enough. Dig up
the old papers, Scraggsy, and I'll doctor
'em up to fit the Maggie III. AS for
our armament, we'll dismount the
guns and stow 'em away in the hold
until we get down on the Colombian
csnst, and while we're lying In Pan
ANA repairing the holes where my
shota went through her, and putin
new planks In her decks where the
Old plankin' has been scored by shrap-
nal. those paraqueets will think we're
a. peaceful as chipmunks. Better look
over your supplies, McGuffey, and see
u there's any paint aboard. I'd just
40 lief give the old girl a different
dress before we drop anchor In Pan
anna"
''Gib." said Captain Scraggs, earnest
y, "Tll keel-haul and shull-drag the
man that says you amt got great
head"
~By the lord" supplemented McGuf-
fsy. you have"
The commodore smiled and tapped
his frontal bone with his forefinger.
Imagination. my lads, Imagination"
bs said, and reached for the last Of the
punch.
Exactly three weeks from the date of
the naval battle which took place of
the Coronado islands, and whereby Mr..
0fbney became commodore and man.
aging owner of the erstwhile Mexican
coast patrol, schooner Reina Maria, that
vessel sailed out of the harbor Of Pan
anna completely rejuvenated. Not a
scar on her shapely lines gave evil
dance Of the sanguinary engagement
through which she had passed.
Mr.. Gibney had her painted creamy
white with q dark blue waterline. She
had had her bottom cleaned and
seraped and the copper sheathing over
hauled and patched up. Her sails
had been overhauled, inspected, and
repaired wherever necessary, and In
order to be on the safe side, Mr.. Glib
nsy. upon motion duly made by him
and seconded by McGuffey Ito whom
the seconding Of the Gibney motions
had developed into q habit), purchased
~ extra suit of new sails. The en-
gtnes were overhauled by the faith
ful McGuffey and q large store of dis
tillate stored In the hold. Captain
0craggs, with his old-time aversion ia
expense, made a motion (Which was
seconded by McGuffey before he had
taken time to consider its import) pro
vAding for the abolition Of the office
q chief engineer while the Maggie II
vas under sail, at which time the
chief ex-ofiicio was to hold himself
under the orders Of the commodore and
b transferred to the deck department.
II necessary. Mr.. Gibney approved the
measure and 1t went into effect. Only
"a entering or leaving port, or In
ssase Of chase by an enemy, were the
engines to be used, and McGuffey was
warned to be extremely saving Of his
1istillate.
Mr.. 'Gibney made splendid Job OF
sAanging the vessels name. and as
che chugged lazily out Of Panama bay
and lifted to the long ground-swell OF
the Pacific, It Is doubtful IL even her