Cheyenne Wells record., 1922-03-16

coat in the stern Of small boat rowed
by two men. There was very slight
sea running, and presently the men In
the small boat. watching their oppor-
tunity by the ghostly light Of the Ian
terms, ran their frail craft In under
the lee of the Maggie. The figure In
the stern sheets leaped on the instant,
caught the Jacobs ladder. climbed
nimbly over the side, and swore heart
lily in very good English as his feet
struck the deck.
"What's the name Of this floating
coffin?" he demanded in chain-locker
voice. It was quite evident that even
In the darkness, where her many de-
fects were merclfully hidden, the Mag
gle did not suit the special envoy Of
the Mexican insurrectos.
american steamer Maggie" said
the skipper frigidly. "Scrnggs is my
name, sir. And If you don't like my
vessel"
"Scraggsy roared the special en-
voy. "Scraggsy, for thousand! And
the old Maggie Of all boats! Scraggsy.
old tarpot, your fin! Duke me. you
uOEROneu OfO SuIumubueI.
"Gib. my dear boy!" shrieked Cap
tain Scraggs and cast himself into Mr..
Gibney's arms in a transport Of joy.
Mr.. Gibney. for 1t was indeed he,
pounded Captain Scraggs on the back
with one great hand while with the
other he crushed the skipper's fingers
to pulp, the while he called on all
the powers Of darkness to witness that
never in all his life had he received
such pleasant surprise.
1t was indeed a happy moment. All
the old animosities and differences
were swallowed up in the glad hand
clasp with which Mr.. Gibney greeted
his old shipmate OF the green-pea
trade. Scraggs took him below Mt once
and they pledged each others health.
"Well, I'll be keel-hauled and skull
dragged" said Captain Scraggs. pro
ducing box OF two.for-a-quarter
cigars and handing It to Mr.. Gibney.
"Gib. my dear boy, wherever have you
been these last three years?"
Everywhere" replied Mr.. Glbney.
II have been all over. mostly In Pana-
ma and the Gold coast. For two years
I've been navigntin' officer on the Co
lombiun gunbOat Bogota. When I was
a young feller did hitch In the navy
and become first-clnss gunner. and
then went to sen In the merchant ma
rine, and got my mates license, and
when I flashed my credentials on the
president Of the United States Of Co
lombia he give me job at 'dos cienti
pesos oro" per. That's Spanish for
two hundred bucks gold month. I've
been through two wars and got
medal for sInkin' a fishin' smack.
talk Spanish Just like native. I don't
drink no more to speak Of. and I've
been savin' my money. Some day
when get the price together I'm goin'
back to San Francisco, buy me nice
little schooner, and go tradin' In the
South seas. How they been comm
with you, Scraggsy, old kiddo?"
Lovely" replied Scraggs. "Just
simply grand. I'll pull ten thousand
out Of this job"
Mr.. Gibney whistled shrilly through
his teeth.
"That's the ticket for soip." he said
admiringly. II tell you, Scraggs, this
soldier Of fortune business may be all
right, but it don't amount to much
compared to being a sailor Of fortune,
eh, Scraggsy? Just as soon as heard
there was a revolution In Mexico quit
my job In the Colombian navy and
come north for the pickin's. :.
No, l amt been in their rotten little
rrnv nsvo thipG I x,,ont tn
go around killin' people7 There
amt no pleasure gettin' killed In the
mere shank Of a bright and prosper
| Gus life dead hero don't
gather no moss, Scraggsy. Reads all
right In books, but 1t don't appeal
none to me. I'm for peace every time.
so right away as soon as l heard of
the trouble, says to myself: Things
has been pretty quiet in Mexico for
twenty years, and they're due to shift
things around pretty much. What
them poems need is a man with an
Imagination to help 'em out. and II
they've got the money, Adelbert P. Glib
ney can supply the brains So comes
north to Los Angeles, shows the In
surrecto junta my medal and my hon.
orable discharges from every ship I'd
ever been in, includln' the gunboat BO-
gotta, and talked big and swelled
around and told 'em to run in some
arms and get busy. framed 1t all up
for this filibuster trip you're on,
Scraggsy, only I never did hear that
they'd picked on you. I told that cof-
fee-colOred rat Of Lopez man to
hunt up Scab Johnny and he'd set him
right, but II anybody had told me you
had the nerve to run the Maggie in on
this deal, Scraggsy, I'd a-called him =
liar. Scraggs. you're mucho-bueno-
that Is. you're all right. I'm 10 used
to talkin' Spanish forget myself.
Still, there's one end Of this little deal
that I amt exactly explained to all
hands. II I'd a-known they was char
term the Maggie, I'd have blocked the