Williams news., 1922-03-10

of protest and proceeded to make his arrangements, regardless of the mas ter's consent. As he and McGuffey busted themselves, laying the leading blocks along the deck, they glanced toward the Maggie and observed Cap tain Scraggs hurling crates of vege- tables overheard in an effort to get at the small boat quickly. Hell die when the freight claims come in" MT. McGuffey chortled. Poor oP Scrag- gsyi'
 When Captain Scraggs came aboard, Mfr Gibney escorted him around to the masters cabin, introduced him, and stood by while they bargained. "The tow will cost you five thousand, Cap tain," Scraggs began pompously.
 "Me an McGuffey'u sail you In for four" Gibney declared.
 Three thousand" snarled Scraggs.
 "Sailin's cheap as dirt at two thous- and. As a matter of fact, Scraggsy, me an Mac'u sail her in for nothin' just to .skin you out O the salvage.
 1.-TWO thousand dollars is my lowest figure" Scraggs declared. Take 1t or leave it, Captain. Under the cir cumstances. bargaining is useless. Two thousand is my last bid"
 The figure Scraggs named was prob ably one fifth of what the master Of the Chesapeake knew a court would award nevertheless he shook his head.
 Its straight towing job, Captain. and not a salvage proposition at all. A tug would tow me in for two hun dred and fifty, but I'll give you five hundred"
 Remembering the vegetables he had jettisoned, Scraggs knew he could not afford to accept that price. I'm through" he blufred-and his bluff worked.
 Taken, Captain Scraggs. Write out an agreement and I'll sign it."
 With the agreement in his pocket. Scraggs. followed by Gibney, left the cabin. "One hundred each to you an Mac if you'll stay aboard the Chesa- peake, steer her, an help the Maggie out with what sail you can get on her." Scraggs promised.
 'Take long, runnin' jump at your self, Scraggsy, old sorrowful- The pest me an Mac'l do is to help you COCK bill the anchor, an that'n cost you ten bucks for each of us-in advance. The artful fellow realized that Scraggs knew nothing whatever about sailing ship and would have to depend upon The Squarehead for the information he required
 "AlI right Here's your money" Scraggs replied and handed MT. Gib- ney twenty dollars. He and Ne1lS Halvorsen then went forward, got out the steel towing cable, and fastened light rope to the end of it. The skin foated off the ship at the end of the painter so The Squarehead hauled it in, climbed down into the sk1H, ana made the light rope fast to thwart; then, with Captain Scraggs paying out the hawser, Neils bent manfully to the oars and started to tow the steel cable back to the Maggie. Half way there, the weight of the cable dragging be- hind slowed The Squarehead up and eventually stopped him. Exerting all his strength he pulled and pulled, but the sole result of his efforts was to wear himself out, seeing which the Maggie's navigating officer set the lit tie steamer in toward the perspiring Neils, while Captain Scraggs. Gibney and McGuffey cheered lustily.
 Suddenly an oar snapped. Instantly Neils unshipped the remaining oar. sprang to the stern, and attempted, by sculling, to keep the skiff's head up to the waves. But the weight of the cable whirled the little craft around, a wave rolled in over her counter, and ha1f-ilIed her; the succeeding wave completed the job and rolled the skin over and The Squarehead was forced