Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1922-01-27

TOUT q sea lawyer GlD, crdSS
retOrted sarcastically.
You do what Glib says" McGuffey
ordered threateningly. Remember, l
got a half interest In any judgment he
gifts agin us-an' what's more, I OBJ
ject to them Goldfish clutterin' up my
half interest"
you bullied me on the old Maggie"
Scraggs screeched, but l won't be
bullied no more. If you want to tow
that barge, Mac, you buy me out, lock,
stock and barrel. An the price for
my half interest Is five thousand dol
lars"
you've sold something, S~craggsy,"
Mr.. McGuffey flashed back at him,
obeying a'wink from Mr.. Gibney. AN
here's a hundred dollars to bind the
bargain. Balance on delivery of proper
bill-O.-sale."
While Scraggs was counting the
money Mr.. Gibney was writing a re-
ceipt In his note book. Scraggs, still
furious, signed the receipt.
"Now, then, Scraggsy," said Mr.. Glib
ney affably, "hustle up to the custom
house, get a formal bill-o'-sale blank.
fill her in, an hustle back agin for
your check. An see to it you don't
change your mind, because it won't do
you any good. If you don't come
through now l can sue you an force
you TO-"
"Oh! So you're 'buyin' my interest,
eh?"
well, I'm lendin' Mac the money,
an I got a bunch he'll sell the interest
to me an Neils without figgerin' on a
profit. You're a jarrin' note in the
syndicate, Scraggsy, an I've come to
that time o. life where l want peace.
An there won't be no peace on the
Victor unless l skipper her"
Captain Scraggs departed to draw
up the formal bill of sale and Mr.. Glib
ney, drawing The Squarehead and Nc
Guffey to him, favored each with a
searching glance and said:
Gentlemen, did 1t ever occur to you
that there's money In the chicken
b~usiness?"
1t had! Both McGuffey and Neils
admitted it. There are few men in
this world who have not, at some
period of their lives, held the same
view, albeit the majoritN of those who
have e%ndeavOred to demonstrate that
fact have subsequently changed their
minds.
II thought as much" the commo-
dOre grinned. III | was to let you two
out O my sight for a day you'd both
be fiat busted the day after. So we
won't buy no farm an go in for chick
ems. Wen sell the Victor an buy a
little tradin' schooner. Then we'll go
back to the South seas an earn a,
legitimate livin''."
"But whyll W. sell the Victor" Nc
Guffey demanded. "Gib, she's a love
Of q boat"
Because I've just had a talk with
the owners O. the two opposition lines
an they. KNOWN me to be chummy
with you an Scraggsy, give me the tip
to tell you two that you could have
your choice O. two propositions-a
rate war or a sale O. the Victor for
ten, thousand dollars. That gets you
out clean an saves your original capt.
tai, an 1t gifts Scraggsy out the same
way, while nettin' me an Neils five
hundred EACH"
"A rate war would ruin u.s." Me-
Guffey agreed. "In addition to sourin'
%Scraggsy's disposition until he
wouldn't be fit to live with. Glib, you're
a wonder"
81 know It," Mr.. Gibney replied.
Within two hours Captain Scraggs'
half interest had passed into the hands
of McGuffey, and half an hour later
the Victor had passed into the hands
of the opposition lines, to be operated
for the joint profit of the latter. Later
in the day all four members of the
syndicate met in the Bowhead saloon,
where Mr.. Gibney explained the deal
to Captain Scraggs. The latter was
dumfounded.
You'll run without me, Glib"
Scraggs declared emphatically. 1--WE
had a-plenty O. the dark blue for mine.
I got a little stake now, so I'm going
to look around an invest In a"
"A chicken ranch" McGuffey inter-
rupted.
"Right-O, Bart. How'd you guess
it,"
Imagination" quoth McGuffey, tap
ping his forehead, imagination,
S%craggsy."
Three weeks later Mr.. Gibney had
purchased. for account of his now abb
breviated syndicate, the kind of pow
err schooner he desired. and the in
spectors gave him a'ticket as master.
With The Squarehead as mate and
Mr.. McGuffey as engineer and general
utility man. the little schooner cleared
for Page Pago on a day when Captain
Scraggs was too busy buying incuba-
tors to come down to the dock and see
lrhem off.
And for aught the chronicler OF this
tale knows to the contrary, the syndi-
cate may be sailing in that self-same
schooner to this very day.
rrxTD pNynl