Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-02-24

that it amt ginseng. but Oriental |
goods"
an go you FIVE dollars, just rr
ducks" responded Captain Scraggs
heartily. "McGuffey to hold the stakes
an decide the bet"
Done" replied Mr.. Gibney. The
money was placed In McGuffey's
hands, and a moment later, with
mighty effort, Mr.. Gibney pried off
the lid of the crate. Captain Scraggs
had his head inside the box 6 fifth of a
second later.
Sealed zinc box inside" he an
nounced. "Get can opener, Glib, my
boy"
"Ginseng, for a thousand" mourned
Mr.. Gibney. "Scraggsy, you're five
dollars Of my money to the good. Gin
seng always comes packed In alright
boxes"
He produced can opener from the
cabin locker and fell to his work on
corner of the Theoretically sealed box.
| AS he drove in the point of the can
opener. he paused, hammer In hand,
and gazed solemnly at Scraggs and
McGuffey.
Gentlemen" (agaIn McGuffey
nodded approvingly) do you know
what a vacuum isY'
81 know" replied the imperturbable
McGuffey. "a vacuum is an empty
hole that amt got nothin' In it."
Correct" said Mr.. Gihney. my
head is q vacuum. Me talkin' about
ginseng root! Why, must have wa
ter on the brainI Ginseng be dog
goned It's opiumi"
Captain Scraggs was forced TO grab
the seat of his chair in order to keep
himself from jumping up and clasp
ing Mr.. Gibney around the neck.
"Forty dollars a pound" he gasped.
"Glb-Gib, my dear boy-you've made
us wealthy"
| Quickly Mr.. Gibney ran the can
opener around the edges of one corner
Of the zinc box, inserted the claws Of
the hammer into the opening, and
with quick, melodramatic twist, bent
back the angle thus formed.
Mr.. Gibney was the first to get a
peep inside.
''Great snakesl" he yelled. and fell
back against the cabin wall. A hoarse
scream of rage and horror broke from
Captain Scraggs. In his eagerness he
had driven his head so deep into the
box that he came within an inch of
kissing what the box contained-which
happened to be nothing more nor less
than dead Chinamanl Mr.. McGuf-
fey, always slow and unimaginative,
shouldered the skipper aside, and
calmly surveyed the CHASTITY appari-
ton
"Twig the yellow beggar, will you,
GLIB" said McGuffey; zone eye half
open for all the world like he was
winkin' at us an enjoyin' tn joke"
Not a muscle twitched In McGuf-
fey's Hibernian countenance. He
scratched his head for moment, as
sort Of first aid to memory, then
turned and handed Mr.. Gibney ten dol
lars.
you win, Glib. It's Oriental goods,
sure enough"
"Robber !" shrieked Captain Scraggs,
and flew at Mr.. Gibney's throat. The
sight reminded McGuffey Of terrier
worrying mastlff. Nevertheless, Mr..
Gibney was still so unnerved at the
discovery of the horrible contents of
the box that, despite his gigantic pro-
portions. he was weIl-nigh helpless.
'McGuffey, you swab," he yelled.
"Pluck this maritime outlaw off my
neck. He's tearin' my windpipe out
by tn toots."
McGuffey choked Captain Scraggs
until he reluctantly let 60 Mr.. Gibney,
whereupon all three fed from the cab
In as from pestilence, and gathered,
an angry and disappointed group, out
on deck.
"opium" jeered Captain Scraggs,
with tears Of rage in his voice. "Gin-
sengl You and your Imagination, you
swine, you'll Get OFF my ship, you lout,
or I'll MURDER you"
Mr.. Gibney hung his head.
"Scraggsy-an' you, too, McGuffey-
got to admit that this here is one on
Adelbert p. Gibney. II"
"Oh, hear him." shrilled Captain
Scraggs. Zone on him It's two ON
you, you bloody-handed ragpicker.
suppose that other case contains
opium. tool If there amt another
dead corpse in No. 2 case I hope my
teeth may drop overheard"
shut up!" beloved Mr.. Gibney, in
towering rsge. "What howl have
you got comilfg They're my China
men, amt they7 I paid for 'em like
man, didn't r. All right, then. I'll
keen them two Cinnamon. You two
amt out a cent vet, an as for this
five wins off you, Scraggs, It's blood
money; that's what 1t is, an 1 hereby
gives 1t back to you. Now, quit yer
whinin', or by the tail o. the Great
Sacred Bull. I'll lock you up all night
y m cabin along O. them two defunct
Celestials."