FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76  
77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   >>   >|  
and, Mr. Gibney?" the master of the _Chesapeake_ queried. "There's an excuse for one, sir. The little vegetable freighter _Maggie_. She'll never be able to tow you in, because she ain't got power enough, an' if she had power enough she ain't got coal enough. Besides, Scraggs, her owner, is a rotten bad article an' before he'll put a rope aboard you he'll tie you up on a contract for a figger that'd make an angel weep. The way your ship lies an' everything, me an' McGuffey can sail her in for you at half the price." "I can't risk my ship in the hands of two men," the sick captain answered. "She's too valuable and so is her cargo. If this little steamer will tow me in I'll gladly give her my towline and let the court settle the bill." "Not by a million," Mr. Gibney protested. "Beg pardon, sir, but you don't know this here Scraggs like I do. I couldn't think of lettin' him set foot on this deck." "_You_ couldn't think of it? Well, when did _you_ take command of _my_ ship?" "You're flotsam an' jetsam, sir, an' practically in the breakers. You're sick, an', for all I know, delirious, so for the sake o' protectin' you, the sick seaman in the fo'castle an' the owners, I'm takin' command." The master of the _Chesapeake_ reached under his pillow and produced a pistol. "Out of my cabin or I'll riddle you," he barked feebly. Mr. Gibney departed without a word of protest and proceeded to make his arrangements, regardless of the master's consent. As he and McGuffey busied themselves, laying the leading blocks along the deck, they glanced toward the _Maggie_ and observed Captain Scraggs hurling crates of vegetables overboard in an effort to get at the small boat quickly. "He'll die when the freight claims come in," Mr. McGuffey chortled. "Poor ol' Scraggsy!" "How're we goin' to git that durned anchor up, Gib?" "We ain't goin' to get it up. We're goin' to knock out a shackle in the chain an' let her go to glory." "Anchors is expensive, Gib. Mebbe they'll deduct the price o' that anchor from our salvage." "By Jupiter, you're talkin', Mac. We'll just save that anchor, come to think of it." "How?" "Just let Scraggsy an' The Squarehead come aboard an' put the ship's towin' cable aboard the _Maggie_. The _Maggie'll_ just about be able to hold her while us four up with the anchor--_an' cockbill_ it agin!" "They got the skiff overside," McGuffey warned. "Throw over the Jacob's ladder and help 'em aboard
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76  
77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

McGuffey

 

anchor

 
Maggie
 

aboard

 

Scraggs

 

Gibney

 

master

 

command

 

couldn

 
Chesapeake

Scraggsy

 
claims
 
quickly
 
arrangements
 
freight
 

protest

 

departed

 

feebly

 

chortled

 

queried


proceeded

 

consent

 

observed

 

Captain

 

laying

 

blocks

 

leading

 

glanced

 
busied
 

hurling


effort

 

overboard

 

crates

 

vegetables

 
shackle
 
cockbill
 

Squarehead

 
ladder
 
overside
 

warned


barked
 
durned
 

Anchors

 

expensive

 

Jupiter

 

talkin

 

salvage

 

deduct

 

castle

 

vegetable