McGuffey remarked plaintively, after the _Maggie_ had
strained at the hawser for five minutes. Mr. Gibney, standing by
with a hammer in his hand, nodded affirmatively, while the
skipper of the _Chesapeake_, whom Mr. Gibney had had the
forethought to carry out on deck to watch the operation, glanced
apprehensively ashore. Scraggs measured the distance with his eye
to the nearest fringe of surf and it was plain that he was
worried.

"Captain Scraggs," the skipper of the _Chesapeake_ called feebly,
"Mr. Gibney is right. That craft of yours is unable to tow my
ship against this wind. You're losing ground, inch by inch, and
it will be only a matter of an hour or two, if you hang on to me,
before I'll be in the breakers and a total loss. You'll have to
get sail on her or let go the anchor until a tug arrives."

"I don't know a thing about a sailin' ship," Scraggs quavered.

"I know it all," Mr. Gibney cut in, "but there ain't money enough
in the world to induce me to exercise that knowledge to your
profit." He turned to the master of the _Chesapeake_. "For one
hundred dollars each, McGuffey an' I will sail her in for you,
sir."

"I'll not take the risk, Mr. Gibney. Captain Scraggs, if you will
follow my instructions we'll get some sail on the _Chesapeake_.
Take those lines through the leading blocks to the winch----"

The engineer of the _Maggie_ came up on deck and waved his arms
wildly. "Leggo," he bawled. "I've blown out two tubes. It'll be
all I can do to get home without that tow."

"Jump on that, Scraggsy," quoth McGuffey softly and cast his
silken engineer's cap on the deck at Scraggs's feet. The latter's
face was ashen as he turned to the skipper of the _Chesapeake_.
"I'm through," he gulped. "I'll have to cast off. Your ship's
drivin' on to the beach now."

"Oh, say not so, Scraggsy," said Mr. Gibney softly, and with a
blow of the hammer knocked out the stopper on the windlass and
let the anchor go down by the run. "Not this voyage, at least."
The _Chesapeake_ rounded up with a jerk and Mr. Gibney took
Captain Scraggs gently by the arm. "Into the small boat, old
ruin," he whispered, "and I'll row you an' The Squarehead back to
the _Maggie_. If she drifts ashore with that load o' garden
truck, you might as well drown yourself."

Captain Scraggs was beyond words. He suffered himself to be taken
back to the _Maggie_, after which kindly action Mr. Gibney
returned to the _Chesapeake_, climbed aboard, and with