Part 19 (1/2)

For an hour Mr. Gibney sat on the stern bitts and ruminated over a few advantageous plans that had occurred to him for the investment of his share of the deal should Scraggs and McGuffey succeed in landing what Mr. Gibney termed ”the loot.” About eleven o'clock an express wagon drove in on the dock, and the mate's dreams were pleasantly interrupted by a gleeful shout from Captain Scraggs, on the lookout forward with the driver. McGuffey sat on top of the two cases with his legs dangling over the end of the wagon. He was the picture of contentment.

Mr. Gibney hurried forward, threw out the gangplank, and a.s.sisted McGuffey in carrying both crates aboard the _Maggie_ and into her little cabin. Captain Scraggs thereupon dismissed the expressman, and all three partners gathered around the dining-room table, upon which the boxes rested.

”Well, Scraggsy, old pal, old scout, old socks, I see you've delivered the goods,” said Mr. Gibney, batting the skipper across the cabin with an affectionate slap on the shoulder.

”I did,” said Scraggs--and cursed Mr. Gibney's demonstrativeness.

”Here's the bill o' sale all regular. McGuffey has the change.

That bunch o' Israelites run th' price up to $10.00 each on these two crates o' ginseng, but when they see we're determined to have 'em an' ain't interested in nothin' else, they lets 'em go to us.

McGuffey, my _dear_ boy, whatever are you a-doin' there--standin'

around with your teeth in your mouth? Skip down into th' engine room and bring up a hammer an' a col' chisel. We'll open her up an' inspect th' swag.”

Upon McGuffey's return, Mr. Gibney took charge. He drove the chisel under the lid of the nearest crate, and prepared to pry it loose. Suddenly he paused. A thought had occurred to him.

”Gentlemen,” he said (McGuffey nodded his head approvingly), ”this world is full o' sorrers an' disappointments, an' it may well be that these two cases don't contain even so much as a smell o' ginseng after all. It may be that they are really Oriental goods. What I want distinctly understood is this: no matter what's inside, we share equally in the profits, even if they turn out to be losses. That's understood an' agreed to, ain't it?”

Captain Scraggs and McGuffey indicated that it was.

”There's a element o' mystery about these two boxes,” continued Mr. Gibney, ”that fascinates me. They sets my imagination a-workin' an' joggles up all my sportin' instincts. Now, just to make it interestin' an' add a spice t' th' grand openin', I'm willin' to bet again my own best judgment an' lay you even money, Scraggsy, that it ain't ginseng but Oriental goods.”

”I'll go you five dollars, just f'r 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 a mighty effort, Mr. Gibney pried off the lid of the crate. Captain Scraggs had his head inside the box a fifth of a second later.

”Sealed zinc box inside,” he announced. ”Get a can opener, Gib, my boy.”

”Ginseng, for a thousand,” mourned Mr. Gibney. ”Scraggsy, you're five dollars of my money to the good. Ginseng always comes packed in air-tight boxes.”

He produced a can opener from the cabin locker and fell to his work on a corner of the hermetically 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 is?”

”I know,” replied the imperturbable McGuffey. ”A vacuum is an empty hole that ain't got nothin' in it.”

”Correct,” said Mr. Gibney. ”My head is a vacuum. Me talkin'

about ginseng root! Why, I must have water on the brain! Ginseng be doggoned! _It's opium!_”

Captain Scraggs was forced to grab the seat of his chair in order to keep himself from jumping up and clasping Mr. Gibney around the neck.

”Forty dollars a pound,” he gasped. ”Gib--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 a quick, melodramatic twist, bent back the angle thus formed.

Mr. Gibney was the first to get a peep inside.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”'_Great snakes,' he yelled--and fell back against the cabin wall_”]

”Great snakes!” he yelled, and fell back against the cabin wall.

A hoa.r.s.e 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 a dead Chinaman! Mr.

McGuffey, always slow and unimaginative, shouldered the skipper aside, and calmly surveyed the ghastly apparition.