Part 34 (1/2)

Mr. Gibney smiled--an arch, cunning smile. ”We'll give her to that murderin' mate, free gratis.”

Captain Scraggs bounded out of his chair, struck the hot deck with his bare feet, cursed, and hopped back into the chair again.

McGuffey stared incredulously.

”Gib, my _dear_ boy,” quavered Scraggs, ”say that agin.”

”Yes,” continued the commodore placidly, ”we'll just get shet o'

her peaceable like by givin' her to this mate. Don't forget, Scraggsy, old tarpot, that this mate's been pa.s.sin' himself off for you in Honolulu, an' if there's ever an investigation, the trail leads to the _Maggie II_. This mate's admitted being Captain Scraggs, an' if he's found with the schooner in his possession it'll take a heap o' evidence for him to prove that he ain't Captain Scraggs. We'll just keep this here mate in the brig while we're disposing of our black coral, pearl, sh.e.l.l, and copra in Honolulu, an' then, when we've cleaned up, an' got our pa.s.sages booked for San Francisco----”

”But who says we're goin' back to San Francisco?” cut in McGuffey.

”Why, where else would men with money in their pockets head for, you oil-soaked piece of ignorance? Ain't you had enough adventure to do you a spell?” demanded Captain Scraggs. ”Me an' Gib's for goin' back to San Francisco, so shut up. If you got any objection, you're outvoted two to one in the syndicate.”

McGuffey subsided, growling, and Mr. Gibney continued:

”When we're ready to leave Honolulu, we'll bring this mate on deck, make him a kind Christian talk an' give him the _Maggie II_ with the compliments o' the syndicate. He'll think our sufferin's on that island has touched us with religion an' he'll be so tickled he'll keep his mouth shut. Then, with all three of us safe an' out o' the mess, an' the evidence off our hands, we'll clear out for Gawd's country an' look around for some sort of a profitable investment.”

”What you figurin' on, Gib?” demanded Captain Scraggs. ”I hope it's a steamboat. This wild adventure is all right when you get away with it, but I like steamboatin' on the bay an' up the river.”

”Oh, nothin' particular, Scraggsy. We'll just hold the syndicate together an' when somethin' good bobs up we'll smother it. In the meantime, we'll continue our life o' wild adventure.”

”But there ain't no wild adventures around San Francis...o...b..y,”

protested McGuffey.

”That shows your ignorance, Mac. Adventure lurks in every nook an'

slough an' doghole on the bay. You walk along the Embarcadero, only reasonably drunk, an' adventure's liable to hit you a swipe in the face like a loose rope-end bangin' around in a gale. Adventure an'

profits goes hand in hand----”

”Then why give the _Maggie II_ to this hound of a mate?” demanded the single-minded McGuffey.

The commodore sighed. ”She's a love of a boat an' it breaks my heart to give up the only command I've ever had, but the fact is, Mac, her possession by us is dangerous, an' we don't need her, an' we can't sell her because her record's got blurs on it. We can't convey a clean an' satisfactory t.i.tle. Anyhow, she didn't cost us a cent an' there ain't no real financial loss if we give her to this mate. He'd be glad to get her if she had yellow jack aboard, an' if he's caught with her he'll have to do the explainin'. When you're caught with the goods in your possession, Mac, it makes the explainin' all the harder. Besides, we're three to one, an' if it comes to a show-down later we can outswear the mate.”

Captain Scraggs picked his snaggle teeth with the little blade of his jack-knife and cogitated a minute.

”Well,” he announced presently, ”far be it from me to fly in the face o' a felon's death. I've made a heap o' money, follerin'

Gib's advice, an' bust my bob-stay if I don't stay put on this.

Gib, it's your lead.”

”Well, I'll follow suit. Gib's got all the trumps,” acquiesced the engineer. ”We got plenty o' dough an' no board bills comin'

due, so we'll loaf alongsh.o.r.e until Gib digs up somethin' good.”

Mr. Gibney smiled his approval of these sentiments. ”Thank you, boys. I ain't quite sure yet whether we'll quit the sea an' go into the chicken business, build a fast sea-goin' launch an'

smuggle Chinamen in from Mexico, buy a stern-wheel steamer an' do bay an' river freightin', or just live at a swell hotel an'

scheme out a fortune by our wits. But whatever I do, as the leadin' sperrit o' this syndicate, the motto o' the syndicate will ever be my inspiration:

”All for one an' one for all-- United we stand, divided we fall.”