is
general manager--Mr. Olson, full speed ahead or you'll smash our stern
against this barkentine. Steady! That's better. Astern a trifle. Steady!
Mike, how've you been since I saw you last?"

CHAPTER XXXV. A DIRTY YANKEE TRICK

"Skinner," said Cappy Ricks, "I was called out of my bed at five o'clock
this morning by the night operator at the Merchants' Exchange. He told
me our Retriever was in the breakers just south of Point Reyes, but that
a tug was standing by. What have you heard since?"

"She drifted in there in a calm last night, sir," Mr. Skinner replied.
"Fortunately the Point Reyes lookout had reported her early yesterday
evening, and one of the Red Stack tugs--the Sea Fox--took a chance and
went out seeking. Lucky thing for us--"

"The tug hauled her off then?"

"Got a line aboard just in time. I had a telephone message from Captain
Murphy at Meiggs Wharf ten minutes ago. The Retriever is anchored in the
fairway."

"What tug did you say it was?" Cappy queried.

"The Sea Fox."

"That's Matt Peasley's command," Cappy mused. "Lucky? I should say we
are! It's up to the master of the tug very frequently whether, under
such conditions, his task has been a mere towage job at the going rates
or a salvage proposition to be settled in court. I dare say Matt will
give us the benefit of the doubt and call it towage."

"Don't deceive yourself!" Skinner snapped. "It's salvage; Murphy said
so. After he got close in Peasley refused to name a price and came
aboard and made Murphy sign a paper acknowledging that his ship was in
distress and dire peril, before he would even put a line aboard him--"

"Wow! Wow! The tugboat company will libel the ship now, and sue us for
fifty thousand dollars' salvage on vessel and cargo," and Cappy groaned,
for he owned both. "By George!" he continued. "I didn't think Matt would
do anything like that to me. No, sir! If anybody had told me that boy
could be such an ingrate I'd have told him--"

A youth entered Cappy's office uninvited.

"Captain Peasley to see you, sir," he said.

"Show the infernal fellow in," rasped Cappy, and Matt Peasley stalked
into the room.

"I should like to see you privately, Mr. Ricks," he announced, and cast
a significant glance at Skinner, who took the hint and left the room at
once.

Matt sat down. "Well," he said, "I guess the tug Sea Fox and owners,
together with her doughty skipper and crew, will finger some of your
hard-earned dollars be