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