ou two
have come aboard my ship for the puppose o' havin' a little fun
at my expense, I'm a-goin' to call the police an' have you
arrested for disturbin' the peace. On the other hand an' futher,
if your mission's a peaceful one, you're welcome aboard the
_Maggie_. I may have a temper an' say things that sounds mighty
harsh when I'm het up, but in my calmer moments my natural
inclination is to be a sport."

"Scraggsy, old hard-luck," Mr. Gibney boomed, "we won so we can
afford to be generous in victory. Like you, me an' Mac is
inclined to be uppish at times, particularly in the hour of
triumph, an' say an' do things we're apt to be ashamed of later."

"Them's my sentiments," McGuffey chimed in.

"We ain't comin' aboard to beg you for no job," Mr. Gibney
warned. "Git that idea out o' your head--if you got it there. Me
an' Bart each got close to a thousand dollars in bank this minute
an' we're as free an' independent as two hogs walkin' on ice. Any
ol' time we can't stand up we can set down."

Captain Scraggs was frankly mystified. "If you two got a thousand
dollars each in bank--an' I ain't disputin' it, for I hear on good
authority you got that much for salvin' the _Chesapeake_--what're
you hangin' around the _Maggie_ for?"

Mr. Gibney approached and placed his great right arm fraternally
across Scraggs's skinny shoulder. Mr. McGuffey performed a
similar office with his brawny left, and Captain Scraggs looked
apprehensive, like a man who is about to be kissed by another in
public.

"Scraggsy, when all is lovely an' the goose honks high, it's our
great American privilege to fight like bearcats if we feel that
way about it. But when misfortune descends on one of us, like a
topmast in a typhoon, it's time to stop bickerin'. Me an' Bart,
driftin' along the docks for a constitootional this mornin',
bears the sorrerful tidin's that your new navigatin' officer an'
your new engineer has quit. Judgin' from that shanty on your left
eye, at least one of 'em quit under protest. Immediately,
Scraggsy, me an' Mac decided you might hate our innards but just
the same you needed us in your business. Consequently, we're here
to help you if you'll let us an' for not another durned reason in
the world."

"There's four alleeged mechanics down in the engine room loafin'
on the job an' gettin' ready to soak you a dollar an' a half an
hour overtime to-night an' Sunday," McGuffey informed the
skipper. "An' that hurts me. I don't mind