ving her old bones from
vandal hands, Captain Scraggs, sobbing audibly, scattered the
contents of half a dozen cans of kerosene over her decks and in
the cabin, lighted fires in three different sections of the
wreck, and left her to the consuming flames. Half an hour later
he stood on the battered decks of the gunboat beside Gibney and
McGuffey and watched the dense clouds of smoke that heralded the
passing of the _Maggie_.

"She was a good old hulk," said Mr. Gibney. "And now, as the
special envoy of the Liberal army of Mexico, here's a draft on
Los Angeles for five thousand bucks, Scraggsy, which constitutes
the balance due you on this here filibuster trip. Of course, I
needn't remind you, Scraggsy, that you'd never have earned this
money if it hadn't been for Adelbert P. Gibney workin' his
imagination overtime. I've made you a chunk of money, and while I
couldn't save your ship, I did save your life. As a reward for
all this, I don't claim one cent of the money due you, as I could
if I wanted to be rotten mean. I'm goin' to keep this fine little
power schooner for my share of the loot. She's nicked up some,
but that only bears evidence to what a bully good shot I am, and
it won't take much to fix her up all shipshape again. Usin' high
bursts shrapnel ain't very destructive. All them bumps an'
scratches can be planed down. But we'll have to do some mendin'
on her canvas--I'll tell the world. She's called the _Reina
Maria_, but I'm going to run her to Panama and change her name.
She'll be known as _Maggie II_, out of respect for the old girl
that's burnin' up there on the beach."

Captain Scraggs was so touched at this delicate little tribute
that he turned away and burst into tears.

"Aw, shut up, Scraggsy, old hunks," said McGuffey consolingly.
"You ain't got nothin' to cry about. You're a rich man. Look at
me. I ain't a-bawlin', am I? And I don't get so much as a bean
out of this mix-up, all on account of me bein' tied up with a lot
of hounds that quits fightin' before they're half licked."

"That's so," said Captain Scraggs, wiping his eyes with his grimy
fists. "I declare you're out in the cold, McGuffey, and it ain't
right. Gib, my boy, us three has had some stirrin' times together
and we've had our differences, but I ain't a-goin' to think of
them past griefs. The sight o' you, single-handed, meetin' and
annihilatin' the pride of the Mexican navy, calm in th' moment o'
despair, generous in victory and del