Show buthot 4 of the cp 4 IE EM T g vota PEA L fw WEBSTER M MAN AN ss MANS THE VALLEY Us of the 1 aasa GIANTS S etc by y PTER PETER B KYNE copyright by pl B kyn KY HICKS AND FLAHERTY ON VEN f DENT BENT synopsis captain rhin as r P 11 hag a grown up around the docks of san francisco Pran cisco and from rne mesa boy on a river jett mr rlyn I 1 n t to Q the he ownership ot of the etaamer 1 maggie r g 0 since on e e each annual in promised to b be e the latt last of tho the old vessel veel naturally hai a a born so me difficulty in securing a crew when hen trie the story opens open adelbert 11 gibney likable but erratic a mart man whom nobody but ut be re ggs would lit hire re I 1 IR a the kipper i mell ells halvorsen a a colemn olem 11 swede conati utes the forestalls hands hand aal part buffey a wastrel of the gibney type signs relent in the engine room with this motley crew and his ancient vonel captain Is engaged in freighting garden truck from Itai haksoon moon hay bay to ban francisco the inevitable happens hn ripen the maggie going ashore in a tog fog A lk passing vessel hailing balling the wreck mr hir gibney gets geta word to a towing company om fany in elan ban that the uhle ashore la is t the yankee 11 rince with promise of 0 a rich salvage CHAPTER ill continued 3 do linsun gibney thull libin dered then in fit tila ills natural vote if to scruggs all set scruggs esy s were ready to lo be 10 pulled orf off get Gc down tilon j I 1 in ibe engine room and stand by fur for full speed when lion I 1 give tile word 4 quick 1 1 eit treated 1 ns as lie disappeared through the little 1 engine room hatch lint cli for the lie tide ans now nt at tile tip of the flood anti tile t haq wickedly oly and driving further up the beach mr cloney gib turned ills stovepipe seaward and 01 shouted tugboats Tug bonta boats thoyl 4 aldoy 1 they answered in unison V j all rendyl letter ieter BO go O O OI ol the stationed himself nt at the blits with it n lantern and mr gibney hastened linsten ed to the alie pilot house an and d took Ms his place nt at the lie wheel when the linw how fers commenced to lift out 01 0 tile alie sen the gave a warning 1 io 1 whereupon M mr gibney called the en w glue room give tier lier the gun lie scruggs aull against them tugs tor for nil all youre worth ke ite member this Is the steamer yankee brince wo we must not fiot como oft off too II 11 readily rc nully C aptakin scruggs opened the lie throttle and while the two IHO tugs steadily steu dlly drew tier her oft off into jeep deep water tile maggie fought valiantly to stick to the beach find even to continue tier interrupted journey overlund overland site she merely succeeded in stretching iorli linw sers taut slowly she was drawn draft n seaward r first and rt nt the expiration of fifteen minutes steady pulling mr gibney could restrain himself no longer t lie ile rang for full speed astern as ternand and got it promptly then calling nells neils halvorsen v arsen to aid him lie abandoned the wheel and scrambled aft B with no one at the wheel the martie margle JJ shot off on nt at a tangent find tile haw sers slacked in the twinkling of an eye mr gibney hall cast them on anti ns n the alio ends disappeared with a swish over the stern lie he ran azz 5 mr gibney turned ills ilia stovepipe sea it ward and d shouted tugboat thoyl G back to the pilot house rang for or full speed Fp eed ahead thead i put his helm hard over ind and headed lie adeil the maggle maggie in the lie general di direction reAlon of china although as a mat ter of fact he car ednot what lir ploll lie he pursued provided lie ho got away from froin the bench beach and placed dist distance price between betwee ll the maggle maggie and two soon to lu be burlous tugboat skippers CHAPTER IV thi crows of tile aphrodite and the bodega slept late for they were i weary and fortunately no calls for a tug calao caino into tho the of the lied stack company all morning mornin about 1 ten dan dicks and jack pla fla herty breakfasted und about ten thir ty ly both met in the onico apparently they were two souls with lit lilt a single thought for the right land of each bought the tc shelf whereon reposed the blue volume quote entitled lloyds register dan hicks reached it first car ried it to tile the counter wet his bis tarry index finger find anil started turning the pliers in a vain search for the american steamer yankee prince Irl nce presently lie looked up at jack flaherty flaherty lie bald fould 1 I 1 think youre it a liar the hie same mime to you iou and many of them flaherty replied not a ot n bit abashed you said she was an eight thousand ton lon trump tramp 1 I never never went so far as to toy say id been aboard tier on trial trip though and did cut down her torin tonnage fige show in I 1 got the fragments of a con r science clence left kicks hicks defended himself ile he closed the lie look book with n sigh and placed it back on the shelf just as the door opened to admit no lesi personage than bartholomew mcguffey fey late thief engineer first assistant ant sc orid assistant third assistant wiper water tender and stoker of tile the S S maggie with a brief nod to jack flaherty rifi Pla herty mr McGurf mcdurfey ey approached pro pron ached clied dart dan ticks 1 I been bookin lookin for you vou captain lie announced sav I 1 licar hear the lie chief 0 the Aph coln to take a three months layol Tto get shet or of its his own mallm Is that straight 1 I believe it 1 Is mcguffee McGuff ev well say id kllc to have a chance to for him you know my capabilities hicks tin an if it would be agreeable to you to have roe me for your chief your recommendation would go ge il I 1 lone olig W avay ny toward landin me the job id sure make them engines behave 11 what vessel have you ou been on lately ilicich demanded cautiously for lie he knew mr rep reputation u lotion for non reliability around pay lay day 1 I been with that freshwater scavenger in the maggle for roost most a year scar did you jou quit or did scruggs ore fire you 7 lie ho fired tile me MeG mccluney Mc fluney fiffey replied holl estly it if lie he id have nult so its a tossup toss up chinin in from half moon hay bay last night we got in ill the tog fog nil an tilled piled vp up on the beach ju below the cliff CHIT bouse P this Is interesting intoci jack flaherty ria berty murmured you say she walked ashore on you Me mcgintey Guffey well IT ill be shot it site she did scruggs blamed it on me flaherty ria horty lie ile sold said I 1 obey ole signals front from file ho bridge one word led to another nil an lie went dancin mad an ordered me off ills his ship well its ills ship or it was ills his ship for V I 1 bet it dollar sites ground to powder by now so nil I 1 could do was obey I 1 hopped overboard nn nil waded ashore I 1 suppose all my clothes tin an things Is gone by now I 1 left everything ever tiling aboard an all had to borrow this outfit front from scab johnny lie ile grinned pathetical pathetic aN ly ll so I 1 guess you iou understand cup tain alicks just liow low bad I 1 need that jot job I 1 spoke about a minute riko ago ill think it dyer over sine mac an let you know alicks replied evasively sir mr mccuffey sensing tits his defeat retired to tilde hide ills embarrassment rassi ras nent and distress as the door closed behind him anti and flaherty face fonceil each other kotlier jack dan dail hicks enn two men hohlen down two hundred douar jobs nil an presumed to have been out a 0 their sw swaddling addlin clothes for at least thirty years afford to be laughed or off the lie son sat francisco water front 1 I know one of them that cant dan at the lie same saine will time can an a rat like Ihl 11 scruggs null a beachcomber like ills his mate gibney mako make a pair of star inon monkeys keys out of said two towboat tow boat men find and get away with it I 1 They did that tha t last night still ive known that would light fight an was human enough to settle a grudge billow me jack together they repaired to jackson street bulkhead sure enough there lay the maggie haggle rubbing tier her blistered sides against the bulkhead captain scruggs was nowhere in sight but mr gibney wits was at tho the winch swinging ashore the crates of vegetables which the anti and three longshoremen loaded into the cargo net 1 were outnumbered jack flaherty whispered lets walt wait until ashes unloaded an gibney alb ney an are aboard alone they retired without having nt at V acted tile the attention of mr gibney promptly at twelve the longshoremen sh knocked off work for the lunch hour find and nells neils halvorsen drift drifted ell across tile the street to in cool tits his parched throat with abeam beer while walting for to come up lip out of tie engine room and take him to luncheon mr gibney sauntered ervil aft and was wan standing gating upon n spot on the Ma haggles Mag gies ggles stern ft where hero the lie hawkers hawsers had chafed chafee away tile the paint when suddenly tits fore of evil eul returned to him a thousand fold stronger than they had been since return to the little ship lie ile glanced up tip and beheld gazing down upon him captains jack flaherty and daniel battle was imminent and the valiant gibney knew it wherefore he determined instantly to meet it like a roan nian Il howdy illoway men he saluted them glad to have bave you jou aboard the yacht acht aud and he stepped backward to give himself fighting room Il heres gilleres leres where we collect the towage bill on the lie S 8 yankee prince dnn dan libeks informed him and leaped from the lie bulkhead straight town down ut ill mr gibney jack flaherty fol followed lowed sir mr welcomed captain nicks hicks with a terrific right swing which missed before ho he could guard dun dan kicks hicks had left and right where they would to do the most nood good find air gibney went into a clinch to save further punishment sy lie he bowled bawled sy y y y I 1 murder I 1 its hicks tin und I 1 bring an a ax I 1 ile ho flung dnn dan hicks at jack flaherty na its they collided lie he rustled rushed in and dealt each of them a n powerful poke however hicks and flaherty were sizeable persons persona and while they were no match for tile tremendous gibney i scraggly gay sy he bawled scraggly gay y Y I 1 helal murder its lt hicks and fla bertyl bring an abill nevertheless what they lacked in id horsepower they bialle na de up tip in pugnacity and the suit salt sen sea seldom bre breeds e d S a craven captain scruggs thrust a n frightened frighten ej face up through the engine room hatch but nt fit sight ot of the battle royal taking place on the deck aft ills his blood turned to water and he thought only of escape to climb up to in the bulk bulkhead hend without being seen was impossible however how eur so not knowing 0 nying what el else 8 e to do he stood on the he iron ladder and gazed popeyed pop eyed with horror at the unequal contest backward and forward the tide of battle surged for nearly three minutes nil saw was w as tin an indis hindls tangle or of legs and arms then alien suddenly the combatants disengaged themselves and scruggs belfeld sir mr gibney prone upon the deck with a n gory face upturned to the foggy skies when lie he essayed to rise and continue the contest conty st flaherty ria herty kicked him film in the ribs and cursed him so mr albney realizing that lint all was ovee oer beat the leek deck with ills land hand in token of surrender hicks and flaherty malted until th ill fallen gladiator hall had reco recovered vired sufficient jent breath to sit up then they pounced upon him lifted hlin him to lo the rail and dropped him overboard captain scruggs shrieked in fit protest at this added touch of barbarity rind dan hicks turning beheld b eld sis white face at the hatch youre next he called cheerfully and turned to peer over tile the rail mr air had emerged on oil the surface and was swimming slowly away toward tin nn adjacent lout float where small boats loaded landed lie ile climbed wearily up on oil the float and sat there here gazing across nt at hicks and flaherty without an animus hilus for to his way of thinking he had gotten oft off lightly con sI dering the enormity of ills his offense on ense the least lie had anticipated uni three months moi illig in hospital and so grateful was lie he to hicks and for their forbearance that tant lie strangled a resolve to lay for hicks find and flaherty and thrash them individually something lie was fully able to do ao find forgot ills his relies aches and pains in a lively interest as to the fate of captain caplain scruggs nt fit tile the finds of 0 the towboat men lie ife was aware that captain had failed ignominiously to rally to the gibney appeal to repel boarders and in his own expressive terminology lie hoped that what the enemy would to do to the lie dastard would be plenty aplenty a 11 the enemy meanwhile had turned tasir attention upon scruggs who hall had lodged below like a frightened rabbit and sought shelter in the shaft alley ho had bild sufficient sum clent presence of mind as he dashed through gli the room roonie to snatch a large monkey wrench off the tool rack on n tile the wall ani kneeling just inside tile the alloy alley entrance he turned at bay and threatened the in with his weapon thereupon hicks ani flaherty pelted belted him with lamps of coal but the sole ole result of this assault was waa to force scruggs further back into tle the shaft alley anti and out of 0 range tile the toi towboat boat oat men held a council of aarond war and decided to drown scruggs out dnn dail hicks ran up on deck nil and re 1 dragging the decu deck ire fire liose hose be 1 lelnd 1111 1 him lie thrust the brass nozzle into the alley entrance and in liml scruggs to surrender un unconditionally condl tio nally or be drowned browned like a kitten scruggs knowing ills his own ire fire hose defied thein so BO dan dail alicks started stalled the pump while Fla fluherty lirty turned on the lie water a ter instantly the liose hose burst up tip on leek deck unit and jeers of triumph filled tile the engine room the enemy vas about to draw drav lots to see hw which one of the hie two should crawl int into 0 the blindt alley and throw a cupful of chloride of time lime for they found a can of this ills it in the engine glue room in captain face when ft a shadow darkened UK lie hatch and mr air bartholom ew IWO mccuffey it vy demanded belligerently goin on town dovin there who the evils devils taken liberties in my en gin pine room dan hicks explained the situation and lie just cause for or drastic action which they held against tile the fugitive in the shaft alley mr mccuff ey considered a few moments and made ills decision sion ir if what hat you say Is true an I 1 aint in position to dispute you not linvin been present when you hauled the lie madgic oft off the beach I 1 dont blame you rot for feeling sore do name you for though Is car caroln the war aboard the hie maggle maggie if you wanted to whole whale gib tin an should hot ha aid for eni em on oil the 06 dock under the circumstances you make this ills a per affair an as a member 0 W tile the crew 0 Y the maggie I 1 got to take a 11 hand and a an it defend my skipper fight agin youse two fact Is gentlemen I 1 got a date to liesl him first for what lie he lone done to me ine last night a private grouch the fact reni remains blint you two jumped my pot pal bert berf gibney an licked him so methin scandalous ill take you on first come up out of there you swab and right fla fin herty you ou stay below until I 1 send for louif you if you try to climb up tip an horn in on my light fight with hicks Gibney ll brain you A faint cheer came from the short shaft alley good old mae mac at n boyl boy I 1 youre on mcguffy McGuff ev nobody ever had to beg me to fight i him dan hicks replied cordially find and climbed to the deck to his great surprise mr mcguffey winked at lalni and drew him off to the |