The Oklahoma Miner (Krebs, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 52, Ed. 1, Thursday, January 26, 1922 Page: 2 of 4
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THE OKLAHOMA MINER
QThe
Qreen Pea
Pirates
Dy PETER B. KYNE
Author of
"Webster -Man's Man"
"The Valley of the
Giants" Etc.
Copyright by Peter D. Ky
RE-ENTER McGUFFEY.
Synopsis. Captain 1'hlncas P.
Scraggs has gtown up around tho
docks of'San Kranclsco and fiom
mess boy on a river steamer risen
to tho ownership f the steamer
Mngglo. Since cucli iiiiiiuiil In-
spection promised to bo tlio last of
tho old wenthorbeaton vossol.
Scraggs naturally lias some dllll-
culty In securing a crow. Whon
tho story opens Adelbert P. Olb-
noy likable but erratic a man
whom nobody but Scraggs would
hlro ia tho skipper NoIIh Halvor-
hoii a solemn Swodo constitutes
tho forecastle hands and Hart Mc-
Guffey a wastrel of tho Glbnoy
typo reigns In tho engino room.
With this motloy crow and his un-
dent vessel Captain Scraggs Is
engaged In freighting garden
truck from Ilalfmoon bay to San
Francisco. Tho Inevitable happens;
tho Mngglo goes nahoro In a fog.
A passing vessel hailing the wreck
Mr. Glbnoy gets word to a towing
company In San Francisco that the
ship ashoro Is tho Yankee Prince
with promlBo of a rich salvage.
Two tugs succeed In pulling tho
Maggie Into deep water and sho
Blips her tow lines und gets away
In tho fog. Furious at tho decep-
tion pi act Iced on thorn Captains
I licks and Flahorty. commanding
tho two tugboats ascortaln tho
Identity of tho "Yankee Prince"
and fearing ridicule should tho
facts become known along tho wa-
ter front determine on personal
vengeanco. Tholr hostile visit to
tho Maggie results In Captain
Scruggs promising to got a now
boiler and mako needed repairs to
tho steamer. Scraggs refuses to
fulfill his promises and Glbnoy and
McGuffoy "strike." With marvel-
ous luck Scraggs ships a fresh
crow. At tho end of a few days
of wild conviviality Glbnoy and
McGuffoy are stranded nnd seek
their old positions on tho Magglo.
They are hosttlely received but re-
main. On tholr way to San Fran-
cisco they sight a derelict and Glb-
noy and McGuffoy swim to It. Tho
derelict proves to bo tho Chosa-
peako richly laden Its entire crow
stricken with scurvy- Scraggs at-
tempts to tow her In but the Mag-
glo is unequal to tho task and Gib-
ney and McGuffoy alono sail tho
ship to San Francisco tholr sal-
vago money amounting to $1000
apleco. His crow having deserted
him Captain Scraggs induces them
to rotum. At an "old horbo" ealo
tho thret purchaso two mysterious
boxes which they bellove to con-
tain smugglod "Oriental goods."
Thoy llnd Instead two dead Chl-
namon. Scraggs Becks to "doublo
cross" his two associates but Mr.
Glbney outwits him and makes a
satisfactory ilnanctal settlement
with tho Chinese company to
whom tho bodies havo beon con-
signed leaving Scraggs out In tho
cold. Glbnoy resonts McGuffoy's
action In lending money to Scraggs
without consulting him and aftor
a terrific wordy combat tho throe
separato McGuffoy becoming as-
sistant engineer on an oil tanker
Glbnoy disappearing and Scrnggs
forced to lay up tho Maggie takes
a subordinate position on a ferry
steamer. Senor Lopoz Mexican
revolutionist makos Scraggs a gen-
erous offor for transportation of
munitions to Lower California.
Scrnggs accepts and tho old Mag-
glo Is onco inoro put Into commis-
sion. Arrlvlni; at his destination
Scraggs finds his old companion
Mr. Glbnoy Is tho coiulgnoo. Tlmo
having softened antmosltlos tho re-
union Is Joyful. Glbnoy plans to
steal tho ammunition and convoy
it to revolutionists In Colombia. On
tho way they are attacked by a
Mexican gunboat and u terrific
combat ensues.
CHAPTER IX Continued.
10
As tho first muzzle burst raked the
Mexican Captain Scraggs saw that
most of the terrible blast of lead had
gone too high. Nevertheless It was
effective for to n man the crews of
the one-pounders deserted their posts
nnd tumbled below; seeing which the
Individual In command lost his nerve.
He was satisfied now that the Infernal
Mangle purposed ramming 1dm ; he had
marveled that the filibuster should
use shrapnel after she had ranged
with shell (ho did not know it was
percussion shrapnel) and In sudden
panic he decided that the Maggie mor-
tally wounded purposed getting close
enough to sink him with shell-flro if
she fnlled to ram him ; whereupon the
yellow streak came through nnd he
waved his nrms frantically nbove his
hend In token of surrendor.
"She's hauled down her rng"
shrieked Scraggs. "no merciful Qlb.
There's men dyln' on that boat."
"Lay alongside that qrnft" Mr. Glb-
noy shouted to the helmsman. Tho
schooner had hove to nnd when the
Maggie nlso hove to some thirty yarda
to windward of her Mr. Glbney In-
formed the Mejclcan In atrocious Span-
lull wOU mixed with English that If
the lnttor so much as lifted his JIttIc
finger ho might expect to ho mink like
a dog. "Down below everybody but
the helmsman or I'll sweep your
decks with another muzzle burst" he
thundered.
Tho Mexican obeyed nnd Captain
Scraggs went up In the pilot house and
laid the terribly battered Maggie
alongside tho schooner. The Instant
sho touched Mr. Glbnoy sprang
aboard quickly followed by Captain
Scraggs who hail relinquished tho
helm to his first mate.
Suddenly Captain Scraggs shouted
"Look Olb for tho lovo of tho Lord
look I" and pointed with his finger. At
the head of the little Iron-railed companion-way
leading down Into the on-
Kino room a man was standing. He
had a monkey wrench In one hand and
n greasy rng In the other.
Mr. Glbney turned and looked at the
man.
"McGufToy for n thousand I" he bel-
lowed nut) ran forward with out-
stretched hand. Captain Scraggs was
at Gibnoy's heels and between them
they came very nearly dislocating Bar-
tholomew McGuffey's arm.
"McGuffoy my dear boy" said Cap-
tain Scraggs. "Whatever nre you
a-doln' on this henthen bnttleshlp?"
"Me!" ejaculated Mr. McGuffoy with
his old-tlmo deliberation. "Why I'm
the chief engineer of this crnft. I had
a good Job too hut I guess It's all off
now and the Mexican governmcnt'U
fire me. Say who chucked that buck-
shot down Into my engine room?"
"Admiral Glbney did It" said
Scraggs. "Tho old Maggie's along-
side and me and Gib's filibusters. Bear
a hand Mac and help us clap the
hatches on our prisoners."
"Thank God" said Mr. Glbney pious-
ly "I didn't kill you. Come to look
Into the matter I didn't kill anybody
though 1 see hnlf a dozen Mexlcnns
nrotind decks more or less cut up.
Where you been nil these years Mnc?"
"I been chief engineer In the Mexi-
can navy" replied McGuffoy. "Have
you captured us in the nnme of the
United States or what?"
"We've captured you In the name of
Adelbert P. Glbney" wns the reply. "I
been huntin' nil my life for n ship of
my own and now I've got her. Lord
Mac she's a benuty nln't she? All
hardwood finish teak rail well found
and Just the ticket for the Island
trade. Well well well 1 I'm Captain
Glbney at last."
"Where do I come In Gib?" asked
Captain Scraggs modestly.
"Well seeln' as the Magglo has two
holes through her hull below the wa-
terllne and Is generally nicked to
pieces you might quit askln' questions
nnd get bnck aboard nnd put the
pumps on her. You're lucky if she
don't sink on jou before we get to Des-
canso bay. If she sinks don't worry.
I'll give you a job as my first mate.
Mac you're my engineer but not at - o
fancy Mexican price. I'll pay you the
union scale and not n blnstcd cent
more or less. Is that fair?"
McGuffoy said it was nnd went be-
low to tune up his engine. Mr. Glbney
took the wheel of the gunbont nnd
sent Captain Scrnggs back aboard the
Maggie and in a few minutes both
vessels were bowling nlong townrd
Descnnso buy. They were off the bny
nt midnight and while with Mr. Glb-
ney in command of tho federal gun-
bont Cnptnln Scraggs had nothing to
fear the rapid rlso of water In tho
hold of tho Magglo was sadly discon-
certing. About daylight ho mnde up
his mind that she would sink within
two hours nnd without pnuslng to
whino over his predlcnment he
promptly benched Vr. She drove fnr
up tho beach vm the slack water
breaking around her m arred stern nnd
when the tide ebbed she lay high nnd
dry. And tho rebel soldiers came
trooping down from tho Megano
ranclio and falling upon her carcass
like so many ants quickly distributed
her cargo amongst them and dlsup-
penred.
Cnptnln Scrnggs sent his crew out
aboard tho enpturod gunboat to assist
Mr. Glbney in rowing his prisoners
ashore and when finally he stood
alone beside the wreck of tho brave
old Maggie piled up at last In tho port
of missing ships something snapped
within his breast and tho big tears
rolled In quick succession down his
sun-tanned checks. Tho old hulk
looked peculiarly pathetic as she lay
there listed over on her beam ends.
Sho had served him well but she had
finished her Inst voyage and with some
vague Idea of saving her old bones
from vandal hands Captain Scrnggs
sobbing audibly scattered the contents
of half a dozen cans of kerosene over
her decks nnd in tho cnbln lighted
fires In three different sections of the
wreck nnd left 'her to tho consuming
flames. Hnlf an hour later ho stood
on the battered decks of tho gunboat
beside Glbney nnd McGuffoy and
watched the donso clomla of smoke
that heralded the passing of tho Mag-
gie. "Sho wns a good old hulk" said
Mr. Glbney. "And now ns tho spe-
cial envoy of tho Liberal army of Mex-
ico here's a draft on Los Angeles for
flvo thousand bucks Scrnggsy which
constitutes the balanco duo you on
this hero filibuster trip. Of course
I needn't remind you Scraggsy that
you'd never have earned tills money If
it hadn't been for Adelbert I'. Glbney
workln' his Imagination overtime.
I've made you n chunk of money and
while 1 couldn't save your ship I did
save your life. As a reward for all
this I don't claim one cent of tho
money duo you as I could If I wanted
to bo rotten mean. I'm goln' to keep
this fine little power schooner for my
share of the loot. She's nicked up
some but that only hears evidence to
what a bully good shot 1 am und It
won't tnke much to fix her up nil ship-
shape again. Usln' high bursts
shrapnel ain't very destructive. All
them bumps an' scratches can be
planed down. But we'll hnve to do
some mendln' on her canvas I'll tell
the world. She's called the Itelna
Maria but I'm going to run her to
Panama and change her name. She'll
be known ns Magglo II out of re-
spect for the old girl Hint's burnln'
up there on the bead.
"Aw shut up Scrnggsy old hunks"
snld McGuffoy consolingly. "You
nln't got nothln' to cry about. You're
a rich man. Look at me. I ain't
n-bnwlln' am I? And I don't get so
much as a bean out of this mlx-up
nil on account of me beln' tied up
with n lot of hounds that quits fight-
In' before they're half licked."
"That's so" said Cnptnln Scrnggs
wiping his eyes with his grimy fists.
"I declare you're out In the cold Mc-
Guffey und it nln't right. Gib my
boy us three lias had some stlrrln'
times together and we've hod our dlf-
"She'll Be Known as Maggie II Out
of Respect for the Old Girl That's
Burnln' Up There on tho Beach."
ferences but 1 nln't n-goln' to think
of them past griefs. The sight o' you
single-handed meetln and annlhllatln'
the pride of the Mexican navy cnlm
In tli moment o' despair generous in
victory nnd dellcnte us blnzes to n
fallen shipmate goln' to work an'
namln your vessel after him that way.
Is soniethln that wipes away all sor-
rer and welds a friendship that's
bound to endoor till death us do part.
If McGuffoy'd been on our side we
know from pnst performances that
he'd a fit like a tiger wouldn't you
Mnc?" (Hero Mr. McGuffey coughed
slightly . j much ns to sny that he
would have fought like ten tigers had
ho only been given the opportunity.)
Captain Scraggs continued : "I should
say that a fair vnluatlon of this
schooner ns she stands Is ten thousand
dollnrs. That belongs to Gib. Now
I'm willln to chuck five thousand dol-
lnrs Into the denl we'll form n close
corporation nnd ns n compliment to
McGuffey elect him chief engineer in
Ids own ship nnd give him say n
qunrter Interest In our layout as a
little testimonial to an old friend tried
nnd true."
"Scrnggsy" said Mr. Glbnoy "your
fin. We've fought but we'll lot that
go. We wipe tho slate clean nnd start
In all. over again on tho Maggie II
and I'm free to state without fear of
contradiction that in tho Inst embrog-
Ho you showed up like four nces and
n king with the entire compnny stnnd-
in" pnt. Scraggsy you're a hero nnd
what you propose proves that you're
considerable of n singed cat bettor'n
you look. We'll go freebootln' down
on tho Gold const. There's wnr red
war brenkln' loose down there and
wo'U shy In our horseshoe with the
strongest side and pry loose a fortune
somewhere. I'm for n life of wild ad-
venture nnd now that we've got the
ship nnd the funds nnd the crew let's
go to It. There's a denl of fino liquor
In tho wardroom and I suggest that
wo nomlnato Phlnens Scrnggs Into
mnster of tho battleship Mngglo now
second In command of tho Maggio II
to brew a kettlo o' hot grog to cele-
brate our victory. Mac Scraggsy
your tius. I'm proud of you both.
Shake."
They shook and as Captain Gibney's
eye wandered nloft First Mate Scraggs
and Chief Engineer McGuffey looked
up also. From the main topmast of
tho Mngglo II floated n long blue
burgoo with white lettering on It und
as It whipped out Into the breeze the
old familiar name stood out against
the noonday sun.
"Good old dishcloth 1" murmured Mr.
Glbney. "She 'never comes down."
"The Maggie forever I" shrieked
Scraggs.
"Hooray 1'' bellowed McGuffey. "An'
now Scraggsy. If you've got all the
enthusiasm out of your blood kick In
with a hundred an' fifty dollars an'
Interest to date. An' don't tell me that
note's outlawed or I'll feed you to the
fishes."
Captain Scraggs looked crestfallen
but produced the money.
CHAPTER X.
"Well Scraggsy old hunks this Is
pleasant ain't It?" said Mr. Glbney
and spat on the deck of the Maggie II.
"Ulght-o" replied Captain Scraggs
cheerily "though when I was u young
feller and first went to sea it wasn't
considered no pleasantry to spit on a
nice clean deck. You might cut thut
out Gib. It's vulgar."
"I'assln over the fact Scraggs that
you ain't got no cnll to jerk me up on
sea cityent more particular since I'm
the master and managln' owner of this
here schooner I'm free to confess
Scraggsy that your observation does
you credit. I just did that to see If
you was goln' to take as big an Inter-
est In the new Maggie as you did In
the old Maggie and the fact that you
object to me expectoratln' on the deck
proves to me that you're leavln' behind
ycu all them bny scow tendencies of
the green-pea trade. It leads me to be-
lieve that you'll rise to high rank and
distinction In the Colombian navy.
Your fin Scrnggsy. Expectoratln' on
the decks Is barred and the Maggie II
goes under navy discipline from uow
on. Am I right?"
"Right ns n right whale" said Cap-
tain Scrnggs. "And now thnt you've
given that old mate of mine the course
and we've temporarily plugged up the
holes in this here Mexican gunboat
and everything points to a safe and
profitable voyage from now on sup-
pose you delegate me as a committee
of one to brew n scuttle of grog after
which tho syndicate holds n mettln'
and lays out n course for Its future
conduct. There's a few questions of
rank and privileges that ought to be
settled once nnd for all so there can't
be no come-back."
"The point Is well taken nnd It Is
so ordered" snld Mr. Glbney who had
once held olllce In Harbor 15 Mnster
and Pilots Association of America and
knew ;t fragment or two of parlia-
mentary law. "Hustle up the grog call
McGuffey up out of the engine room
nnd we'll hold tho meetln'."
Twenty minutes later Scraggs came
on deck to announce the successful
concoction of a kettle of whisky punch ;
whereupon the three adventurers went
below nnd sat down at tho cabin table
for a conference.
"I move that Gib be appointed presi-
dent of the syndicate" said Captain
Scraggs.
"Second the motion" rumbled Mc-
Guffey. "The motion's carried" said Mr. Glb-
noy and banged the table with his
horny fist. "The meetln' will please
come to order. Tho chair hereby ap-
points Phlnens Scraggs secretary of
the syndicate to keep a record of this
and all future meetln's of the board.
I will now entertain propositions of
nny nnd nil nntures and I Invito tho
members of the board to knock the
stopper out of their Jaw tackle and
go to it."
"I move" said Captnln Scrnggs "that
B. McGuffey Esquire be nnd he Is
hereby appointed chief engineer of the
Maggie II at a salary not to exceed
the wage schedule of the Marine En-
gineers' Association of the Pacific
coast nnd thut ho be voted n
one-fourth Interest in the vessel nnd
all subsequent profits."
"Second tho motion" snld Mr. Glb-
ney "nnd not to hamper tho business
of tho meetln' we'll just consider that
motion carried unanimous."
B. McGuffey Esquire rose bowed
his thanks and sat down again ap-
parently very much confused it was
evident that he hnd something to sny
but was halng difficulty framing his
thoughts in parliamentary language.
"Heave away Mac" said Mr. Glb-
ney. "Cast off your lines McGuffey"
chirped Scraggs.
Thus encouraged McGurfey rose
bowed his thanks once more moistened
ids larnyx with a gulp of tho punch
and spoke:
"Feller members nnd brothers of the
syndlcato: In the managemen' of the
deck department of this new crnft of
ourn my previous knowledge of tho
worthy president and the unworthy
secretary lends me to believo that
there's goln' to bo trouble. A ship
divided ngln herself must surely go
on her beam ends. Now Scraggsy
here has been mnster so long thnt the
Julco of authority has sorter soaked
Into his marrer bones. For twenty
years It's been 'Howdy do Cnptnln
Scraggs' 'Have a drink. Captain
Scraggs.' 'Captain Scraggs th's an'
Captain Scrnggs that.' I don't mean
no offense gentlemen when A state
that you can't teach an old dug new
tricks. No man that's ever seen a
master makes a good mate. On the
other hand I realize that db here
has been a-pnntln' and a-beilyachln'
all his life to get a ship of his own
an' have folks call him 'Captain Glb-
ney.' Now that he's gone an' done
It 1 sny he's entitled to it. But the
fact of the whole thing Is Gib's tho
natural leader of the expedition or
whatever It's goln' to be nnd he can't
have his pence of mind wrecked and
his plans disturbed n-chnsln' sailors
around the deck of the Maggie II.
Gib Is sorter what the feller calls
the power behind tho throne. He's
too big a figgor for the grade of cap-
tain. Therefore I move you gentle-
men that Adelbert P. Gibney be and
Is hereby nominated nnd appointed to
the grade of commodore In full com-
mand nnd supervision of nil of the
property of tho syndicate. And I nl-
so move that Phlnens Scraggs be ap-
pointed chief nnvlgatln officer of this
packet to retniu his title of captain
and to be obeyed and respected as
such by every man nboard with the
exception of mo nnd Gib. The pres-
ent mute'll do the nnvlgatln' while
Scraggsy's learnln the deep sea stuff."
"Second the motion" said Captain
Scraggs briskly. "McGuffey your ar-
gument does you a heap of credit.
It's it's dog my cats McGuffey it's
masterly. It shows a keen apprecia-
tion of an old skipper's feelln's and
If tho move Is agreeable to Gib I'm
wlllin' to hail him as commodore and
fight to maintain his oilice. I I dun-
no Gib what I'd do if 1 didn't have a
mate to order around."
"Gentlemen" said Mr. Glbnoy benm-
ing "the motion's carried unanimous.
Captain chief your fins. Dook me.
I'm honored by the handshake. Now
regarding that crew you brought down
from Ssin Francisco on the old Mag-
gie Scraggs they're n likely lot nnd
will come in handy if times is as live-
ly In Colombia as I flgger they will
be when we arrive there. Captain
Scraggs you will havo your mate pipe
the crew to muster and ascertain their
feelln's on the subject of takln' a
chance with Commodore Glbney. If
they object to goln' further we'll land
'em In Panama an' pay 'em off ns
ngreed. If thoy feel like followln' the
Jolly Itoger we'll give 'em tho const
seaman's scale for a deep-water cruise
and n five per cent bonus in case we
turn n big trick."
Captain Scrnggs went nt onco on
deck. Ten minutes later he returned
to report that the mate and the four
seamen elected te stick by the ship.
"Bully boys" said the commodore
"bully boys. I like that mnte. He's
a smart man and handles a gun well.
While I should hesitate to take ad-
vantage of my prerogative as commo-
dore to Interfere with tho normal work-
in's of Hie deck department I trust
that on this special occasion our es-
teemed nnvlgatln' officer Captain
Scraggs will not consider It beneath
his dignity or an attack on his office
If I suggest to him thnt he brew an-
other kettle of grog for tho crew."
"Second the motion" replied Mc-
Guffey. "Carried" said Scraggs and pro-
ceeded to heat some water.
"Anything further?" stated the pres-
ident. "How about uniforms?" This from
Captain Scraggs.
"We'll leave that to Gib" suggested
McGuffoy. "He's been In the Colombi-
an navy and he'll know just what to
get us."
"Well there's another thing that's
got to be settled" continued Captnln
Scraggs. "If I'm to be nnvlgntln' offi-
cer on the llngshlp of a furrln' fleet
strike me pink If I'll do more cookln'
In the galley it's dcgradln'. I move
that wo engage some enterprlsln' Ori-
ental for that job."
'Carried" said Mr. Glbney. "Any
further business?"
Once more McGuffey stood up. "Gen-
tlemen nnd brothers of tho syndicate"
he began "I'm satisfied that the back-
bitin' tho scrappin' the petty Jeal-
ousies nnd general cussedness that
characterized our lives on tho old
Maggie will not be duplicated on tho
Maggie II. Them vicious days Is gone
forever I hope an' ffom now on the
motto of us three should be:
"Al! fr ono and one for all-
United wo stand divided wo fall."
This enrnest little speech whlrh
came straight from the honest McGuf-
fey's heart brought the tenrs to tho
commodore's eyes. Under the Inspira-
tion of McGuffey's unselfish words the
glasses were refilled nnd all three
pledged their friendship anew. As for
Captain Scraggs he was nnturally of
a cold and selfish disposition and Mc-
Guffey's toast appealed more to hla
brain than to his heart nod he known
what was to happen to him in tho
days to come and what that simple
little motto was to mean In ills par-
ticular case It is doubtful if he would
have tossed off his liquor us gaily as
he did.
The Maggie II .ail. fOP
the South teas.
(.TO BE CONTINUED.)
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Burton, Harry. The Oklahoma Miner (Krebs, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 52, Ed. 1, Thursday, January 26, 1922, newspaper, January 26, 1922; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc70769/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.