result? War! An’ the result o' that war would be victory for Adelbert P. Gibney. I'll stay out to avoid trouble in the syndi cate.”
“You can't say that ain't handsome o' Gib” McGuffey challenged the skipper.
“Very self-sacrificin', I must say. But what you goin’ to do, Gib? Operate on your own account?”
“Not a bit of it. So long as I don’t own in the Maggie III, it ain't so demeanin' to go mate with you, Scraggsy. I can’t expect to be skipper where I don’t own no interest, an’ my friends can’t say I’ve come down in the world. D'ye get me, Scraggsy.” “Delighted to have you, Gib. You're the only mate I could ever get along with, anyhow. I appreciate your courtesy. Kin I cuss you?” “Up to certain limits—yes. But don’t go too far.” “Well, I guess we can stagger along then, Gib. I just simply gotter have a mate I can cuss oncet in a while.”
motion was duly carried. Otherwise there would be no story to relate. But the fact that not only was the motion duly carried,
but also put into effect on the very next Sunday, constitutes the basis for the story. And without a climax there can be no story worth while.
There was a climax to Mr. Gibney's dubious operations. Before the summer was over, Captain Scraggs had been thor oughly (and expensively) initiated into the mysteries of profitable gambling as prac ticed by the pale young gentlemen who responded to Mr. Gibney's request to bring along some games of chance to amuse his passengers. Sunday after Sunday the greedy Scraggs saw hundreds of dollars taken from the unsuspecting excursionists
by the crooks to whom Mr. Gibney had sold the gambling privilege, and before the last excursion of the summer was over,
Captain Scraggs had fallen from grace. He was a gambler himself! To state that Captain Scraggs had con
ceived an abnormal passion for easy money
“Got any idees for makin' money, Gib?” McGuffey demanded. “It’s goin' to take a few months to work up a regular trade on the river an' in the meantime it's
is putting the case mildly. He insisted that the syndicate was foolish to fool around with an old steamboat when this broad land of ours teemed with the credulous.
urday evenin’ till Monday mornin’.”
The Maggie III (for so she was now named) had made a little money over and
“I'd figured on that” replied the admir able Gibney. “We'll give the Maggie III a dash o' paint, deck her out in buntin' an’ flags an' give excursions around the bay
above expenses and upkeep, but Captain Scraggs was not satisfied. Unknowingly, Mr. Gibney had exposed Scraggs to temp
a dead loss layin' up at the dock from Sat
tation, and the passion for gambling had
every Sunday. We'll charge a dollar a
risen in him and threatened to destroy his
head, an’ bring your own lunch, an' in addition we'll sell the gamblin' concession for a hundred dollars a Sunday.” Captain Scraggs' eyes popped out with cxcitement. “Wha-wha-what!” he gasped. “We'll sell the privilege o' runnin’ any old kind of a gamblin' game on the lower
peace of mind. When he could contain himself no longer, Captain Scraggs called a meeting of the syndicate.
deck whi!: the excursion's on.
an old trick around this bay.
That's
Huddle five
or six hundred people on a boat an' they'll so,
tire o' the scenery. Then shake a
pair o' loaded dice under their noses an’ you get the money. But we won't do the gamblin'. That's wicked. We'll sell the privilege.”
Captain Scraggs turned to McGuffey and Halvorsen.
“Ain’t he the bird for
father? I wonder! Gib, you're a marvel.” “All those in favor will say aye” said Mr. Gibney.
Everybody present said aye and the
“Gib,” he announced, “I ain't happy.” “What's wrong, Scraggsy, old tarpot? Ain't you makin' money fast enough?” “No, I ain’t. That's the plain truth, Gib. An' it's up to you to promote some
thin' an’ make us a pot of quick money.” “Steamboatin's safe an' sane, Scraggsy.” “But there ain't no adventure an’ no
fun, an' the profits is slow.
Dang it, Gib,
you've spled me. I can't take no joy outer money no more unless I get a thrill with it.”
“In other words you like a gamblin' chance, eh, Scraggsy.” Captain Scraggs admitted that such was the case.
“How about you, Mac” demanded the
commodore, addressing Mr. McGuffey.
