United States or Indonesia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Scraggsy, you're five dollars of my money to the good. Ginseng always comes packed in air-tight boxes." He produced a can opener from the cabin locker and fell to his work on a corner of the hermetically sealed box. As he drove in the point of the can opener, he paused, hammer in hand, and gazed solemnly at Scraggs and McGuffey. "I know," replied the imperturbable McGuffey.
Why, that's almost four hundred per cent. profit, an' any man that'd turn up his nose at a four hundred per cent. profit ought to go an' have his head examined by a competent nut doctor." "Well, if you feel that way about it, all right, Scraggsy," Mr. Gibney replied slowly and put his hand in his pocket.
Man, how funny you did look with them long red whiskers an' you little more'n a boy." "Jumpin' Jehosophat, Scraggsy! Was you one o' the Brotherhood?" Captain Scraggs came close and thrust his face up for Mr. Gibney's inspection. "Gib," he said solemnly, "look at me! Touch the cord o' memory an' think back.
An' the price for my half interest is five thousand dollars." "You've sold something, Scraggsy," Mr. McGuffey flashed back at him, obeying a wink from Mr. Gibney. "An' here's a hundred dollars to bind the bargain. Balance on delivery of proper bill-o'-sale." While Scraggs was counting the money Mr. Gibney was writing a receipt in his note book. Scraggs, still furious, signed the receipt.
Man is human an' bound to make mistakes." "Don't kid the commodore, Scraggsy. This aromer o' roses is more'n a strong man can stand, so cut out the josh." "All right, Mac. I guess the commodore's foot slipped this time, but I ain't squawkin' yet." "No. Not yet," cried Mr. Gibney bitterly, "but soon." "I ain't, nuther," Captain Scraggs assumed an air of injured virtue.
Gibney saw by the hopeful, even cunning, look that leaped to Scraggs's eyes that the problem was about to be solved without recourse to the Gibney imagination, so he resolved to be alert and not permit himself to be caught out on the end of a limb. "Well, Scraggsy?" he demanded. "I guess I need you in my business, Gib. You're right an' I'm always wrong. It's a fact.
So we won't have no hard feelin's at partin', boys, an' to show you I'm a sport I'll treat to a French dinner an' a motion picture show afterward. Further, I shall regard a refusal of said invite as a pers'nal affront." "By golly, you're gittin' sporty in your old age," the engineer declared. "I'll go you, Scraggs. How about you, Gib?" "I accept with thanks, Scraggsy, old tarpot.
Nobody yet overcome the prejudice of an Irishman so we'll do the honours ourself, Scraggsy, old skittles, and leave Mac in charge of the ship." "Mind you're both back at a seasonable hour," warned McGuffey. "If you ain't, I'll suspect mischief and say! Gib! Well, what's the use talkin' to a man with an imagination?
"Well, are you all cooled out an' willin' to listen to reason, Scraggsy, old business man?" Gibney greeted him cheerfully. "None more so, Gib. If you've got a proposition to submit, fire away." "That's comfortin', Scraggsy.
"Just simply grand. I'll pull ten thousand out of this job." Mr. Gibney whistled shrilly through his teeth. "That's the ticket for soup," he said admiringly. "I tell you, Scraggs, this soldier of fortune business may be all right, but it don't amount to much compared to being a sailor of fortune, eh, Scraggsy?
Word Of The Day