The towboat men held a council of war and decided to drown
Scraggs out. Dan Hicks ran up on deck and returned dragging
the deck fire hose behind him. He thrust the brass nozzle into
the shaft alley entrance and invited Scraggs to surrender
unconditionally or be drowned like a kitten. Scraggs, knowing his
own fire hose, defied them, so Dan Hicks started the pump while
Flaherty turned on the water. Instantly the hose burst up on deck
and Scraggs's jeers of triumph filled the engine room. The enemy
was about to draw lots to see which one of the two should crawl
into the shaft alley and throw a cupful of chloride of lime (for
they found a can of this in the engine room) in Captain Scraggs's
face, when a shadow darkened the hatch and Mr. Bartholomew
McGuffey demanded belligerently: "What's goin' on down there? Who
the devil's takin' liberties in my engine room?"
Dan Hicks explained the situation and the just cause for drastic
action which they held against the fugitive in the shaft alley.
Mr. McGuffey considered a few moments and made his decision.
"If what you say is true--an' I ain't in position to dispute you,
not havin' been present when you hauled the _Maggie_ off the
beach, I don't blame you for feeling sore.
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