Tack right along now, lads, while I go down the street an' get me
some breakfast. I don't want Blumenthal to see me around that
sale. He might get suspicious. After I eat I'll meet you here
aboard th' _Maggie_, an' we'll divide the loot."
With a fervent hand-shake all around, the three shipmates parted.
After disposing of a hearty breakfast of devilled lamb's kidneys
and coffee, Mr. Gibney invested in a ten-cent Sailor's Delight
and strolled down to the _Maggie_. Neils Halvorsen, the lone
deckhand, was aboard, and the moment Mr. Gibney trod the
_Maggie's_ deck once more as mate, he exercised his prerogative
to order Neils ashore for the remainder of the day. Since
Halvorsen was not in on the ginseng deal, Mr. Gibney concluded
that it would be just as well to have him out of the way should
Scraggs and McGuffey appear unexpectedly with the two cases of
ginseng.
For an hour Mr. Gibney sat on the stern bitts and ruminated over
a few advantageous plans that had occurred to him for the
investment of his share of the deal should Scraggs and McGuffey
succeed in landing what Mr. Gibney termed "the loot." About
eleven o'clock an express wagon drove in on the dock, and the
mate's dreams were pleasantly interrupted by a gleeful shout from
Captain Scraggs, on the lookout forward with the driver.
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