I've seen worse places than Panama."
As a result of this conference Mr. Gibney's suggestions were
acted upon, and they contrived to make their brief stay in Panama
very agreeable. They inspected the work on the canal, marvelled
at the stupendous engineering in the Culebra Cut, drank a little,
gambled a little. McGuffey whipped a bartender. He was ordered
arrested, and six spiggoty little policemen, sent to arrest him,
were also thrashed. The reserves were called out and a riot
ensued. Mr. Gibney, following the motto of the syndicate, i.e.,
All for one and one for all--
United we stand, divided we fall,
mixed in the conflict and presently found himself in durance
vile. Captain Scraggs, luckily, forgot the motto and escaped, but
inasmuch as he was on hand next morning to pay a fine of thirty
pesos levied against each of the culprits, he was instantly
forgiven. Mr. Gibney vowed that if a United States cruiser didn't
happen to be lying in the roadstead, he would have shelled the
town in retaliation.
But eventually the days passed, and the _Maggie II_, well found
and ready for sea, shook out her sails to a fair breeze and
sailed away for Kandavu.
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