Besides, we're three
to one, an' if it comes to a show-down later we can outswear the
mate."
Captain Scraggs picked his snaggle teeth with the little blade of
his jack-knife and cogitated a minute.
"Well," he announced presently, "far be it from me to fly in the
face o' a felon's death. I've made a heap o' money, follerin'
Gib's advice, an' bust my bob-stay if I don't stay put on this.
Gib, it's your lead."
"Well, I'll follow suit. Gib's got all the trumps," acquiesced
the engineer. "We got plenty o' dough an' no board bills comin'
due, so we'll loaf alongshore until Gib digs up somethin' good."
Mr. Gibney smiled his approval of these sentiments. "Thank you,
boys. I ain't quite sure yet whether we'll quit the sea an' go
into the chicken business, build a fast sea-goin' launch an'
smuggle Chinamen in from Mexico, buy a stern-wheel steamer an' do
bay an' river freightin', or just live at a swell hotel an'
scheme out a fortune by our wits. But whatever I do, as the
leadin' sperrit o' this syndicate, the motto o' the syndicate
will ever be my inspiration:
"All for one an' one for all--
United we stand, divided we fall."
"How about Neils?" queried Captain Scraggs.
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