Adventure, August 1917 — page 177: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Hunch “We are,” said O’Leary, “but it’s a pity to have the stuff goin’ to waste.” ‘What is it?” “It’s dye, German dye, and the cotton mills are begging : “Let ’em beg,’’ interrupted the officer. “Tl give you fifteen minutes. Do what you can with it.” “Thanks,” said O’Leary, and jumped to the waist of the tug where he had already noticed a short gangway used for taking stores aboard. “Gimme a hand,” he ordered a couple of sailors. who stood watching, ‘‘two more of you get aboard the wreck and lend a hand at that end.” In less than ten minutes the dye was aboard the tug and the gangway secure. ‘All ready, sir,” reported O’Leary. The quick work won a smile from the tug’s officer. “Get back aboard,” he ordered, “and unshackle the chain. We might as well sink this old tub and have it over with. She looks about ready to go under any minute. How she ever made it during the night is more than I can see.”’ Towing the derelict ahead until the chain slacked, the crew of the tug unshackled it and let the end run overboard. Then tak- ing the wreck as far inshore as their draft permitted, they stood off and with the six- pounders put half a dozen shots into that part of the derelict which still floated. In a few minutes she sank out of sight under the water. “‘Didn’t take much to fix her,” said O’Leary as he and Hop watched, ‘‘and we forgot our tin of bread. Wonder if we can bum a cup of coffee and some trimmin’s from this outfit.”’ “Mike,” said Hop as the two ate greedily, “it looks to me like we’re going to be able to see this thing through. You engineered and planned it and have done most of the work. Whatever we get out of this dye is going to be split two-thirds and one- third.” “You’re exactly right,” said O’Leary. ‘“‘Two-thirds to you and one-third to me.” “No, the other way,” Hop protested, and O’Leary with his mouth full of coffee swallowed quickly and cut the discussion short. ‘‘What’s the use arguin’ about fish we haven’t caught yet? Let’s go on and get this money before we divide it.” The tug landed O’Leary and Hop with 175 their precious cargo alongside the Navy Yard dock about two o’clock that afternoon. The two sailors at once sought out their ship and in the absence of the captain and first lieutenant, who had gone ashore, put their case up to the deck officer. “Under a little different circumstances I’d say we’d have to court-martial you two boys,” said the lieutenant, “‘but as the case stands I will do what I can to help you, and if I see the thing right, you’re going to need help.”’ \ “The stuff’s ours, ain’t it?” O’Leary. “Didn’t we find it?” “Yes, you did,” said the officer, ‘‘but let me put the case to you as it would stand in a salvage court. You two men find some valuable cargo on an abandoned ship. You take possession of it and during the time of your possession you are sole owners, but after that you ask for and accept assistance from a tugboat of the United States Navy. In my opinion, that divides the claim in half. You’re in the position of the original owners with the tugboat as the salvor.”’ “Thank you,” said O’Leary, “but if the dye is worth half as much as Hop thinks, half of it will be all that we need, and the Navy Department can have the other half, ‘for valuable assistance rendered.’ What we want to know is how to make the next move.” “You will have to take it up with the commandant of the Navy Yard in the morning,” said the officer. ‘“‘You were serving in the Navy at the time you became owners of the cargo in question, and the commandant may not see that you have a claim at all.”’ Somewhat depressed, O’Leary and Hop took their departure. “By the way,” added the friendly deck officer, as they started forward, ‘“‘what are you going to do with the money from the dye?” ‘““Me?” said O’Leary. ‘‘Why, I haven’t figured it out yet, not bein’ exactly sure that there’d ever be any. But Hop here was goin’ to school with his.” “School?” questioned the other. “A prep school, sir, where I could work for an appointment to Annapolis.” “The first thing they will teach you there,” said the lieutenant, “is to obey oders. But,” he added kindly, “I wish you luck.’’ : asked cCoOmiclsoo CO S}