my craw an' stifle my friendship. Gimme a fountain pen an' a leaf
out o' the log book an' I'll draw up the affydavit for your
signature."

Scraggs complied precipitately with this request; whereupon Mr.
Gibney spread his great bulk over the chart case and with many a
twist and flip of his tongue on the up and down strokes, produced
this remarkable document:

At Sea, Off Point Montara, aboard
S.S. _Maggie_, of San Francisco.
June 4, 19--.

This is to sertify that A.P. Gibney, Esq., and Bart
McGuffey, Esq. is law-abidin' sitisens of the U.S.A. and
the constitootion thereof, and in no way pirates or
such; and be it further resolved that the said parties
hereto are aboard said American steamer _Maggie_ this
date on the special invite of Phineas P. Scraggs, owner,
as his guests and at their own risk.

Witness my hand and seal:

Captain Scraggs signed without reading and the new mate and Neils
Halvorsen appended their signatures as witnesses. Mr. Gibney
thereupon folded this clearance paper into the tiniest possible
compact ball, wrapped it in a piece of tinfoil torn from a
package of tobacco, to protect it from his saliva, tucked it in
his cheek and with a sign for McGuffey to follow him, started
crawling over the cargo aft. By this time, the _Maggie_ was