Cappy Ricks Retires

Cappy Ricks Retires

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Title: Cappy Ricks Retires
Author: Peter B. Kyne
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[Illustration: But, in time, Cappy would find her a rich husband]
Cappy Ricks Retires
_But that doesn't keep him from coming back stronger than ever_
By Peter B. Kyne

THE ILLUSTRATIONS

But, in time, Cappy would find her a rich husband
_(Excerpt from the log of Capt. Matt Peasley:)_ "I am alone on the
ship--all the rest are now dead--"
He always shouted when telephoning
"Two million dollars!" cried J. Augustus Redell

CAPPY RICKS RETIRES

CHAPTER I

If you have read previous tales of the Blue Star Navigation Company
and the various brisk individuals connected therewith, you will recall
one Michael J. Murphy, who first came to the attention of Cappy Ricks
at the time he, the said Murphy, was chief kicker of the barkentine
Retriever under Captain Matt Peasley. Subsequently, when Matt
Peasley presented in his person indubitable evidence of the wisdom of

the old saw that you cannot keep a good man down, Michael J. became
skipper of the Retriever. This berth he continued to occupy with
pleasure and profit to all concerned, until a small financial tidal wave,
which began with Matt Peasley's purchase, at a ridiculously low figure,
of the Oriental Steamship Company's huge freighter, Narcissus, swept
the cunning Matthew into the presidency of the Blue Star Navigation
Company; whereupon Matt designed to take Murphy out of the
Retriever and have him try his hand in steam as master of the
Narcissus.
The same financial tidal wave had swept Cappy Ricks out of the
presidency of the Blue Star Navigation Company--presumably far up
the beach to a place in the sun, where he was to bask for the remainder
of his old age as president emeritus of all his companies. However, if
there was one thing about Cappy you could depend upon absolutely it
was the consistency of his inconsistency. For, having announced his
retirement, his very next move was to bewail his inability to retire. He
insisted upon clinging to the business like a barnacle to a ship, and was
always very much in evidence whenever any deal of the slightest
importance was about to be consummated. Indeed, he was never so
thoroughly in command as when, his first burst of enthusiasm anent the
acquisition of the Narcissus at fifty per cent. of her value having passed,
he discovered that his son-in-law planned to order Mike Murphy off the
quarter-deck of the Retriever onto the bridge of the Narcissus, while an
unknown answering to the name of Terence Reardon had been selected
for her chief engineer.
Cappy listened to Matt Peasley's announcement; then with a
propitiatory "Ahem! Hum! Harump-h-h-h!" he hitched himself forward
in his chair and gazed at Matt over the rims of his spectacles.
"Tell me, Matt," he demanded presently, "who is this man Reardon? I
do not recall such an engineer in our employ--and I thought I knew
them all."
"He is not in our employ, sir. He has been chief engineer of the Arab
for the past eight years, and prior to that he was chief of the Narcissus.
It was Reardon who told me what ailed her. She's a hog on coal, and
the Oriental steamship people used to nag him about the fuel bills.
Their port engineer didn't agree with Reardon as to what was wrong
with her, so he left. He assures me that if her condensers are retubed

she'll burn from seven