"
"And in return--"
"I'll tear up the deadly document I extorted from Murphy and report a
mere towage job to my owners."
Cappy pressed the push-button and a boy appeared.
"Tell Mr. Skinner I want to see him," he ordered, and an instant later
Mr. Skinner entered. "Skinner," said Cappy, "draw a check for twenty
thousand in favor of Matt Peasley, and charge it to his account."
"And then send it over to the bank and certify it," Matt added,
"because before I get through with you, Mr. Ricks, you'll be tempted
to stop payment on it, if I know you--and I think I do."
Half an hour later Cappy handed Matt Peasley, a certified check for
twenty thousand dollars, and in exchange the latter handed Cappy the
only proof the Red Stack people would have had, over and above the
contradictory testimony of the crews of the respective vessels, that
the services of their tug constituted salvage and not towage. Cappy
read it, tore it into shreds and glared at Matt Peasley.
"Matt," he said very solemnly, "I'm glad this thing happened. I've
always had a good opinion of you, but now I know that though you have
many excellent qualities you do not possess that quality which above
all others I require in an employee or a son-in-law.
"You aren't loyal. You had the sweetest case of salvage against our
vessel that any man could go into court with, and you kicked it away
like that, just for your own selfish ends.
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