Cappy Ricks Or, the Subjugation of Matt Peasley   By: Peter B. Kyne (1880-1957)

or The Subjugation of Matt Peasley

by Peter B. Kyne

TO THE IDEAL AMERICAN SAILOR

As exemplified in the persons of my good friends,

Captain Ralph E. Peasley, of Jonesport, Maine,

Who skippered the first five masted schooner ever built, brought her, on that first voyage, through the worst typhoon that ever blew, and upon arriving at the Yang Tse Kiang River for the first time in his adventurous career, decided he could not trust a Chinese pilot and established a record by sailing her up himself!

Captain I. N. Hibberd, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

Sometime master of the American clipper ship, Cyrus Wakefield, who, at the age of twenty five, broke three world's records in one voyage: San Francisco to Liverpool and back, eight months and two days; Liverpool to San Francisco, one hundred days; from the equator to San Francisco, eleven days. The clipper ship is gone but the skipper remains, an undefeated champion.

Captain William P. Cantey, of San Francisco, California,

Sometime mate of the brig Galilee, who, with his naked hands, convinced in thirty five minutes nine larger men than himself of the incontrovertible fact that you cannot keep a good man down.

TO THE AMERICAN SHIPOWNER

As exemplified in the persons of my good friends,

John H. Rossiter, Manager of W. R. Grace & Co., of San Francisco.

Edwin A. Christenson, President of the Sudden & Christenson S.S. Line, of San Francisco.

John R. Hanify, President of the John R. Hanify Company, of San Francisco.

TO THE PACIFIC COAST LUMBERMAN

As exemplified in the person of my good friend,

Augustus J. ("Gus") Russell, California Manager for the Portland Lumber Company, and my personal representative, without salary, in the wholesale lumber trade, ever since I abandoned lumber for literature.

TO FREIGHT, SHIP, AND MARINE INSURANCE BROKERS

As exemplified in the persons of my good friends,

Messrs. E. B. Smith, Oscar J. Beyfuss, and Allan Hayes.

This volume is dedicated, without charge for the advertising but with profound appreciation of the part they have made in making this book possible. With the author they must bear an equal burden of whatever of praise or censure shall entail.

CONTENTS

I. Master of Many Ships and Skipper of None II. The Man from Blue Water III. Under the Blue Star Flag IV. Bad News from Cape Town V. Matt Peasley Assumes Office VI. Wordy War at a Dollar a Word VII. Cappy Ricks Makes Bad Medicine VIII. All Hands and Feet to the Rescue IX. Mr. Murphy Advises Preparedness X. The Battle of Table Bay XI. Mr. Skinner Receives a Telegram XII. The Campaign Opens XIII. An Old Friend Returns and Cappy Leads Another Ace XIV. Insult Added to Injury XV. Rumors of War XVI. War! XVII. Cappy Forces an Armistice XVIII. The War is Renewed XIX. Capp Seeks Peace XX. Peace at Last! XXI. Matt Peasley Meets a Talkative Stranger XXII. Face to Face XXIII. Business and XXIV. The Clean Up XXV. Cappy Proves Himself a Despot XXVI. Matt Peasley in Exile XXVII. Promotion XXVIII. Cappy Has a Heart XXIX. Nature Takes Her Course XXX. Mr. Skinner Hears a Lecture XXXI. Internal Combustion XXXII. Skinner Proposes and Cappy Ricks Disposes XXXIII. Cappy's Plans Demolished XXXIV. A Gift From the Gods XXXV. A Dirty Yankee Trick XXXVI. Cappy Forbids the Bans Yet XXXVII. Matt Peasley Becomes a Shipowner XXXVIII. Working Capital XXXIX. Easy Money XL. The Cataclysm XLI. When Pain and Anguish Wring the Brow XLII. Unexpected Developments XLIII. Cappy Plans a Knock out XLIV. Skinner Develops into a Human Being XLV. Cappy Pulls Off a Wedding XLVI. A Ship Forgotten XLVII. The Tail Goes with the Hide XLVIII. Victory

CHAPTER I. MASTER OF MANY SHIPS AND SKIPPER OF NONE