Still July 19th 1947


 I am really drunk, and happy!

 I'll write down the events of the party, before I collapse into
a blissful sleep.

 Yeah, I know I'm gonna have one hell of a headache
tomorrow, but it was worth it!

 I decided to wear my purple Zoot suit, just cause I felt like
cuttin' a rug, and there ain't nothin' better for rug-cuttin then a purple Zoot suit.

 It was around 6:30 or so, when Commanche, Champ and I
arrived at the ship galley for the doing's.

 Bay City, was there, all bandaged up, sitting by the phonograph. He decided he wanted to make all the music selections for the soiree' so he had a stack of records ready to go.

 The song he had playin' when we arrived was Flat Foot
Floogie and the Floy Floy, by the great Fats Waller....great song, brings back lots of memories....Ah Jessica....I wonder where you are these days.

 I noticed Durant wasn't there yet, and this shin-dig was his
idea. I also noticed that, thankfully, Lajos and his big goon, were absent too.

 I headed over to where they set up the make shift bar. Fresno Dan and Reebo Anderson were playing bar-keep. They handed me a whiskey sour and I gulped it down.

 Suddenly all they chatter was raised a few notches so I turned around to see the hub-bub. It was Nesta, dressed to the nines in a tight sweater and pleated skirt......ready for dancin! As she was the only dame on the ship, I'm sure her dance card was pretty darn full. All the mugs started crowding around her, and she had a big smile on her full red lips.

 Jeez, kinda lost my train of thought there, I hope Meg never finds this journal.

 Flat foot floogie was still goin, so I jumped out on the floor
and started a hoofin. Granted, I don't know any learned dance steps, or popular jigs, but I like to mix it up and have fun. My kids think I look funny when I dance, but if they are laughing then that's a good thing, huh?

 So we are all jumpin around and having a good time. Nesta was swirling around, and giggling, as she pretended to flirt with all of us goons, while she danced. What a dish, dancin with a bunch of hired killers! We all just kept right on dancin, through song after song. Bay City started playing more current Hit-Parade tunes like, `Huggin and Chalkin' by Hoagy Carmicheal; `Open the door Richard' by Count Basie; and some more good old stuff by Glen Miller and Satchmo.

 The drinks were flowing like a fountain, and I was well on my way to Happy Palooka-ville, as was every body,

 At some point I saw Nesta and Boom-Boom disappear, with an a silly grin.

 I suddenly remembered D'wayne, and hoped he was okay. I knew Nesta wouldn't be looking so happy, if he wasn't. Like me, Nesta probably wished D'wayne coulda come to the party, but that was outa the question.

 I was also sure that nothing really strange was going on
between Nesta and Boom-Boom, as Boom-Boom wouldn't have the first idea how to do any thing really strange with a girl like Nesta. Boom-Boom likes his frails blonde, big bosomed, toothy and dum, and none a those is Nesta.

 We soon found out what they was up to though, right in the middle of the Cole Porter tune `Let's do it' Nesta stopped the record, put another one in it's place, cleared her throat, real loud and made an announcement.

  "Gentleman, as much as I enjoy being the `belle of the ball' I thought it prudent to have another woman here!" The loud mumbling started, from all us mugs, with a huge question mark attached. Nesta continued...

 "Now I realize that bringing in this special guest, will take
the sheen from my wonderful self, as my beauty pales in comparison to hers..."

 She lowered the needle onto the record, and a Latin rhythm, began.

 "Gentlemen, I give you..." she gestured toward the galley door. "...Carmen Miranda!"

 We saw a fat foot, shoved into a red pump, appear near the threshold, followed by an even fatter calf, then a huge thigh, in nylons! The leg was moving to the songs beat. Then the door swung open all the way and there was Boom-Boom all done up, with a table cloth, for a sarong, a to small blouse, tied in the front over his hairy, blubbery belly, and a big basket of fruit stuck to the top of his crew cut. He even had heavy make-up, which did nothing to help that goofy mug of his, and he was smiling like a goon!

 We all fell to the floor laughing as he began to mouth the lyrics to the song. He was a hoot! We all pretended he was the real deal, and made loud cat calls. Boom-Boom even went over and sat on Champs lap, all 300 pounds of him, and played with Champs hair.

 We were all laughing so hard, we could hardly breath.

 But all good things come to an end, as we all found out when we heard the Carmen Miranda song go into a deafening scratch.

 We turned around and saw Durant, monkeying around with the phonograph. Durant is not none for having great taste in music, and he proved it with his selection. It was `I'm writing a letter to daddy' sung by that annoying child star from years back, what's her name, something, Hudson. I wonder whatever happened to her.

 Anyway, Durant just stares at the phonograph, holding a
photo, and it looked like a tear was welling up in his eye. He turned to us. "I just love this song" he sniffed. "Gather round you mugs, so's I can show ya just why we are celebrating!"

  We all started to crowd around as Durant held up the picture. I want to announce the birth of my son, who arrived in the world two days ago..... I give you Bobbie!!!!"

 We all looked at the photo, it had to be the ugliest baby I
ever saw! A fat little, bundle of pork, to be sure, and it had these maniacal eyes that sent shivers up my spine. Yeesh!!!!!

 "Someday..." Durant continued "..this beautiful baby boy is going to be the heir to my empire!!!" As I have never seen a baby, that mean looking, I hope I'm not around when that happens.

 The thought of Durant being a father is kind of frightening to begin with. Then of course a lot of people cant imagine our kind having family's anyway. Sometimes I've seen married life really change folks. A lot of my old pals retire from the rackets, when they get hitched.

 I remember when my ol' 'Bloody' Cleaver married 'Cut throat' June. A killing and robbing spree that put Bonnie and Clyde to shame was ended when they decided to settle down and have a family.

 They said that they were going to stay on the straight and narrow, but I'll believe it when I see it.

 That's neither here nor there.

 So we were all looking at this ugly baby's picture, pretending to admire it, but wishing he would put the picture away, so we could think of pleasanter things....like the zombies or what have you.

 "A toast!" Durant bellowed "...to my son, Bobbie!!!" We all lifted our drinks, and cheered "To Bobbie!" Then we all slammed the drinks back, and immediately wanted to refresh them.

 The fun seemed to be taking a plunge off a high cliff, as Durant insisted on playing that same damn song over and over. At least he was distracted as he sat in the chair next to the phonograph (He had forced poor Bay City out of it) and stared wistfully at the spinning disk.

 I went to get another whisky, and have a smoke. I looked
around and noticed Commanche, had slipped off....to chat on the radio, no doubt. Nesta seemed to have vanished too, probably to check on Dwayne. I also realized that Garvin never even showed up, no surprise there.

 I gabbed for awhile with Fresno Dan, Tiger McBroom and Gorilla Nealis.

 I noticed a commotion going on near the rear of the galley. It was Prof. Sanders yacking away, with a whiny voice. He had an audience around him too, several of the guys had scooted their chairs near his, as they listened to his lament.

 I got curious and walked over. He was three sheets to the
wind, and going on about how he was once a respected Archaeologist.

 I had kind of wondered how a guy like him wound up in
our circles so I listened in. He was babbling about how back in the early thirties he attended a gathering of his colleagues for a seminar in the Big Apple, on `Developing Methodology in Modern Egyptology' or something.

 Just as he was getting his notes ready to reveal an astounding discovery on a connection between Egypt and ancient Mu, some kind of ruckus started and he never got his time in the spot light.

 From that point on he became bitter and jad...

 That was weird, I had to stop writing because I just saw Muggy walk by, out side our cabin.

 He has carrying a coil of rope and a small anchor.

 I wonder what he's up to.

 Any way, Prof. Sanders told us that he had a hard time finding backers to finance his expedition, so he turned to the underworld.

 He hooked up with fellow rouge scientist Prof. Beetson and Prof. Cooper, who discovered not only a radium mine (Which is worth a lot of cabbage) but also a lost colony of Mu far beneath a certain ranch.

 Unfortunately, it turned out to be the `Radio Ranch' Gene Autry's spread. Sanders said he was lucky to get out of that one alive. It also made him even more bitter because he now had proof of the lost civilization of Mu, but who's going to listen to a criminal?

 If he wasn't' so whiny, I might actually feel sorry for him.

 The party was dying a quick death at this point. Every one was starting to get real maudlin, but I was still in a great mood so I...

 Oh jeez.

 Jeez I just found out what Muggy was up to.

 I heard something happening outside on the deck. Some evil laughing that I knew was Durant. I went out to see.

 Muggy was perched on the decks railing. He had a rope tied around his neck. The small anchor was tied to the other end, and held in his hand, as he gazed out over the moon lit ocean.

 No tears, he just stared.

 Durant was nearby, leaning against the railing, a cigar poking out of his diabolical grin. He was looking right at Muggy.

 I started to move towards Muggy to...I don't know, pull him down from the railing or something.

 Durant, seemed to realize what I was about to do, and he quickly pull his gun on me. He slowly shook his head, letting me know, I'd better not do anything.

  Muggy looked at Durant, then at myself.

 He dropped the anchor over the side, and waited for...

 Just as the rope grew taught and Muggy started to plunge over, Durant moving with surprising swiftness for his bulk, grabbed one of Muggy's ankles, just before he disappeared over board. That bastard just held Muggy over the edge for what seemed like forever.

  Muggy looked like a battered marionette with only one string, being held the wrong way. The noose was choking him, and I could see tears streaming from his tightly clinched eyes.

 Durant, with his free hand still held his gun on me.

 I could hear the anchor banging against the side of the ship, as Muggy struggled.

 Just at the point when it looked like Muggy was done for. Durant started hauling him back up.

 He dropped him on the deck and walked away, chuckling.

 I quickly pulled out my pocket knife, and cut the rope away. I checked, and he was still breathing.

 I picked him up, and carried him to the ships infirmary.

 I told the doc what happened, and suggested he might want keep a close eye on Muggy, and maybe strap him down or something.

 Muggy was awake, and just looking at me.

 "Whad ya wanna do a stupid thing like that for, ya knuckle head!!" I chided him.

 He said nothing in reply..... I kinda knew he wouldn't.

 "Take good care of him Doc" I asked, and told him how Muggy had saved my life once.

 I am completely sober now, and I think I'm going to get drunk all over again, then maybe I can get some sleep.