Part 57 (1/2)
”Look here!” he cried, ”how many of those Benicia muskets are there?”
”About a hundred and fifty stand, sir,” Howard told him.
”Now they can't help us a whole lot,” propounded Ware. ”They are too few. But why can't we use them for bait, to get those people on the wrong side of the fence?”
”What do you mean?” asked Terry, who knew Ware intimately.
”Suppose they are s.h.i.+pped from Benicia to the armouries in the city; they are legally Federal property until they are delivered, aren't they?”
”Certainly.”
”Well, if the Stranglers should happen to seize them while they're still Federal property, they've committed a definite offence against the United States, haven't they?”
”What do we care about that now?” asked Major Marmaduke Miles, to whom this seemed irrelevant.
But Judge Terry's legal mind was struck with the beauty and simplicity of this ruse.
”Hold on!” he cried. ”If we s.h.i.+p them in a boat, the seizure will be piracy. If they intercept those arms, they're pirates, and we can legally call on the Federal forces--_and they'll be compelled to respond, egad!_”
”They're pretty smart; suppose they smell a rat?” asked Miles doubtfully.
”Then we'll have the muskets where we want them, anyway. It's worth trying,” replied Ware.
”I know just the man,” put in Terry. ”I'll send for him.”
Shortly appeared a saturnine, lank, bibulous individual known as Rube Maloney. To him Terry explained. He was to charter a sloop, take the muskets aboard--and get caught.
”No resistance, mind you!” warned Terry.
”Trust me for that,” grinned Rube. ”I ain't anxious for no punctured skin, nor yit a stretched neck.”
”Pick your men carefully.”
”I'll take Jack Phillips and Jim McNab,” said Rube, after a moment's thought, ”and possibly a few refreshments?” he suggested.
Terry reached into his pocket.
”Certainly, certainly,” said he. ”Treat yourself well.”
There remained only to see that the accurate details should get to the Committee of Vigilance, but in such a manner as to avoid suspicion that the information had been ”planted.”
”Is there anybody we can trust on their rolls?” asked Terry.
But it was reluctantly conceded that the Vigilantes had pretty well cleaned out the doubtful ones. Here again, the resourceful Jimmy Ware came to the rescue.
”I know your man--Morrell. He'll get it to them. As far as anybody knows, he hasn't taken sides at all.”
”Will you see him?” asked Terry.