The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-04-27

"fV V y"
1.-THE Job That confronts Us Is to Get
These Munitions Down to Our
Friends in Mexico"
agents knows they're there. But that
amt troubling me. I rent the saloon
next door an I'll cut hole through
the wall from my cellar into the saloon
cellar, carry 'em through the saloon
into the backyard, an out into the
alley half block away. I'm watched,
but I got the watcher spotted-only
he don't know it. Our only trouble
is a ship. How about the Maggie?"
''Td have. to spend about two thous-
and dollars on her to put her in condi-
ton for the voyage" Scraggs replied.
"Can do" Scab Johnny answered him
briefly, and Senior. Lopez nodded ac-
quiescence. "You discharge on light
er at Descanso bay about twenty miles
below Ensenada. What'll it cost us?"
"Ten thousand dollars, in addition
to fixin' up the Maggie. Half down
and half on delivery. I'm riskin' my
hide an my ticket an got to be we'll
paid for it,"
Again Senior Lopez nodded. What
did he care? 1t wasn't his money:
''rll furnish you with our own crew
just before you SAIL" Scab Johnny con-
tinued. Get. busy"
Gimme thousand for preliminary
1o1
that Speed is my middle name" ....
The charming Senior Lopez produced
the money in crisp new bills and, per-
feet gentleman thatshe was, demanded
no receipt. AS q '}matter of fact,
Scraggs would not have given him one.
The two weeks that followed were
busy ones for ,CaplRln Scraggs. The
day after his, interview With >Scab
Johnny and Don Manuel he engaged
an engineer and deck hand and went
up the Sacramento to bring the Mag
gle down to San Francisco. Upon
her arrival she. was hauled out on
the marine ways ut Oakland creek,
cleaned, caulked, andF some new cop
per sheathing put on her bottom. She
was also given a dash of black paint,
had her engines and boilers thorough
ly overhauled and repaired, and
shipped a new propeller that would
add at least knot to her speed. Al
so, she had her stern rebuilt. And
when everything was ready, she slipped
down to the Black Diamond coal bunk
ers and took on enough fuel to car-
ry her to San Pedro; after which
she steamed across the bay to San
Francisco and tied up at Fremont
street wharf.
The cargo came down in boxes, vurl-
ously labeled. There were "agricul-
tural implements" 'cream scparat-
or" 'windmill," and half dozen
"sewing-machines," in addition to
considerable number Of kegs alleged
to contain nails. Most of it came down
after five o'clock I'm the afternoon
after the whart1nger had left tie dock,
and as nothing but Il disordered brain
would have suspected the steamer Mag
gle of an attempt to break the neutral
ity laws, the entire cargo was gotten
aboard safely and without a jot Of
suspicion attaching to the vessel.
When all was in readiness, Captain
Sc:nggs lncontinently ''fired" his deck
hand and engineer and indicted aboard
new crew. carefully selected for their
fllibuster virtues by Scab Johnny him.
self. Then while the new engineer got
up steam, Captain Scraggs Went up to
Scab Johnny's office for his final in
structions and the balance Of the first
instalment due him.
Briefly, his instructions were as fol.
lows: = Upon arrival Off Point Dune
on the southern California coast, he
was to stand in close to Dune cove
under cover of darkness and show two
green lights on the masthead. A man
would come alongside presently in q
small boat, and climb aboard. This
man would be the supercargo and the
confidential envoy of the ins,lrrectO
junta in Los Angeles. Captain Scraggs
was to look TO this man for orders and
to obey him implicitly, as upon this
depended the success OF the expedi-
! tion- This agent of the insurrecto
forces would pay him the balance Of
five thousand dollars due him immedi-
ately upon discharge Of the cargo at
DeScanSo bay. There was q body Of
insurrecto troops encumped ut Megano
rancho, a mile from the beach, and
they would have q barge and small
foats in readiness to lighter the cargo
Scab Johnny explained that he had
promised the crew double wages and
bonus Of a hundred dollars each for
the trip. Don Manuel Garcia Lopez
paid over the requisite amount Of cash,
and half an hour later the Maggie was
steaming down the bay on her perilous
mission.
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No~S Tce,,rN