Cheyenne Wells record., 1922-03-16


tentiary for Dustin the neutrality laws.
All them rifles an the ammunition Is
cased an In my basement ut the pres
ept moment-and the government
agents knows they're there. But that
amt troubling me. 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 l got the watcher spotted-only
he don't know 1t. Our only trouble
Is a ship. How about the MaggieT'
"rd 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 Senor Lopez nodded ac-
quiescence. "You discharge on light
er at DescansO bay about twenty miles
below Ensenada. WhatlI 1t cost us?"
"Ten thousand dollars. in addition
to tixin' up the Maggie. Half down
and half on delivery. I'm riskin' my
hide an my ticket an got to be well
paid for it."
Again Senior Lopez nodded. What
did he care? 1t wasn't his money.
"IIl furnish you with our own crew
just before you sail" Scab. Johnny con-
tInued. "Get busy"
"Gimme a thousand for preliminary
| expenses" Scraggs demanded. "After
that Speed Is my middle name."
The charming Senor Lopez produced
| the money In crisp new bills and, per-
feet gentleman that he was. demanded
no receipt. AS matter of fact,
Scraggs would not have given him one.
The two weeks that followed were
busy ones for Captain Scraggs. The
day after his interview with Scab
| Johnny and Don Manuel he engaged
an engineer and n 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 at Oakland creek,
cleaned, caulked, and some new cop
per sheathing put on her bottom. She
was also given dash of black paint,
had her engines and boilers thorough
| ly overhauled and repaired. and
shipped 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, vari-
ously labeled. There were "agricul-
tural Implements" "cream separat-
or" windmill" and half a dozen
"sewing-machines," In addition to
considerable number of kegs alleged
to contain nails. Most Of 1t came down
after five o'clock In the afternoon
after the wharfinger had left the dock,
and as nothing but a dlsordered 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 tot of
suspicion attaching to the vessel.
| When all was In readiness, Captain
Scraggs incOntinently fired" his deck
hand and engineer and inducted aboard
n new crew, carefully selected for their
filibuster 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
structlons and the balance of the first
instulment 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
small boat, and climb aboard. This
man would be the supercargo and the
confidential envoy Of the insurrecto
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 expedl-
tion. This agent of. the insurrecto
forces would pay him the balance Of
five thousand dollars due him immed,
ately upon discharge of the cargo at
Descanso bay. There was a body Of
insurrecto troops encamped at Megano
rancho. a mile from the beach, and
they would have barge and small
boats In readiness to lighter the cargo.
Scab Johnny explained that he had
promised the crew double wages and
a bonus Of 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
steamlng down the bay on her perilous
mission.
The sun was setting as they passed
out the Golden gate and swung down
the south channel, and with the wind
on her beam, the aged Maggie did nine
knots. Late in the afternoon of the
following day she was off the Santa
Barbara channel, and about midnight
she ran in under the lee Of Point Dune
and lay to. The mate hung out the
green signal lights. and in about an
hour Captain Scraggs heard the sound