perate need of money, and he had
taken advantage of their necessity by making what to them were
tempting offers. Some boats he had purchased outright, others
chartered for long periods.

These boats would work their way up the Atlantic coast to specified
points on the Jersey and Long Island coastlines. Then they would
discharge their cargoes, and men waiting alongshore with trucks would
carry the liquor to distributing points.

More recently, Captain Folsom added, McKay had begun to utilize radio.
To avoid the employment of more than a minimum force of men, was his
primary object. In the first place, big crews made a steady drain in
wages. Likewise, there was an added danger of mutiny when large crews
were employed. The men were bound to realize that, inasmuch as he was
violating the law, he could not appeal for legal retaliation in case
they should seize a vessel and dispose of it and its contents.
Therefore, he decided to depend on trusty skippers, whom he paid well,
and skeleton crews whom the skippers and mates could control.

Thus the radio-controlled boats, which were really not boats at all,
came into existence. And for their control, the station on Long Island
was established and two others, in isolated spots on the Jersey coast,
were in process of construction when the end came. At the time of
Higginbotham's discovery by the boys and their interference in McKay's
schemes, McKay was absent in New Jersey, personally superintending the
construction of the plants.

Higginbotham, in fleeing from the Brownell place, had neglected some
damaging correspondence which would have betrayed McKay's identity as
the controlling power in the liquor smuggling ring. He had fled to
his employer, and told him of the danger.

At the time, McKay had standing offshore an Eagle boat, built for
submarine chasing during the World War, but which two years earlier
the United States government had sold during a period of reduction of
expenses. This boat he had kept in the Bahamas, but recently had
brought North. He intended to use it to protect liquor runners as
escort, the assumption being that, thinking it one of themselves,
other boats of the "Dry Navy" would leave the vessels alone.

How he had obtained possession of the naval uniforms for his men
Captain Folsom did not know. However, the doughty captain assumed
McKay probably had bought discarded uniforms in some manner, or else
had had them made on order.

When Higginbotham