ertheless it's goin' to develop a heap o' curiosity regardin'
what we do with 'em. If we're caught sneakin' 'em into Mexico
we'll spend the rest of our lives in a Federal penitentiary for
bustin' the neutrality laws. All them rifles an' the ammunition
is cased an' in my basement at the present moment--and the
government agents knows they're there. But that ain't troubling
me. I rent the saloon next door an' I'll cut a 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 a 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_?"

"I'd have to spend about two thousand dollars on her to put her
in condition for the voyage," Scraggs replied.

"Can do," Scab Johnny answered him briefly, and Senor Lopez
nodded acquiescence. "You discharge on a lighter 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' I got to be well paid for it."

Again Senor Lopez nodded. What did he care? It wasn't his money.

"I'll furnish you with our own crew just before you sail," Scab
Johnny continued. "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, perfect gentleman that he was, demanded no receipt. As a
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 a deck hand and went up the Sacramento to
bring the _Maggie_ down to San Francisco. Upon her arrival she
was hauled out on the marine ways at Oakland creek, cleaned,
caulked, and some new copper sheathing put on her bottom. She was
also given a dash of black paint, had her engines and boilers
thoroughly overhauled and repaired, and shipped a new propeller
that would add at least a knot to her speed. Also, she had her
stern rebuilt. And when everything was ready, she slipped down to
the Black Diamond coal bunkers and took on enough fuel to carry
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, variously la