“Likely you are correct. He probably got a new cane on each trip. Doubtless it was done by expert workmen at considerable cost. He could afford to, according to what the inspectors telephoned me about the value of the diamonds seized. But I guess Simonski won’t be buying any more canes soon. He’ll get a prison sentence out of this. Sheridan told me you were sharp, but when I sent you to the Majestic I didn’t think that you would really accomplish anything.”
“It was mostly luck,” said Willie. “If the cane had not broken, I doubt if we should have found the diamonds. You never saw a nicer piece of work in your life than that cane.”
“Well, luck or no luck, we got Simonski, and that’s the thing we wanted. The department is immensely pleased.”
The department was no more pleased than Willie was. He was entirely in earnest when he said that the discovery of the diamonds was due to luck, for, had not Simonski momentarily lost his self-control and the cane been broken, it is doubtful if the gems would have been found. None the less, the seizure helped Willie greatly.
Among other things, it helped his bank account. Rather, it gave him one. For his pay was increased and he was now able to save a little each week. It also put him on an even better footing with Mr. King, though the Special Agent by this time had come to think very highly of Willie.
After the exciting days Willie had been passing through, life now seemed very tame. It was as though Willie, after a tempestuous voyage through rapids and rough seas, had suddenly sailed into a placid bit of backwater, where there was no current at all and not wind enough even to stir the surface. Day followed day and week followed week as quietly as time had gone by back in Central City. Like any active lad, Willie loved excitement, and he began almost to chafe under the monotony. For there was little to do besides routine work. Long ago Willie had become familiar with these routine tasks, and there was no longer even the interest of novelty attaching to them.
In one way Willie’s work altered slightly. More and more the chief had to use Willie for wireless communication. This was due to the increasing activities of rum runners. The “dry Navy” of the regular prohibition enforcement officers consisted of submarine chasers that had been built during the war. These were low, speedy craft, about one hundred and ten feet long, with a speed of twenty knots an hour. Every one of these boats was equipped with a complete sending and receiving apparatus of the most efficient type, with both spark and continuous wave transmitters and receivers, and operated by currents of 110 volts. Operators were on duty aboard the various units of the fleet at all hours, in order that there might be no delay in receiving orders, or in dashing off after a rum smuggling vessel.
But, although these vessels of the dry Navy were so completely equipped in this respect, they were sadly lacking in another. Their crews were civilian forces who were practically without authority on the water. Actually, it was always necessary for an officer of the customs department to sail with this fleet, since the customs forces have practically unlimited authority of hail, search, and seizure. Whenever the Special Agent had sound information as to probable violations of the prohibition law, this fleet was at his disposal. And as information came to him frequently, there was much need to communicate with the different vessels of the fleet.
In addition to these craft, there were several other boats that were used for chasing rum runners. These craft were part of the outfit of the Collector of the Port of New York. Among them was a boat, called the Surveyor, used especially to convey searching squads from point to point and to go down the Bay after rum runners. With all these craft at his command, the Special Agent had a considerable fleet of fast power boats.
For a time Uncle Sam searched rum laden boats far out on the high seas, and rum runners were rather cautious. But when other nations protested against such search beyond the three-mile limit, the practice was discontinued. At once whiskey smugglers grew active. Boats came from Bermuda, the Bahama Islands, Cuba, and other West Indian ports, laden with drink. As long as they remained more than three miles from shore, Uncle Sam could not touch them. So these ships dropped anchor just outside the danger zone and there disposed of their cargoes to rum runners in fast power boats. As this practice increased, the little fleet of law enforcement vessels grew busier and busier, and Willie was increasingly useful in communicating with them by wireless.