“No; his eyes and his wits were at work, though his ears were useless and his utterance fettered. He has given me in writing a minute description of the mysterious person, and it answers exactly to Haywood’s appearance. Besides there will be Jessup’s evidence.”
“Ay,” said Mr. Stark; “and you now see that I was right in keeping Jessup’s agency in the matter a secret from Carlos Conrad. Had your cousin known of his presence and mission in Dalton, he might have seriously retarded his progress. Jessup, alone and unaided, has followed Haywood up, has learned that he has some secret connection with Jake Heath, and that Jake Heath visits Rocky Beach in the night and takes away goods, concealing them in bales of wool that are shipped to Jacob Rush, of Jersey City.”
“Yes,” said Leonard, “the man whose card was found in the yacht in which I made my escape.”
“We have learned,” continued Mr. Stark, “that Rush has frequent communication with Haywood, occasionally sending him large sums of money. And further my secret agents have bought laces, and other fine goods of foreign manufacture, of Rush, at prices considerably below the market rates.”
“It now remains,” said Leonard, “to get another witness to the identity of Haywood with the ‘boss,’ so that we can descend with an avalanche of testimony that will be irresistible, and capture Snags.”
“Jessup will manage the first point, I am sure. He is now morally certain, as well as we all are, that Haywood is the man. He has seen him visit Rocky Beach repeatedly, but never yet when any goods were being run in. It is certain, from what Luke Felton declares, that Haywood is occasionally there at such times, and the one desirablething is for Jessup to be witness of the fact with his own eyes.”
“His post of observation is a good one,” said Leonard.
“Yes, from the top of the old tree he can see everything that goes on below. No one can enter the cavern or come out of it and escape his view. The plan is this: A revenue cutter will take notice of any strange craft that hovers about Rocky Beach or the coast in its vicinity, and any discovery that is made will be telegraphed to Jessup at Dalton. He will then keep an extra watch on Haywood’s movements, noticing whether he receives any message from Roake. If any such message is delivered, Jessup will telegraph to me, and I will dispatch the revenue cutter Porter to the spot, in readiness for a chase and a fight. In the evening Jessup will repair to his post on the summit of the Rocks, and if he makes satisfactory discoveries, will give the signal for the Porter to attack the smugglers’ ship. Then there will be lively work and a big haul!”
“All this is well planned, so far as the smuggling business is concerned,” said Leonard; “but do you think it will result in the vindication of Carlos?”
“I have my own ideas on that point,” said Mr. Stark, “and they amount to positive convictions. First, when Haywood is arrested, and sees the hopelessness of his case, he will give up and admit that Snags committed the murder. Or, if he does not admit it, your own testimony of Snag’s confession to you will be sufficient. For Haywood’s character will be shown in its true light, and your own instrumentality in the exposure of the smuggling business will tell greatly in your favor. Secondly, as to Snags. It is true that he has disappeared from Rocky Beach, and that no trace of him can be found. It is highly probable that he has been transferred to the smugglers’ ship, and that when we capture the ship we will capture him. I’ll warrant then that he can be made to confess, and surrender the letter that he took from your murdered uncle’s hand.”