"Suppose they are shipped from Benicia to the armouries in the city; they are legally Federal property until they are delivered, aren't they?"
"Certainly."
"Well, if the Stranglers should happen to seize them while they're still Federal property, they've committed a definite offence against the United States, haven't they?"
"What do we care about that now?" asked Major Marmaduke Miles, to whom this seemed irrelevant.
But Judge Terry's legal mind was struck with the beauty and simplicity of this ruse.
"Hold on!" he cried. "If we ship them in a boat, the seizure will be piracy. If they intercept those arms, they're pirates, and we can legally call on the Federal forces—and they'll be compelled to respond, egad!"
"They're pretty smart; suppose they smell a rat?" asked Miles doubtfully.
"Then we'll have the muskets where we want them, anyway. It's worth trying," replied Ware.
"I know just the man," put in Terry. "I'll send for him."
Shortly appeared a saturnine, lank, bibulous individual known as Rube Maloney. To him Terry explained. He was to charter a sloop, take the muskets aboard—and get caught.