As Morrell had surmised1, Keith decided2 to pass on the news for what it was worth. The committee believed it, and was filled with consternation3 at the incredible folly4 of the projected show of armed force.
"This is not peace, but war," said Coleman, "which we are trying to avert5!"
The Executive Committee went into immediate6 session. It was now evident that the disbanding would have to be indefinitely postponed7. An extraordinary program to meet the emergency was discussed piecemeal8. One of its details had to do with the shipment of arms from Benicia. The committee here fell neatly9 into the trap prepared for it. In all probability no one clearly realized the legal status of the muskets10, but all supposed them already to belong to the State that was threatening to use them. Charles Doane, instructed to take the steps necessary to their capture, called to him the chief of the harbour police.
"Have you a small vessel11 ready for immediate service?" he asked this man.
"Yes, a sloop12, at the foot of this street."
"Be ready to sail in half an hour."
Doane then turned the job over to a trustworthy, quick-witted man named John Durkee. The latter selected twelve to assist him, among whom was Keith, at the latter's especial request. Morrell, loitering near, saw this band depart for the water front, and followed them far enough to watch them embark13, to witness the hoisting14 of the sloop's sails, and to see the craft heel to the evening breeze and slip away around the point. All things were going well. The committee suspected nothing of the plot to fasten the crime of piracy15 on it; Keith was out of the way. Morrell turned on his heel and walked rapidly to his rendezvous16 with Sansome.
Durkee and his sloop beat for some hours against wind and tide; but finally, so strong were both, he was forced to anchor in San Pablo Bay until conditions had somewhat modified. Finally, he was able to get under way again, A number of craft were sailing about, and one by one these were overhauled17, commanded to lay to, and boarded in true piratical style. It was fun for everybody. The breeze blew in strongly from the Golden Gate, the waves chopped and danced merrily, the little sloop dipped her rail and flew along at a speed that justified18 her reputation as a racer, gulls19 followed curiously20. But there were no practical results. Every sailing craft they overhauled proved innocent, and either indignant or sarcastic21. The sun dipped, and the short twilight22 of this latitude23 was almost immediately succeeded by a brilliant night. Slowly the breeze died, until the little sloop could just crawl along. It grew chilly24, and there was no food aboard. A less persistent25 man than John Durkee would have felt justified in giving it up and heading for home; but John had been instructed to cruise until he captured the arms; and he profanely26 announced his intention of so doing.
In this he was more faithful to his superiors than the notorious Rube Maloney to his employers. It was to the interest of the Law and Order party that Rube and his precious crew should be promptly27 and easily captured. They had been instructed to carry boldly and flagrantly, in full daylight, down the middle of the bay. But Terry's permission, to lay in "refreshments28" at cost of the conspirators29 had been liberally interpreted. By six o'clock Rube had just sense enough left to drop anchor off Pueblo30 Point. There the three jolly mariners31 proceeded to celebrate; and there they would probably have lain undiscovered had less of a bulldog than Durkee been sent after them.
As it was, midnight had passed before Durkee's keen eyes caught the loom32 of some object in the black mist close under the point. Quietly he eased off the sheet and bore down on it. As soon as he ascertained33 definitely that the object was indeed a boat, he ran alongside. The twelve men boarded with a rush: they found themselves in possession of an empty deck. From the hatch came the reek34 of alcohol and the sound of hearty35 snoring. The capture was made.
In a half hour the transfer of the muskets and the three prisoners was accomplished36. The latter offered no resistance, but seemed cross at being awakened37. Leaving the vessel anchored off the point, the little sloop stood away again for San Francisco, reaching the California Street wharf38 shortly after daylight. Here she was moored39, and one of the crew was dispatched to the committee for further instructions and grub. He returned after an hour, but was preceded somewhat by the grub.
"They say to deliver the muskets at headquarters," he reported, "but to turn the prisoners loose."
"Turn them loose!" cried Durkee, astonished.
"That's what they said," repeated the messenger. "And here's written orders," and he displayed a paper signed by the well-known "33, Secretary," and bearing the Vigilante seal of the open eye.
"All right," acquiesced40 Durkee. "Now, you mangy hounds, you've got just about twenty-eight seconds to make yourselves as scarce as your virtues41. Scat!"
Rube and his two companions had several of the twenty-eight seconds to spare; but once they had lost sight of their captors, they moderated their pace. They had been much depressed42, but now they cheered up and swaggered. A few drinks restored them to normal, and they were able to put a good face on the report they now made to their employers, all of whom, including Terry, had gathered thus early to receive them. After all, things had gone well: they had been actually captured, which was the essential thing, and it did not seem necessary to go into extraneous43 details.
"Good!" cried Terry, who had come down from Sacramento personally to superintend the working out of this latest ruse44.
He was illegally absent from his court, meddling45 illegally with matters not in his jurisdiction46. "Now we must get a warrant for piracy into the hands of the United States Marshal. Send him alone, with no deputies. When he makes his deposition47 of resistance, then we shall see!"
The marshal found Durkee still at the wharf, seated on an upturned cask.
"I have this warrant for your arrest!" he proclaimed in a voice purposely loud.
"Yes? Let's see it," rejoined Durkee, lazily reaching out his hand.
He read the document through leisurely48. His features betrayed no hint of his thoughts, but nevertheless his brain was very active. He read that he was accused of piracy against the might and majesty49 of the United States Government; and as his eyes slowly followed the involved and redundant50 legal phraseology, he reviewed the situation. The nature, of the trap became to him, partly evident. There was no doubt that technically51 he was a pirate, if these arms--as it seemed--belonged to the Government and not to the State. The punishment of piracy was death. Without appreciation52 of the fact, the committee had made him liable to the death penalty. And he had no doubt that the Federal Courts of California, as then constituted, would visit that penalty on him. He raised his head and looked about him. Within call were lounging a dozen resolute53 men belonging to the Committee of Vigilance. He had but to raise his voice to bring them to his assistance. Once inside Fort Gunnybags he knew that the committee would stand behind him to the last man.
But John Durkee had imagination as well as bulldog persistency54. His mind flashed ahead into the future, envisaging55 the remoter consequences. He saw the majesty of the law's forces invoked56 to back this warrant which the tremendous power of the disciplined Vigilantes would repulse57; he saw reinforcements, summoned. What reinforcements? A smile flitted across his lips, and he glanced up at the warship58 _John Adams_ riding at anchor outside, her guns, their tampons in place, staring blackly at the city. He saw the whole plot.
"That's all right," he told the waiting marshal, folding the warrant and returning it to him. "Put your paper in your pocket. I'll go with you."
By this quietly courageous59 and intelligent deed John Durkee completely frustrated60 the fourth and most dangerous effort of the Law and Order party. There was no legal excuse for calling on Federal forces to take one man-- who peaceably surrendered!
Undoubtedly61, had not matters taken the decided and critical turn soon to be detailed62, Durkee would have been immediately brought to trial, and perhaps executed. As it was, even the most rabid of the Law and Order party agreed it was inexpedient to press matters. The case was postponed again and again, and did not come to trial until several months, by which time the Vigilantes had practically finished their work. The law finally saved its face by charging the jury that "if they believed the prisoners took the arms with the intention of appropriating them to their own use and permanently63 depriving the owner of them, then they were guilty. But if they took them only for the purpose of preventing their being used against themselves and their associates, then they were not guilty." Under which hair-splitting and convenient interpretation64 the "pirates" went free, and everybody was satisfied!
1 surmised | |
v.臆测,推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 );揣测;猜想 | |
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2 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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3 consternation | |
n.大为吃惊,惊骇 | |
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4 folly | |
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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5 avert | |
v.防止,避免;转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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6 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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7 postponed | |
vt.& vi.延期,缓办,(使)延迟vt.把…放在次要地位;[语]把…放在后面(或句尾)vi.(疟疾等)延缓发作(或复发) | |
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8 piecemeal | |
adj.零碎的;n.片,块;adv.逐渐地;v.弄成碎块 | |
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9 neatly | |
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地 | |
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10 muskets | |
n.火枪,(尤指)滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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11 vessel | |
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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12 sloop | |
n.单桅帆船 | |
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13 embark | |
vi.乘船,着手,从事,上飞机 | |
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14 hoisting | |
起重,提升 | |
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15 piracy | |
n.海盗行为,剽窃,著作权侵害 | |
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16 rendezvous | |
n.约会,约会地点,汇合点;vi.汇合,集合;vt.使汇合,使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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17 overhauled | |
v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 );大修;赶上;超越 | |
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18 justified | |
a.正当的,有理的 | |
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19 gulls | |
n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 ) | |
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20 curiously | |
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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21 sarcastic | |
adj.讥讽的,讽刺的,嘲弄的 | |
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22 twilight | |
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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23 latitude | |
n.纬度,行动或言论的自由(范围),(pl.)地区 | |
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24 chilly | |
adj.凉快的,寒冷的 | |
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25 persistent | |
adj.坚持不懈的,执意的;持续的 | |
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26 profanely | |
adv.渎神地,凡俗地 | |
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27 promptly | |
adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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28 refreshments | |
n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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29 conspirators | |
n.共谋者,阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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30 pueblo | |
n.(美国西南部或墨西哥等)印第安人的村庄 | |
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31 mariners | |
海员,水手(mariner的复数形式) | |
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32 loom | |
n.织布机,织机;v.隐现,(危险、忧虑等)迫近 | |
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33 ascertained | |
v.弄清,确定,查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34 reek | |
v.发出臭气;n.恶臭 | |
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35 hearty | |
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的 | |
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36 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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37 awakened | |
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到 | |
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38 wharf | |
n.码头,停泊处 | |
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39 moored | |
adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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40 acquiesced | |
v.默认,默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41 virtues | |
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处 | |
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42 depressed | |
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的 | |
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43 extraneous | |
adj.体外的;外来的;外部的 | |
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44 ruse | |
n.诡计,计策;诡计 | |
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45 meddling | |
v.干涉,干预(他人事务)( meddle的现在分词 ) | |
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46 jurisdiction | |
n.司法权,审判权,管辖权,控制权 | |
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47 deposition | |
n.免职,罢官;作证;沉淀;沉淀物 | |
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48 leisurely | |
adj.悠闲的;从容的,慢慢的 | |
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49 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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50 redundant | |
adj.多余的,过剩的;(食物)丰富的;被解雇的 | |
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51 technically | |
adv.专门地,技术上地 | |
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52 appreciation | |
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 | |
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53 resolute | |
adj.坚决的,果敢的 | |
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54 persistency | |
n. 坚持(余辉, 时间常数) | |
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55 envisaging | |
想像,设想( envisage的现在分词 ) | |
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56 invoked | |
v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 );行使(权利等);祈求救助;恳求 | |
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57 repulse | |
n.击退,拒绝;vt.逐退,击退,拒绝 | |
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58 warship | |
n.军舰,战舰 | |
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59 courageous | |
adj.勇敢的,有胆量的 | |
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60 frustrated | |
adj.挫败的,失意的,泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 );挫败;使受挫折;令人沮丧 | |
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61 undoubtedly | |
adv.确实地,无疑地 | |
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62 detailed | |
adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的 | |
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63 permanently | |
adv.永恒地,永久地,固定不变地 | |
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64 interpretation | |
n.解释,说明,描述;艺术处理 | |
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