The Dawn of Fury (39 page)

“This is typical army,” Grago said, hunkering beside Nathan. “You wait, and wait, and then wait some more.”

“Answer me a question,” said Nathan. “I want Stumberg's hide, so goin' after him this way is my kind of justice. But you said, with testimony from Trinity, you could hang Stumberg. Hell, the army's got jurisdiction everywhere. Why didn't you just arrest the varmint in St. Louis?”

“I favored that,” Grago said, “but I was outranked. My superiors want him nailed with the goods, but they've underestimated him. Captain Tolliver, Captain Powers, and myself are armed with Winchesters, and so are the men on the lower deck, but can you imagine us commandeering Stumberg's craft, should he actually heed our command to surrender?”

“No,” said Nathan. “I've never even considered that, because Stumberg's never going to surrender. We'll have to blow the damn boat with him aboard, or allow him to escape to Mexico.”

“Why are you so certain he's going to Mexico?”

“Some of Stumberg's conversation was overheard and passed on to Silver and me. There was talk about the dark of the moon and international waters. Before you ever talked to me, you people knew there would be women aboard, bound for Mexico, didn't you?”

“Perhaps,” said Grago cautiously.

“Perhaps, hell,” Nathan said. “You've been watching Stumberg's activities in St. Louis, and you know he's not taking his usual load of high rollers back to New Orleans.”

“Proving exactly what?” Grago demanded.

“Proving that you
knew
Stumberg was about to run for it, that you knew or suspected this would be your last chance to get your hands on him. What I don't understand is how you aimed to stop him, with all those women locked in cabins on the first deck.”

“That,” said Grago, “is something you will never know. I can tell you this and no more. We knew, after receiving Silver's telegram, that the
Queen of Diamonds
was returning to St. Louis after a long absence. It wasn't all that difficult to learn, from Stumberg's actions, what he probably planned to do. There was an alternate plan that may or may not have involved Silver, but we scuttled that, after talking to you.”

“I'm flattered,” Nathan said.

“Don't be,” said Grago, “and don't waste your time meditating on all the things I haven't told you.”

“Maybe I'll just back out,” Nathan said, “and let you resurrect your alternate plan.”

“I don't believe you will,” said Grago. “There would be some very serious consequences.”

“You're right,” Nathan said. “I won't back off, but not because I care a damn for your consequences.”

That ended their conversation. The officer walked away and Nathan tipped his hat over his eyes, not caring if Grago shared their conversation with his superior, Captain Powers. Time dragged. Nathan could almost measure their progress by the westering sun warming him through the glass of the pilot house. He seemed to be dozing when Powers spoke.

“There's food below, if you're hungry.”

“Thanks,” said Nathan, but he wasn't hungry. Occasionally he rose to dip a tin cup of water from the water keg beside the pilot house. Satisfying his thirst, he again settled down, apparently to doze. But his mind was unable to rest, for it drifted back to Barnabas McQueen's place, to a lonely grave beneath the oaks ...

With a blast from her whistle, the Queen of Diamonds had just backed away from the landing at Vicksburg, pausing only long enough to take on more wood. French Stumberg reclined in his cabin, his mind racing ahead to his final and most profitable transaction. Within a matter of hours he would rid himself of his human cargo and be on his way to a life of luxury in Mexico. For a moment he regretted leaving his empire behind, but the Federals had the war behind them and were turning their attention to other matters, and French Stumberg had been high on their list of priorities. Of course, they would seize all his gambling emporiums, but they would find little. Stumberg had drained off all but a few hundred dollars to keep the doors open, and in the safe next to his bunk was more than a quarter of a million dollars in gold. Aboard were a dozen trusted men, all heavily armed. Stumberg had hated leaving Drew Shanklin behind, but there was no help for it. Sacrifices had been necessary to create the illusion that French Stumberg was in New Orleans to stay. Even his apparent interest in horse racing had been contrived. Now he wondered where and how his departure would be challenged, for there had been a telegram waiting for him in St. Louis from his contact in Washington. He knew they had been watching him, but he didn't believe they could stop him before the Queen could reach international waters. The vessel was worth a fortune, but there he must abandon her, for there was no other way ...

It was still daylight when the government packet reached Natchez, and it was time to take on wood. The craft must keep up steam, for it must be ready for pursuit. While the
Queen of Diamonds
would stop for fuel, that wouldn't delay her very long. Captain Powers hunkered down beside Nathan, and finally he spoke.

“How are you feeling, Stone?”

“Sick,” Nathan replied. “Sick of this damn boat.”

Powers laughed. “That makes two of us. The most difficult part of any maneuver is the waiting.”

“There's somethin' I've been overlooking,” said Nathan. “I'm dead sure Stumberg plans to make a run for Mexico, but where's he goin' to get wood for the steamboat?”

“He'll take on enough wood here at Natchez to reach international water,” Powers said. “There's a sailing ship—a craft flying Mexican colors—waiting for him. His partner in white slavery, we think.”

“Well, by God,” said Nathan, “you've known this all along, and you've left me to piece it together as best I could.”

“I saw no reason to involve you to that degree,” Powers said. “If your plan works, it won't matter if the entire Mexican fleet's out there.”

“From talkin' to Grago,” said Nathan, “I get the feeling your whole damn operation depended on Byron Silver, and that you're taking me as a poor second.”

“If your pride is suffering, put it to rest,” Powers said. “As I am sure Mr. Grago told you, what we might have done is of no consequence. The fact is, your tactics are much like Silver's. This plan of yours is daring enough and dangerous enough to have been conceived by him. Are you sure it wasn't?”

“Silver told me almost nothing,” Nathan replied. “Now that I'm neck-deep in this, I wish he had told me what he had in mind.”

“When this is over,” Powers said, “assuming that you survive, you will have earned the right to ask him what he might have done. For the next few hours, however, I'd suggest you free your mind of everything except what lies ahead.”

The packet had drawn up several hundred yards above the Natchez landing, near a series of warehouses. It would appear as a dark hulk by the time the
Queen of Diamonds
arrived, for there would be no moon. Somewhere in the nearby town—probably in a courthouse tower on the square—was a clock, and a light breeze carried the sound of it each time it struck the hour. When it struck ten, Grago, Powers, and Tolliver joined Nathan for a final briefing.

“The
Queen
will head in to the landing to take on wood,” Nathan said, “and while she's at rest, I'm going aboard. Once they've passed us, let down the dinghy. While they're on the move, the undertow from that paddlewheel could swallow me like the whale took Jonah. When they leave Natchez, stay far enough behind so they can't see you, but close enough for you to see me. Once I free those women and get them over the side, don't waste any time in getting them aboard. I can't make my move until you challenge Stumberg, and if I'm discovered before your challenge, the varmint will escape and I'll be dead. Now is there anything we've forgotten?”

“Maybe,” said Captain Tolliver. “Suppose some of those captive women you'll be shoving over the side can't swim?”

“My God,” Nathan said, “I don't know. Suppose I roped the dinghy to the
Queen's
rail, and let the captives down into it?”

“For one thing,” said Grago, “if there's more than a dozen, there won't be room. But what choice do we have?”

“None,” Powers said. “Stone, you'll have to secure the dinghy and assist those women in getting aboard it. It's going to double your risk, because it will require some time. We can't challenge the vessel until those hostages are clear of it, and we don't know for sure how many there'll be.”

“There's sixteen cabins,” Nathan said, “and there could be two women in each of them. Damn it, Powers, your people had Stumberg watched while he and the Queen were in St. Louis. Why don't you
know
how many women are aboard?”

“Because these women were taken aboard against their will,” said Powers, “and they were loaded somewhere south of St. Louis. Stumberg hired attractive women to entertain men in his gambling houses, and these voluntarily left St. Louise aboard the
Queen of Diamonds.
Those who were victims of the white slavery trade were never taken aboard at the same place, and that's why it's been damn near impossible to catch Stumberg with the goods. Are you satisfied?”

“No,” Nathan said, “but there's nothin' I can do about it. See that I've got plenty of rope to secure the dinghy once I'm aboard the
Queen,
and I want forty feet of the heaviest line you have. If these poor souls have to climb down a rope, make it heavy enough for them to get a grip on it. I'll do my best to get them over the side and into the dinghy, if possible. From there on, it's up to you hombres. I may not hear you after you've challenged the
Queen of Diamonds.
When Stumberg defies your challenge, fire one shot from a Winchester. That will signal me to light the fuse to the powder and get the hell out of there. Are we together on that?”

“Yes,” Powers said. “I will issue the challenge, and Mr. Grago, you will fire the warning shot.”

They seemed capable enough. Nathan felt he should have more confidence in them than he did, but jagged slivers of doubt flickered like lightning on the distant horizons of his mind. Mentally he tried to picture the lower deck of the
Queen of Diamonds
and the distance from the captive cabins to the trailing dinghy. Would he have a flock of hysterical females on his hands as he sought to elude discovery by the men feeding the fireboxes on the forward deck? His train of thought was derailed by the excited voice of Captain Tolliver.

“Yonder she comes!”

With a blast of her whistle, running lights aglow, the
Queen of Diamonds
swept in to the landing.

“The dinghy's in the water,” Captain Powers announced. “When you are ready, Stone, we'll let you down and lower the canister of powder.”

“I'm ready,” Nathan said. “Let's go.”

Backwash from the larger craft lapped water against the hull of the packet as Nathan let himself down toward the bobbing dinghy below. He clung to the rope until he gained his balance in the dinghy. Powers then dropped the heavy rope that Nathan had used in his descent, and Nathan coiled it. Next came the canister of powder. The long fuse had been coiled and tied. When Nathan had the canister safely in the dinghy, Powers spoke softly.

“You have heavy rope, powder canister, and fuse. Do you have matches?”

“Yes,” Nathan replied, “and I'm ready with the oars. Release the dinghy.”

The little craft was caught up and pulled away into the darkness ...