“Just keep two things in mind,” Nathan said. “Once I send those women over the side, their lives are in your hands. Then, when you have them safely aboard, you are to challenge Stumberg. Once he discovers he has no hostages, he’ll ignore your challenge, and here’s the second thing that had better be strong on your mind. I’ll be lighting the fuse to that canister of powder, and by the time I’m over the side, we’re maybe seven minutes away from hell-fire and brimstone. When I hit the water, I want you watching for me.”
“Count on it,” said Powers.
They were soon under way. With no private quarters and no bunks, it was a tiresome voyage at best. Nathan sat with his back against the pilot house and dozed. Besides Grago, Powers, and Captain Tolliver, there were just four more men aboard, and all of them were on the lower deck. If by some miracle Stumberg heeded the challenge and surrendered, this bunch would play hell boarding and capturing the Queen of Diamonds.
“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 eac
h 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 ...
Chapter 20
Weary of the confines of the Queen of Diamonds, Stumberg’s men wasted no time in reaching the main deck as the vessel neared the Natchez landing. It was a fuel stop, but still it offered a half-hour respite from the incessant pitching of the craft and the throb of the engines. Stumberg himself stood at the rail, watching as cord after cord of wood was loaded to feed the greedy fireboxes. Late as it was, the arrival of a steamboat was still sufficient to attract some townspeople, and that was Stumberg’s reason for being forward, near the rail. His eyes missed nothing and he was suspicious even of the men who brought the wood aboard. But he saw nothing to suggest there was anything amiss, and that made him wonder all the more. Was it possible he might face a blockade farther south, near New Orleans? So be it, he thought grimly. He had the utmost confidence in his men armed with Winchesters, but he was prone to stack the deck in his own favor when possible. Mounted on the forward deck, under wraps, was a well-oiled, fully loaded Gatling gun, and at least four of Stumberg’s men were trained in the use of the formidable weapon.17
Nathan had to fight the current so that he didn’t drift past the Queen of Diamonds. He wanted to board her as near the big paddlewheel as possible, keeping him well within the shadows and well beyond the activity on the landing. Having been to and from St. Louis on the vessel, Nathan had some idea as to how long it would take the crews to load the necessary fuel. There was a chance he might free the captives from the cabins on the first deck and get them over the side before the steamboat left the landing. The sooner they were out of danger the better were Nathan’s chances of escape without discovery. Eventually, by skillful use of the oars, he managed to get the dinghy on a line with the shadowy stern of the Queen of Diamonds. Once he secured the dinghy, it must be far enough from the big paddlewheel that it would not be caught in the undertow when the Queen of Diamonds departed. There was a small chance that Nathan might free the captives and cut the dinghy loose during the fuel stop, but he couldn’t count on that. He had the line ready and when the dinghy bumped into the hull of the Queen, he cast a loop at an iron stanchion that secured the rail of the lower deck. When his loop was secure, he took up the slack until the dinghy was snug against the side of the Queen. Using the heavy rope, Nathan cast and secured a second loop. This line he would use to reach the lower deck. Hopefully, the freed captives would use this same line to descend into the water or the dinghy. To the loose end of the heavy line he secured the canister of powder. This he would hoist to the lower deck when he was aboard. He tested the heavy line, found it secure, and began his ascent.
Reaching the first deck, Nathan drew up the heavy line, released the canister of powder, and dropped the end of the line back into the dinghy. The canister of powder he shoved into a shadowy alcove along a catwalk that led behind the enormous wheel. From there Nathan hurried toward the point where he would enter the closed portion of the deck, his only access to the series of locked cabins. Nathan could hear the crackle of flames and the clatter of wood being chunked into the fireboxes. He noted with satisfaction that the space on either side of the fireboxes had been stacked high with wood, meaning that the firemen had no ready access to the rearmost part of the deck. There was virtually no chance of his being seen by the firemen or the crew loading the wood. Discovery, if it came, would be from the upper deck. The critical moment was at hand. Would Silver’s key fit? Nathan ran to the far end of the corridor and began with the first door on the right. At first the key seemed not to fit, but slowly it turned. The latch yielded to pressure and Nathan swung the door open. A terrified girl with blonde hair sprang off the lower bunk.
“Don’t you dare scream,” Nathan warned. “I’m here to free you
.”
“Thank God,” the girl sobbed.
“I’ll need help,” Nathan said. “Do you know how many others are locked in these cabins?”
“I ... I ... let me think ...”
“Make it quick,” said Nathan. “We don’t have much time.”
“There was fifteen of us to start,” she said in a quavering voice, “but there were stops. I ... don’t know if there ..”
“We’ll find out,” said Nathan. “Help me calm the others. We don’t have time for tears.”
Nathan led her into the corridor and began unlocking doors. Fortunately some of the women were quick to realize they were being freed and were helping to quiet the others. The garments of some were in tatters, some were stripped to the waist, and from their cuts and bruises, all appeared to have been in some way abused. Once they were on the open deck, there must be no delays. Nathan spoke rapidly and the urgency in his voice got their attention.
“All of you are going to have to climb down a rope into a small boat,” he said. “It’ll be crowded. When I cut you loose, take the oars and push your boat away from the steamboat until the current pulls you downstream. A government boat is waiting to take you aboard. Now let’s go.”
Minutes counted. Nathan dared not tell them that should the Queen of Diamonds back away from the landing before the current carried the dinghy away, the little boat would be sucked under and demolished by the huge paddlewheel. While some of the fearful women had bare feet, most of them wore slippers, and it seemed to Nathan the clatter must surely be heard on the upper deck. Nathan began to breathe again when they reached the point on the open deck where the heavy rope led to the dinghy below. Its shape was barely visible in the dark and some of the newly freed captives were looking fearfully toward the dark water that seemed farther away than it was.
“You can see the boat down there,” Nathan said quietly. “Who wants to go first?”
The Dawn of Fury Page 26
