The crowd broke into wild huzzas. Volney Howard and Richard Ashe, the naval officer, paused on a near-by corner, attracted by the uproar. Howard scowled and muttered something about "damned pork merchants," but he looked uneasy. * * * * * The Vigilance Committee, undaunted by Governor Johnson's proclamation or the efforts of the Law and Order element, continued quietly the work of ridding San Francisco of its criminals and undesirables. On June 10 the National Guard of San Francisco disbanded and Marshal Hampton North resigned. Rumor had it that the Vigilance Committee's work was finished. On July 4 they would disband with a great public demonstration, it was rumored. Coleman did not deny this. On July 19 came news that rifles and ammunition were being shipped from Benicia; Wool was said at last to have capitulated. But it turned out to be a small annual replenishment order of 130 muskets with a few rounds of powder and ball. Later came the exciting rumors that John Durkee, Charles Rand and a crew of ten men had captured the sloop carrying these arms on the bay; had arrested Reuben Maloney, John Phillips and a man named McNab. The arms were brought to Committee Headquarters in San Francisco. On arrival there, perhaps through oversight, the prisoners were released. * * * * * The Vigilance Committee made two serious mistakes. They fell into the Law and Order trap by committing an act of technical piracy. From this Durkee saved them by taking upon himself the legal onus of the seizure. The second error, though a minor one, proved much more serious. They sent Sterling Hopkins, a vainglorious, witless, overzealous wight, to rearrest Maloney. Coleman was not responsible for this; nor were the Vigilantes in a larger sense, for a few hotheads in temporary command issued the order. Hopkins, glorying in the quest, for any errand of authority made him big with pride, set out alone to execute it. He found Maloney in the office of Dr. Richard P. Ashe, United States naval agent. Ashe was companioned by adherents of the Law and Order faction, among them Justice David S. Terry. Pushing the doorkeeper rudely aside, Hopkins entered the room. "Come with me, Reub Maloney," he commanded, "you're under arrest." Maloney shrank into a corner. Ashe stepped in the constable's path. "Get out of here!" he thundered. "As a Federal officer I order you to begone!" "And I, as a judge and a Southern gentleman, will kick you out, suh." Judge Terry moved menacing forward. His eyes flashed. Several others joined him. They took Hopkins by the shoulders and pushed him none too gently out of the room. The door closed. He stood for a moment in the hall, muttering in his outraged dignity. Then he turned and ran toward Fort Vigilance. "We've scared the dirty peddler," Ashe said, as they watched his flying footsteps from a window.