For a time Uncle Sam searched rum laden boats far out on the high seas, and rum runners were rather cautious. But when other nations protested against such search beyond the three-mile limit, the practice was discontinued. At once whiskey smugglers grew active. Boats came from Bermuda, the Bahama Islands, Cuba, and other West Indian ports, laden with drink. As long as they remained more than three miles from shore, Uncle Sam could not touch them. So these ships dropped anchor just outside the danger zone and there disposed of their cargoes to rum runners in fast power boats. As this practice increased, the little fleet of law enforcement vessels grew busier and busier, and Willie was increasingly useful in communicating with them by wireless. Encouraged by the success of individual vessels in disposing of their cargoes of booze, whiskey ships began to come in greater numbers. One day the marine observers at Atlantic Highlands and Sandy Hook sighted a great fleet of vessels approaching. Two steamships and fourteen schooners dropped anchor near the Ambrose channel and a little east of the Ambrose lightship, just beyond the three-mile limit. The steamer was apparently a tanker. The sailing ships appeared to be fishing smacks that had been converted into rum runners. The flotilla was a rum fleet from the Bahama Islands. At once a swarm of small power boats put off from shore to meet them. The prohibition forces were caught napping. In a few hours’ time thousands of cases of forbidden intoxicants could be carried ashore. There was not a prohibition boat about, to enforce the law. The instant word came to Mr. King from the marine observers, he rang his buzzer for Willie. “Get into touch with our boats,” he directed, “and order them to prepare for instant action. Have the Surveyor come to the Battery landing for me. I’m going to take personal charge of this expedition. We’re going to stop this rum running. These smugglers are a desperate bunch. We’ll have to meet them on their own grounds. Desperate diseases require desperate remedies.” Willie hastened to his wireless. Ship after ship answered his signals, replying that they were ready for an instant dash after the smugglers. But from the Surveyor he could get no answer at all. Again and again he flashed out her signal. Then he called another of the Collector’s boats, to see if he could learn what was wrong with the Surveyor. The answer came back that her operator had suddenly been taken ill and had gone to the hospital. The relief man was ashore. There was no one on the _Surveyor_ to operate the wireless. Willie reported this to his Chief. For a moment Mr. King considered the situation. “There’s only one thing we can do, Willie,” he said. “You’ll have to go along and operate the _Surveyor’s_ wireless. I can’t direct a fleet without a wireless operator.”