It does make sense, now they can offer to exchange the two whores for Nootka sound. You could see that Sir Stewart's spymaster was behind it because he is so compliant when Atticus ambushes the coash - "These men are here to rescue you" he says before Atticus blows his brains out for having Winter killed. The spymaster didn't envisage James' scumbag mercenary friends would have such loyalty to him, Atticus knew from the 1st second James wouldn't hurt Winter.

One of the spymaster's minions must have saw James crashed out on the shore with Winter asleep near him (as she likely would) and thought "this is the perfect opportunity to frame him" with the plan being that the irate mother would grass him up for the saltpeter theft - which she did - and then they could keep the mother safe and arrange a trade with James - the testifying witness against his gang for the Nootka treaty.

@krashd said:

Atticus knew from the 1st second James wouldn't hurt Winter.

How would he know that? James sealed up the hull in order to drown an entire ship full of Darkies. And he claims to have done far worse than that during his time in Africa. Not like James' hands have been soaking in Ivory liquid. He's more than capable of gutting a pickaninny, and given the duplicity and untrustworthiness of the whoremaster that looked over her, it isn't hard to imagine a scenario where James would have incentive to do so.

Because he could tell James wasn't the sort to just go around eating the livers of children. Atticus himself is no saint, he kills folk willy nilly but you get the impression he wouldn't turn a street urchin in to a meat pie and despite them both and everyone they know being criminals in one form or another I don't reckon Atticus would work for a monster.

Well I guess if he were smart, he wouldn't be living on skid row in the first place. James is EXACTLY the type of person that would turn a street urchin in to a meat pie.