tales of the fish patrol-第13章

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stroke；　up　to　the　moment　we　passed　them；　when　they　recognized

Charley　and　me。　　That　took　the　last　bit　of　fight　out　of　them。　　They

hauled　in　their　oars；　and　sullenly　submitted　to　arrest。



〃Well；　Charley；〃　Neil　Partington　said；　as　we　discussed　it　on　the

wharf　afterward；　〃I　fail　to　see　where　your　boasted　imagination　came

into　play　this　time。〃



But　Charley　was　true　to　his　hobby。　　〃Imagination？〃　he　demanded；

pointing　to　the　Streak。　　〃Look　at　that！　just　look　at　it！　　If　the

invention　of　that　isn't　imagination；　I　should　like　to　know　what

is。〃



〃Of　course；〃　he　added；　〃it's　the　other　fellow's　imagination；　but　it

did　the　work　all　the　same。〃







CHARLEY'S　COUP







Perhaps　our　most　laughable　exploit　on　the　fish　patrol；　and　at　the

same　time　our　most　dangerous　one；　was　when　we　rounded　in；　at　a

single　haul；　an　even　score　of　wrathful　fishermen。　　Charley　called

it　a　〃coop；〃　having　heard　Neil　Partington　use　the　term；　but　I　think

he　misunderstood　the　word；　and　thought　it　meant　〃coop；〃　to　catch；

to　trap。　　The　fishermen；　however；　coup　or　coop；　must　have　called　it

a　Waterloo；　for　it　was　the　severest　stroke　ever　dealt　them　by　the

fish　patrol；　while　they　had　invited　it　by　open　and　impudent

defiance　of　the　law。



During　what　is　called　the　〃open　season〃　the　fishermen　might　catch

as　many　salmon　as　their　luck　allowed　and　their　boats　could　hold。

But　there　was　one　important　restriction。　　From　sun…down　Saturday

night　to　sun…up　Monday　morning；　they　were　not　permitted　to　set　a

net。　　This　was　a　wise　provision　on　the　part　of　the　Fish　Commission；

for　it　was　necessary　to　give　the　spawning　salmon　some　opportunity

to　ascend　the　river　and　lay　their　eggs。　　And　this　law；　with　only　an

occasional　violation；　had　been　obediently　observed　by　the　Greek

fishermen　who　caught　salmon　for　the　canneries　and　the　market。



One　Sunday　morning；　Charley　received　a　telephone　call　from　a　friend

in　Collinsville；　who　told　him　that　the　full　force　of　fishermen　was

out　with　its　nets。　　Charley　and　I　jumped　into　our　salmon　boat　and

started　for　the　scene　of　the　trouble。　　With　a　light　favoring　wind

at　our　back　we　went　through　the　Carquinez　Straits；　crossed　Suisun

Bay；　passed　the　Ship　Island　Light；　and　came　upon　the　whole　fleet　at

work。



But　first　let　me　describe　the　method　by　which　they　worked。　　The　net

used　is　what　is　known　as　a　gill…net。　　It　has　a　simple　diamond…

shaped　mesh　which　measures　at　least　seven　and　one…half　inches

between　the　knots。　　From　five　to　seven　and　even　eight　hundred　feet

in　length；　these　nets　are　only　a　few　feet　wide。　　They　are　not

stationary；　but　float　with　the　current；　the　upper　edge　supported　on

the　surface　by　floats；　the　lower　edge　sunk　by　means　of　leaden

weights；



This　arrangement　keeps　the　net　upright　in　the　current　and

effectually　prevents　all　but　the　smaller　fish　from　ascending　the

river。　　The　salmon；　swimming　near　the　surface；　as　is　their　custom；

run　their　heads　through　these　meshes；　and　are　prevented　from　going

on　through　by　their　larger　girth　of　body；　and　from　going　back

because　of　their　gills；　which　catch　in　the　mesh。　　It　requires　two

fishermen　to　set　such　a　net；　…　one　to　row　the　boat；　while　the

other；　standing　in　the　stern；　carefully　pays　out　the　net。　　When　it

is　all　out；　stretching　directly　across　the　stream；　the　men　make

their　boat　fast　to　one　end　of　the　net　and　drift　along　with　it。



As　we　came　upon　the　fleet　of　law…breaking　fishermen；　each　boat　two

or　three　hundred　yards　from　its　neighbors；　and　boats　and　nets

dotting　the　river　as　far　as　we　could　see；　Charley　said：



〃I've　only　one　regret；　lad；　and　that　is　that　I　have'nt　a　thousand

arms　so　as　to　be　able　to　catch　them　all。　　As　it　is；　we'll　only　be

able　to　catch　one　boat；　for　while　we　are　tackling　that　one　it　will

be　up　nets　and　away　with　the　rest。〃



As　we　drew　closer；　we　observed　none　of　the　usual　flurry　and

excitement　which　our　appearance　invariably　produced。　　Instead；　each

boat　lay　quietly　by　its　net；　while　the　fishermen　favored　us　with

not　the　slightest　attention。



〃It's　curious；〃　Charley　muttered。　　〃Can　it　be　they　don't　recognize

us？〃



I　said　that　it　was　impossible；　and　Charley　agreed；　yet　there　was　a

whole　fleet；　manned　by　men　who　knew　us　only　too　well；　and　who　took

no　more　notice　of　us　than　if　we　were　a　hay　scow　or　a　pleasure

yacht。



This　did　not　continue　to　be　the　case；　however；　for　as　we　bore　down

upon　the　nearest　net；　the　men　to　whom　it　belonged　detached　their

boat　and　rowed　slowly　toward　the　shore。　　The　rest　of　the　boats

showed　no；　sign　of　uneasiness。



〃That's　funny；〃　was　Charley's　remark。　　〃But　we　can　confiscate　the

net；　at　any　rate。〃



We　lowered　sail；　picked　up　one　end　of　the　net；　and　began　to　heave

it　into　the　boat。　　But　at　the　first　heave　we　heard　a　bullet　zip…

zipping　past　us　on　the　water；　followed　by　the　faint　report　of　a

rifle。　　The　men　who　had　rowed　ashore　were　shooting　at　us。　　At　the

next　heave　a　second　bullet　went　zipping　past；　perilously　near。

Charley　took　a　turn　around　a　pin　and　sat　down。　　There　were　no　more

shots。　　But　as　soon　as　he　began　to　heave　in；　the　shooting

recommenced。



〃That　settles　it；〃　he　said；　flinging　the　end　of　the　net　overboard。

〃You　fellows　want　it　worse　than　we　do；　and　you　can　have　it。〃



We　rowed　over　toward　the　next　net；　for　Charley　was　intent　on

finding　out　whether　or　not　we　were　face　to　face　with　an　organized

defiance。　　As　we　approached；　the　two　fishermen　proceeded　to　cast

off　from　their　net　and　row　ashore；　while　the　first　two　rowed　back

and　made　fast　to　the　net　we　had　abandoned。　　And　at　the　second　net

we　were　greeted　by　rifle　shots　till　we　desisted　and　went　on　to　the

third；　where　the　manoeuvre　was　again　repeated。



Then　we　gave　it　up；　completely　routed；　and　hoisted　sail　and　started

on　the　long　windward　beat　back　to　Benicia。　　A　number　of　Sundays

went　by；　on　each　of　which　the　law　was　persistently　violated。　　Yet；

short　of　an　armed　force　of　soldiers；　we　could　do　nothing。　　The

fishermen　had　hit　upon　a　new　idea　and　were　using　it　for　all　it　was

worth；　while　there　seemed　no　way　by　which　we　could　get　the　better

of　them。



About　this　time　Neil　Partington　happened　along　from　the　Lower　Bay；

where　he　had　been　for　a　number　of　weeks。　　With　him　was　Nicholas；

the　Greek　boy　who　had　helped　us　in　our　raid　on　the　oyster　pirates；

and　the　pair　of　them　took　a　hand。　　We　made　our　arrangements

carefully。　　It　was　planned　that　while　Charley　and　I　tackled　the

nets；　they　were　to　be　hidden　ashore　so　as　to　ambush　the　fishermen

who　landed　to　shoot　at　us。



It　was　a　pretty　plan。　　Even　Charley　said　it　was。　　But　we　reckoned

not　half　so　well　as　the　Greeks。　　They　forestalled　us　by　ambushing

Neil　and　Nicholas　and　taking　them　prisoners；　while；　as　of　old；

bullets　whistled　about　our　ears　when　Charley　and　I　attempted　to

take　possession　of　the　nets。　　When　we　were　again　beaten　off；　Neil

Partington　and　Nicholas　were　released。　　They　were　rather　shamefaced

when　they　put　in　an　appearance；　and　Charley　chaffed　them

unmercifully。　　But　Neil　chaffed　back；　demanding　to　know　why

Charley's　imagination　had　not　long　since　overcome　the　difficulty。



〃Just　you　wait；　the　idea'll　come　all　right；〃　Charley　promised。



〃Most　probably；〃　Neil　agreed。　　〃But　I'm　afraid　the　salmon　will　be

exterminated　first；　and　then　there　will　be　no　need　for　it　when　it

does　come。〃



Neil　Partington；　highly　disgusted　with　his　adventure；　departed　for

the　Lower　Bay；　taking　Nicholas　with　him；　and　Charley　and　I　were

left　to　our　own　resources。　　This　meant　that　the　Sunday　fishing

would　be　left　to　itself；　too；　until　such　time　as　Charley's　idea

happened　along。　　I　puzzled　my　head　a　good　deal　to　find　out　some　way

of　checkmating　the　Greeks；　as　also　did　Charley；　and　we　broached　a

thousand　expedients　which　on　discussion　proved　worthless。



The　fishermen；　on　the　other　hand；　were　in　high　feather；　and　their

boasts　went　up　and　down　the　river　to　add　to　our　discomfiture。

Among　all　classes　of　them　we　became　aware　of