tales of the fish patrol-第14章

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

Among　all　classes　of　them　we　became　aware　of　a　growing

insubordination。　　We　were　beaten；　and　they　were　losing　respect　for

us。　　With　the　loss　of　respect；　contempt　began　to　arise。　　Charley

began　to　be　spoken　of　as　the　〃olda　woman；〃　and　I　received　my　rating

as　the　〃pee…wee　kid。〃　　The　situation　was　fast　becoming　unbearable；

and　we　knew　that　we　should　have　to　deliver　a　stunning　stroke　at　the

Greeks　in　order　to　regain　the　old…time　respect　in　which　we　had

stood。



Then　one　morning　the　idea　came。　　We　were　down　on　Steamboat　Wharf；

where　the　river　steamers　made　their　landings；　and　where　we　found　a

group　of　amused　long…shoremen　and　loafers　listening　to　the　hard…

luck　tale　of　a　sleepy…eyed　young　fellow　in　long　sea…boots。　　He　was

a　sort　of　amateur　fisherman；　he　said；　fishing　for　the　local　market

of　Berkeley。　　Now　Berkeley　was　on　the　Lower　Bay；　thirty　miles　away。

On　the　previous　night；　he　said；　he　had　set　his　net　and　dozed　off　to

sleep　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat。



The　next　he　knew　it　was　morning；　and　he　opened　his　eyes　to　find　his

boat　rubbing　softly　against　the　piles　of　Steamboat　Wharf　at

Benicia。　　Also　he　saw　the　river　steamer　Apache　lying　ahead　of　him；

and　a　couple　of　deck…hands　disentangling　the　shreds　of　his　net　from

the　paddle…wheel。　　In　short；　after　he　had　gone　to　sleep；　his

fisherman's　riding　light　had　gone　out；　and　the　Apache　had　run　over

his　net。　　Though　torn　pretty　well　to　pieces；　the　net　in　some　way

still　remained　foul；　and　he　had　had　a　thirty…mile　tow　out　of　his

course。



Charley　nudged　me　with　his　elbow。　　I　grasped　his　thought　on　the

instant；　but　objected：



〃We　can't　charter　a　steamboat。〃



〃Don't　intend　to；〃　he　rejoined。　　〃But　let's　run　over　to　Turner's

Shipyard。　　I've　something　in　my　mind　there　that　may　be　of　use　to

us。〃



And　over　we　went　to　the　shipyard；　where　Charley　led　the　way　to　the

Mary　Rebecca；　lying　hauled　out　on　the　ways；　where　she　was　being

cleaned　and　overhauled。　　She　was　a　scow…schooner　we　both　knew　well；

carrying　a　cargo　of　one　hundred　and　forty　tons　and　a　spread　of

canvas　greater　than　other　schooner　on　the　bay。



〃How　d'ye　do；　Ole；〃　Charley　greeted　a　big　blue…shirted　Swede　who

was　greasing　the　jaws　of　the　main　gaff　with　a　piece　of　pork　rind。



Ole　grunted；　puffed　away　at　his　pipe；　and　went　on　greasing。　　The

captain　of　a　bay　schooner　is　supposed　to　work　with　his　hands　just

as　well　as　the　men。



Ole　Ericsen　verified　Charley's　conjecture　that　the　Mary　Rebecca；　as

soon　as　launched；　would　run　up　the　San　Joaquin　River　nearly　to

Stockton　for　a　load　of　wheat。　　Then　Charley　made　his　proposition；

and　Ole　Ericsen　shook　his　head。



〃Just　a　hook；　one　good…sized　hook；〃　Charley　pleaded。



〃No；　Ay　tank　not；〃　said　Ole　Ericsen。　　〃Der　Mary　Rebecca　yust　hang

up　on　efery　mud…bank　with　that　hook。　　Ay　don't　want　to　lose　der

Mary　Rebecca。　　She's　all　Ay　got。〃



〃No；　no；〃　Charley　hurried　to　explain。　　〃We　can　put　the　end　of　the

hook　through　the　bottom　from　the　outside；　and　fasten　it　on　the

inside　with　a　nut。　　After　it's　done　its　work；　why；　all　we　have　to

do　is　to　go　down　into　the　hold；　unscrew　the　nut；　and　out　drops　the

hook。　　Then　drive　a　wooden　peg　into　the　hole；　and　the　Mary　Rebecca

will　be　all　right　again。〃



Ole　Ericsen　was　obstinate　for　a　long　time；　but　in　the　end；　after　we

had　had　dinner　with　him；　he　was　brought　round　to　consent。



〃Ay　do　it；　by　Yupiter！〃　he　said；　striking　one　huge　fist　into　the

palm　of　the　other　hand。　　〃But　yust　hurry　you　up　wid　der　hook。　　Der

Mary　Rebecca　slides　into　der　water　to…night。〃



It　was　Saturday；　and　Charley　had　need　to　hurry。　　We　headed　for　the

shipyard　blacksmith　shop；　where；　under　Charley's　directions；　a　most

generously　curved　book　of　heavy　steel　was　made。　　Back　we　hastened

to　the　Mary　Rebecca。　　Aft　of　the　great　centre…board　case；　through

what　was　properly　her　keel；　a　hole　was　bored。　　The　end　of　the　hook

was　inserted　from　the　outside；　and　Charley；　on　the　inside；　screwed

the　nut　on　tightly。　　As　it　stood　complete；　the　hook　projected　over

a　foot　beneath　the　bottom　of　the　schooner。　　Its　curve　was　something

like　the　curve　of　a　sickle；　but　deeper。



In　the　late　afternoon　the　Mary　Rebecca　was　launched；　and

preparations　were　finished　for　the　start　up…river　next　morning。

Charley　and　Ole　intently　studied　the　evening　sky　for　signs　of　wind；

for　without　a　good　breeze　our　project　was　doomed　to　failure。　　They

agreed　that　there　were　all　the　signs　of　a　stiff　westerly　wind　…　not

the　ordinary　afternoon　sea…breeze；　but　a　half…gale；　which　even　then

was　springing　up。



Next　morning　found　their　predictions　verified。　　The　sun　was　shining

brightly；　but　something　more　than　a　half…gale　was　shrieking　up　the

Carquinez　Straits；　and　the　Mary　Rebecca　got　under　way　with　two

reefs　in　her　mainsail　and　one　in　her　foresail。　　We　found　it　quite

rough　in　the　Straits　and　in　Suisun　Bay；　but　as　the　water　grew　more

land…locked　it　became　calm；　though　without　let…up　in　the　wind。



Off　Ship　Island　Light　the　reefs　were　shaken　out；　and　at　Charley's

suggestion　a　big　fisherman's　staysail　was　made　all　ready　for

hoisting；　and　the　maintopsail；　bunched　into　a　cap　at　the　masthead；

was　overhauled　so　that　it　could　be　set　on　an　instant's　notice。



We　were　tearing　along；　wing…and…wing；　before　the　wind；　foresail　to

starboard　and　mainsail　to　port；　as　we　came　upon　the　salmon　fleet。

There　they　were；　boats　and　nets；　as　on　that　first　Sunday　when　they

had　bested　us；　strung　out　evenly　over　the　river　as　far　as　we　could

see。　　A　narrow　space　on　the　right…hand　side　of　the　channel　was　left

clear　for　steamboats；　but　the　rest　of　the　river　was　covered　with

the　wide…stretching　nets。　　The　narrow　space　was　our　logical　course；

but　Charley；　at　the　wheel；　steered　the　Mary　Rebecca　straight　for

the　nets。　　This　did　not　cause　any　alarm　among　the　fishermen；

because　up…river　sailing　craft　are　always　provided　with　〃shoes〃　on

the　ends　of　their　keels；　which　permit　them　to　slip　over　the　nets

without　fouling　them。



〃Now　she　takes　it！〃　Charley　cried；　as　we　dashed　across　the　middle

of　a　line　of　floats　which　marked　a　net。　　At　one　end　of　this　line

was　a　small　barrel　buoy；　at　the　other　the　two　fishermen　in　their

boat。　　Buoy　and　boat　at　once　began　to　draw　together；　and　the

fishermen　to　cry　out；　as　they　were　jerked　after　us。　　A　couple　of

minutes　later　we　hooked　a　second　net；　and　then　a　third；　and　in　this

fashion　we　tore　straight　up　through　the　centre　of　the　fleet。



The　consternation　we　spread　among　the　fishermen　was　tremendous。　　As

fast　as　we　hooked　a　net　the　two　ends　of　it；　buoy　and　boat；　came

together　as　they　dragged　out　astern；　and　so　many　buoys　and　boats；

coming　together　at　such　breakneck　speed；　kept　the　fishermen　on　the

jump　to　avoid　smashing　into　one　another。　　Also；　they　shouted　at　us

like　mad　to　heave　to　into　the　wind；　for　they　took　it　as　some

drunken　prank　on　the　part　of　scow…sailors；　little　dreaming　that　we

were　the　fish　patrol。



The　drag　of　a　single　net　is　very　heavy；　and　Charley　and　Ole　Ericsen

decided　that　even　in　such　a　wind　ten　nets　were　all　the　Mary　Rebecca

could　take　along　with　her。　　So　when　we　had　hooked　ten　nets；　with

ten　boats　containing　twenty　men　streaming　along　behind　us；　we

veered　to　the　left　out　of　the　fleet　and　headed　toward　Collinsville。



We　were　all　jubilant。　　Charley　was　handling　the　wheel　as　though　he

were　steering　the　winning　yacht　home　in　a　race。　　The　two　sailors

who　made　up　the　crew　of　the　Mary　Rebecca；　were　grinning　and　joking。

Ole　Ericsen　was　rubbing　his　huge　hands　in　child…like　glee。



〃Ay　tank　you　fish　patrol　fallers　never　ban　so　lucky　as　when　you

sail　with　Ole　Ericsen；〃　he　was　saying；　when　a　rifle　cracked　sharply

astern；　and　a　bullet　gouged　along　the　newly　painted　cabin；　glanced

on　a　nail；　and　sang　shrilly　onward　into　space。



This　was　too　much　for　Ole　Ericsen。　　At　sight　of　his　beloved

paintwork　thus　defaced；　he　jumped　up　and　shook　his　fist　at　the

fishermen；　but　a　second