tales of the fish patrol-第16章

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gooses。





Now　make　it　good　and　fast　to　that　marlin…spike；　and　stand　by　to

toss　it　ashore。〃



I　did　as　he　directed。　　By　then　we　were　close　to　Antioch。　　The　wind

was　shouting　through　our　rigging；　the　Mary　Rebecca　was　half　over　on

her　side　and　rushing　ahead　like　an　ocean　greyhound。　　The　seafaring

folk　of　Antioch　had　seen　us　breaking　out　topsail　and　staysail；　a

most　reckless　performance　in　such　weather；　and　had　hurried　to　the

wharf…ends　in　little　groups　to　find　out　what　was　the　matter。



Straight　down　the　water　front　we　boomed；　Charley　edging　in　till　a

man　could　almost　leap　ashore。　　When　he　gave　the　signal　I　tossed　the

marlinspike。　　It　struck　the　planking　of　the　wharf　a　resounding

smash；　bounced　along　fifteen　or　twenty　feet；　and　was　pounced　upon

by　the　amazed　onlookers。



It　all　happened　in　a　flash；　for　the　next　minute　Antioch　was　behind

and　we　were　heeling　it　up　the　San　Joaquin　toward　Merryweather；　six

miles　away。　　The　river　straightened　out　here　into　its　general

easterly　course；　and　we　squared　away　before　the　wind；　wing…and…wing

once　more；　the　foresail　bellying　out　to　starboard。



Ole　Ericsen　seemed　sunk　into　a　state　of　stolid　despair。　　Charley

and　the　two　sailors　were　looking　hopeful；　as　they　had　good　reason

to　be。　　Merryweather　was　a　coal…mining　town；　and；　it　being　Sunday；

it　was　reasonable　to　expect　the　men　to　be　in　town。　　Further；　the

coal…miners　had　never　lost　any　love　for　the　Greek　fishermen；　and

were　pretty　certain　to　render　us　hearty　assistance。



We　strained　our　eyes　for　a　glimpse　of　the　town；　and　the　first　sight

we　caught　of　it　gave　us　immense　relief。　　The　wharves　were　black

with　men。　　As　we　came　closer；　we　could　see　them　still　arriving；

stringing　down　the　main　street；　guns　in　their　hands　and　on　the　run。

Charley　glanced　astern　at　the　fishermen　with　a　look　of　ownership　in

his　eye　which　till　then　had　been　missing。　　The　Greeks　were　plainly

overawed　by　the　display　of　armed　strength　and　were　putting　their

own　rifles　away。



We　took　in　topsail　and　staysail；　dropped　the　main　peak；　and　as　we

got　abreast　of　the　principal　wharf　jibed　the　mainsail。　　The　Mary

Rebecca　shot　around　into　the　wind；　the　captive　fishermen　describing

a　great　arc　behind　her；　and　forged　ahead　till　she　lost　way；　when

lines　we're　flung　ashore　and　she　was　made　fast。　　This　was

accomplished　under　a　hurricane　of　cheers　from　the　delighted　miners。



Ole　Ericsen　heaved　a　great　sigh。　　〃Ay　never　tank　Ay　see　my　wife

never　again；〃　he　confessed。



〃Why；　we　were　never　in　any　danger；〃　said　Charley。



Ole　looked　at　him　incredulously。



〃Sure；　I　mean　it；〃　Charley　went　on。　　〃All　we　had　to　do；　any　time；

was　to　let　go　our　end　…　as　I　am　going　to　do　now；　so　that　those

Greeks　can　untangle　their　nets。〃



He　went　below　with　a　monkey…wrench；　unscrewed　the　nut；　and　let　the

hook　drop　off。　　When　the　Greeks　had　hauled　their　nets　into　their

boats　and　made　everything　shipshape；　a　posse　of　citizens　took　them

off　our　hands　and　led　them　away　to　jail。



〃Ay　tank　Ay　ban　a　great　big　fool；〃　said　Ole　Ericsen。　　But　he

changed　his　mind　when　the　admiring　townspeople　crowded　aboard　to

shake　hands　with　him；　and　a　couple　of　enterprising　newspaper　men

took　photographs　of　the　Mary　Rebecca　and　her　captain。







DEMETRIOS　CONTOS







It　must　not　be　thought；　from　what　I　have　told　of　the　Greek

fishermen；　that　they　were　altogether　bad。　　Far　from　it。　　But　they

were　rough　men；　gathered　together　in　isolated　communities　and

fighting　with　the　elements　for　a　livelihood。　　They　lived　far　away

from　the　law　and　its　workings；　did　not　understand　it；　and　thought

it　tyranny。　　Especially　did　the　fish　laws　seem　tyrannical。　　And

because　of　this；　they　looked　upon　the　men　of　the　fish　patrol　as

their　natural　enemies。



We　menaced　their　lives；　or　their　living；　which　is　the　same　thing；

in　many　ways。　　We　confiscated　illegal　traps　and　nets；　the　materials

of　which　had　cost　them　considerable　sums　and　the　making　of　which

required　weeks　of　labor。　　We　prevented　them　from　catching　fish　at

many　times　and　seasons；　which　was　equivalent　to　preventing　them

from　making　as　good　a　living　as　they　might　have　made　had　we　not

been　in　existence。　　And　when　we　captured　them；　they　were　brought

into　the　courts　of　law；　where　heavy　cash　fines　were　collected　from

them。　　As　a　result；　they　hated　us　vindictively。　　As　the　dog　is　the

natural　enemy　of　the　cat；　the　snake　of　man；　so　were　we　of　the　fish

patrol　the　natural　enemies　of　the　fishermen。



But　it　is　to　show　that　they　could　act　generously　as　well　as　hate

bitterly　that　this　story　of　Demetrios　Contos　is　told。　　Demetrios

Contos　lived　in　Vallejo。　　Next　to　Big　Alec；　he　was　the　largest；

bravest；　and　most　influential　man　among　the　Greeks。　　He　had　given

us　no　trouble；　and　I　doubt　if　he　would　ever　have　clashed　with　us

had　he　not　invested　in　a　new　salmon　boat。　　This　boat　was　the　cause

of　all　the　trouble。　　He　had　had　it　built　upon　his　own　model；　in

which　the　lines　of　the　general　salmon　boat　were　somewhat　modified。



To　his　high　elation　he　found　his　new　boat　very　fast　…　in　fact；

faster　than　any　other　boat　on　the　bay　or　rivers。　　Forthwith　he　grew

proud　and　boastful：　　and；　our　raid　with　the　Mary　Rebecca　on　the

Sunday　salmon　fishers　having　wrought　fear　in　their　hearts；　he　sent

a　challenge　up　to　Benicia。　　One　of　the　local　fishermen　conveyed　it

to　us；　it　was　to　the　effect　that　Demetrios　Contos　would　sail　up

from　Vallejo　on　the　following　Sunday；　and　in　the　plain　sight　of

Benicia　set　his　net　and　catch　salmon；　and　that　Charley　Le　Grant；

patrolman；　might　come　and　get　him　if　he　could。　　Of　course　Charley

and　I　had　heard　nothing　of　the　new　boat。　　Our　own　boat　was　pretty

fast；　and　we　were　not　afraid　to　have　a　brush　with　any　other　that

happened　along。



Sunday　came。　　The　challenge　had　been　bruited　abroad；　and　the

fishermen　and　seafaring　folk　of　Benicia　turned　out　to　a　man；

crowding　Steamboat　Wharf　till　it　looked　like　the　grand　stand　at　a

football　match。　　Charley　and　I　had　been　sceptical；　but　the　fact　of

the　crowd　convinced　us　that　there　was　something　in　Demetrios

Contos's　dare。



In　the　afternoon；　when　the　sea…breeze　had　picked　up　in　strength；

his　sail　hove　into　view　as　he　bowled　along　before　the　wind。　　He

tacked　a　score　of　feet　from　the　wharf；　waved　his　hand　theatrically；

like　a　knight　about　to　enter　the　lists；　received　a　hearty　cheer　in

return；　and　stood　away　into　the　Straits　for　a　couple　of　hundred

yards。　　Then　he　lowered　sail；　and；　drifting　the　boat　sidewise　by

means　of　the　wind；　proceeded　to　set　his　net。　　He　did　not　set　much

of　it；　possibly　fifty　feet；　yet　Charley　and　I　were　thunderstruck　at

the　man's　effrontery。　　We　did　not　know　at　the　time；　but　we　learned

afterward；　that　the　net　he　used　was　old　and　worthless。　　It　could

catch　fish；　true；　but　a　catch　of　any　size　would　have　torn　it　to

pieces。



Charley　shook　his　head　and　said：



〃I　confess；　it　puzzles　me。　　What　if　he　has　out　only　fifty　feet？　　He

could　never　get　it　in　if　we　once　started　for　him。　　And　why　does　he

come　here　anyway；　flaunting　his　law…breaking　in　our　faces？　　Right

in　our　home　town；　too。〃



Charley's　voice　took　on　an　aggrieved　tone；　and　he　continued　for

some　minutes　to　inveigh　against　the　brazenness　of　Demetrios　Contos。



In　the　meantime；　the　man　in　question　was　lolling　in　the　stern　of

his　boat　and　watching　the　net　floats。　　When　a　large　fish　is　meshed

in　a　gill…net；　the　floats　by　their　agitation　advertise　the　fact。

And　they　evidently　advertised　it　to　Demetrios；　for　he　pulled　in

about　a　dozen　feet　of　net；　and　held　aloft　for　a　moment；　before　he

flung　it　into　the　bottom　of　the　boat；　a　big；　glistening　salmon。　　It

was　greeted　by　the　audience　on　the　wharf　with　round　after　round　of

cheers。　　This　was　more　than　Charley　could　stand。



〃Come　on；　lad；〃　he　called　to　me；　and　we　lost　no　time　jumping　into

our　salmon　boat　and　getting　up　sail。



The　crowd　shouted　warning　to　Demetrios；　and　as　we　darted　out　from

the　wharf　we　saw　him　slash　his　worth