tales of the fish patrol-第17章

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

the　wharf　we　saw　him　slash　his　worthless　net　clear　with　a　long

knife。　　His　sail　was　all　ready　to　go　up；　and　a　moment　later　it

fluttered　in　the　sunshine。　　He　ran　aft；　drew　in　the　sheet；　and

filled　on　the　long　tack　toward　the　Contra　Costa　Hills。



By　this　time　we　were　not　more　than　thirty　feet　astern。　　Charley　was

jubilant。　　He　knew　our　boat　was　fast；　and　he　knew；　further；　that　in

fine　sailing　few　men　were　his　equals。　　He　was　confident　that　we

should　surely　catch　Demetrios；　and　I　shared　his　confidence。　　But

somehow　we　did　not　seem　to　gain。



It　was　a　pretty　sailing　breeze。　　We　were　gliding　sleekly　through

the　water；　but　Demetrios　was　slowly　sliding　away　from　us。　　And　not

only　was　he　going　faster；　but　he　was　eating　into　the　wind　a

fraction　of　a　point　closer　than　we。　　This　was　sharply　impressed

upon　us　when　he　went　about　under　the　Contra　Costa　Hills　and　passed

us　on　the　other　tack　fully　one　hundred　feet　dead　to　windward。



〃Whew！〃　Charley　exclaimed。　　〃Either　that　boat　is　a　daisy；　or　we've

got　a　five…gallon　coal…oil　can　fast　to　our　keel！〃



It　certainly　looked　it　one　way　or　the　other。　　And　by　the　time

Demetrios　made　the　Sonoma　Hills；　on　the　other　side　of　the　Straits；

we　were　so　hopelessly　outdistanced　that　Charley　told　me　to　slack

off　the　sheet；　and　we　squared　away　for　Benicia。　　The　fishermen　on

Steamboat　Wharf　showered　us　with　ridicule　when　we　returned　and　tied

up。　　Charley　and　I　got　out　and　walked　away；　feeling　rather

sheepish；　for　it　is　a　sore　stroke　to　one's　pride　when　he　thinks　he

has　a　good　boat　and　knows　how　to　sail　it；　and　another　man　comes

along　and　beats　him。



Charley　mooned　over　it　for　a　couple　of　days；　then　word　was　brought

to　us；　as　before；　that　on　the　next　Sunday　Demetrios　Contos　would

repeat　his　performance。　　Charley　roused　himself。　　He　had　our　boat

out　of　the　water；　cleaned　and　repainted　its　bottom；　made　a　trifling

alteration　about　the　centre…board；　overhauled　the　running　gear；　and

sat　up　nearly　all　of　Saturday　night　sewing　on　a　new　and　much　larger

sail。　　So　large　did　he　make　it；　in　fact；　that　additional　ballast

was　imperative；　and　we　stowed　away　nearly　five　hundred　extra　pounds

of　old　railroad　iron　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat。



Sunday　came；　and　with　it　came　Demetrios　Contos；　to　break　the　law

defiantly　in　open　day。　　Again　we　had　the　afternoon　sea…breeze；　and

again　Demetrios　cut　loose　some　forty　or　more　feet　of　his　rotten

net；　and　got　up　sail　and　under　way　under　our　very　noses。　　But　he

had　anticipated　Charley's　move；　and　his　own　sail　peaked　higher　than

ever；　while　a　whole　extra　cloth　had　been　added　to　the　after　leech。



It　was　nip　and　tuck　across　to　the　Contra　Costa　Hills；　neither　of　us

seeming　to　gain　or　to　lose。　　But　by　the　time　we　had　made　the　return

tack　to　the　Sonoma　Hills；　we　could　see　that；　while　we　footed　it　at

about　equal　speed；　Demetrios　had　eaten　into　the　wind　the　least　bit

more　than　we。　　Yet　Charley　was　sailing　our　boat　as　finely　and

delicately　as　it　was　possible　to　sail　it；　and　getting　more　out　of

it　than　he　ever　had　before。



Of　course；　he　could　have　drawn　his　revolver　and　fired　at　Demetrios；

but　we　had　long　since　found　it　contrary　to　our　natures　to　shoot　at

a　fleeing　man　guilty　of　only　a　petty　offence。　　Also　a　sort　of　tacit

agreement　seemed　to　have　been　reached　between　the　patrolmen　and　the

fishermen。　　If　we　did　not　shoot　while　they　ran　away；　they；　in　turn；

did　not　fight　if　we　once　laid　hands　on　them。　　Thus　Demetrios　Contos

ran　away　from　us；　and　we　did　no　more　than　try　our　best　to　overtake

him；　and；　in　turn；　if　our　boat　proved　faster　than　his；　or　was

sailed　better；　he　would；　we　knew；　make　no　resistance　when　we　caught

up　with　him。



With　our　large　sails　and　the　healthy　breeze　romping　up　the

Carquinez　Straits；　we　found　that　our　sailing　was　what　is　called

〃ticklish。〃　　We　had　to　be　constantly　on　the　alert　to　avoid　a

capsize；　and　while　Charley　steered　I　held　the　main…sheet　in　my　hand

with　but　a　single　turn　round　a　pin；　ready　to　let　go　at　any　moment。

Demetrios；　we　could　see；　sailing　his　boat　alone；　had　his　hands

full。



But　it　was　a　vain　undertaking　for　us　to　attempt　to　catch　him。　　Out

of　his　inner　consciousness　he　had　evolved　a　boat　that　was　better

than　ours。　　And　though　Charley　sailed　fully　as　well；　if　not　the

least　bit　better；　the　boat　he　sailed　was　not　so　good　as　the

Greek's。



〃Slack　away　the　sheet；〃　Charley　commanded；　and　as　our　boat　fell　off

before　the　wind；　Demetrios's　mocking　laugh　floated　down　to　us。



Charley　shook　his　head；　saying；　〃It's　no　use。　　Demetrios　has　the

better　boat。　　If　he　tries　his　performance　again；　we　must　meet　it

with　some　new　scheme。〃



This　time　it　was　my　imagination　that　came　to　the　rescue。



〃What's　the　matter；〃　I　suggested；　on　the　Wednesday　following；　〃with

my　chasing　Demetrios　in　the　boat　next　Sunday；　while　you　wait　for

him　on　the　wharf　at　Vallejo　when　he　arrives？〃



Charley　considered　it　a　moment　and　slapped　his　knee。



〃A　good　idea！　　You're　beginning　to　use　that　head　of　yours。　　A

credit　to　your　teacher；　I　must　say。〃



〃But　you　mustn't　chase　him　too　far；〃　he　went　on；　the　next　moment；

〃or　he'll　head　out　into　San　Pablo　Bay　instead　of　running　home　to

Vallejo；　and　there　I'll　be；　standing　lonely　on　the　wharf　and

waiting　in　vain　for　him　to　arrive。〃



On　Thursday　Charley　registered　an　objection　to　my　plan。



〃Everybody'll　know　I've　gone　to　Vallejo；　and　you　can　depend　upon　it

that　Demetrios　will　know；　too。　　I'm　afraid　we'll　have　to　give　up

the　idea。〃



This　objection　was　only　too　valid；　and　for　the　rest　of　the　day　I

struggled　under　my　disappointment。　　But　that　night　a　new　way　seemed

to　open　to　me；　and　in　my　eagerness　I　awoke　Charley　from　a　sound

sleep。



〃Well；〃　he　grunted；　〃what's　the　matter？　　House　afire？〃



〃No；〃　I　replied；　〃but　my　head　is。　　Listen　to　this。　　On　Sunday　you

and　I　will　be　around　Benicia　up　to　the　very　moment　Demetrios's　sail

heaves　into　sight。　　This　will　lull　everybody's　suspicions。　　Then；

when　Demetrios's　sail　does　heave　in　sight；　do　you　stroll　leisurely

away　and　up…town。　　All　the　fishermen　will　think　you're　beaten　and

that　you　know　you're　beaten。〃



〃So　far；　so　good；〃　Charley　commented；　while　I　paused　to　catch

breath。



〃And　very　good　indeed；〃　I　continued　proudly。　　〃You　stroll

carelessly　up…town；　but　when　you're　once　out　of　sight　you　leg　it

for　all　you're　worth　for　Dan　Maloney's。　　Take　the　little　mare　of

his；　and　strike　out　on　the　country　road　for　Vallejo。　　The　road's　in

fine　condition；　and　you　can　make　it　in　quicker　time　than　Demetrios

can　beat　all　the　way　down　against　the　wind。〃



〃And　I'll　arrange　right　away　for　the　mare；　first　thing　in　the

morning；〃　Charley　said；　accepting　the　modified　plan　without

hesitation。



〃But；　I　say；〃　he　said；　a　little　later；　this　time　waking　me　out　of　a

sound　sleep。



I　could　hear　him　chuckling　in　the　dark。



〃I　say；　lad；　isn't　it　rather　a　novelty　for　the　fish　patrol　to　be

taking　to　horseback？〃



〃Imagination；〃　I　answered。　　〃It's　what　you're　always　preaching　…

'keep　thinking　one　thought　ahead　of　the　other　fellow；　and　you're

bound　to　win　out。'〃



〃He！　he！〃　he　chuckled。　　〃And　if　one　thought　ahead；　including　a

mare；　doesn't　take　the　other　fellow's　breath　away　this　time；　I'm

not　your　humble　servant；　Charley　Le　Grant。〃



〃But　can　you　manage　the　boat　alone？〃　he　asked；　on　Friday。

〃Remember；　we've　a　ripping　big　sail　on　her。〃



I　argued　my　proficiency　so　well　that　he　did　not　refer　to　the　matter

again　till　Saturday；　when　he　suggested　removing　one　whole　cloth

from　the　after　leech。　　I　guess　it　was　the　disappointment　written　on

my　face　that　made　him　desist；　for　I；　also；　had　a　pride　in　my　boat…

sailing　abilities；　and　I　was　almost　wild　to　get　out　alone　with　the

big　sail　and　go　tearing　down　the　Carquinez　Straits　in　the　wake　of

the　flying　Greek。



As　usual；　Sunday　and　Demetrios　Contos　arrived　together。　　It　had

become　the　regular