tales of the fish patrol-第18章

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

become　the　regular　thing　for　the　fishermen　to　assemble　on　Steamboat

Wharf　to　greet　his　arrival　and　to　laugh　at　our　discomfiture。　　He

lowered　sail　a　couple　of　hundred　yards　out　and　set　his　customary

fifty　feet　of　rotten　net。



〃I　suppose　this　nonsense　will　keep　up　as　long　as　his　old　net　holds

out；〃　Charley　grumbled；　with　intention；　in　the　hearing　of　several

of　the　Greeks。



〃Den　I　give…a　heem　my　old…a　net…a；〃　one　of　them　spoke　up；　promptly

and　maliciously；



〃I　don't　care；〃　Charley　answered。　　〃I've　got　some　old　net　myself　he

can　have　…　if　he'll　come　around　and　ask　for　it。〃



They　all　laughed　at　this；　for　they　could　afford　to　be　sweet…

tempered　with　a　man　so　badly　outwitted　as　Charley　was。



〃Well；　so　long；　lad；〃　Charley　called　to　me　a　moment　later。　　〃I

think　I'll　go　up…town　to　Maloney's。〃



〃Let　me　take　the　boat　out？〃　I　asked。



〃If　you　want　to；〃　was　his　answer；　as　he　turned　on　his　heel　and

walked　slowly　away。



Demetrios　pulled　two　large　salmon　out　of　his　net；　and　I　jumped　into

the　boat。　　The　fishermen　crowded　around　in　a　spirit　of　fun；　and

when　I　started　to　get　up　sail　overwhelmed　me　with　all　sorts　of

jocular　advice。　　They　even　offered　extravagant　bets　to　one　another

that　I　would　surely　catch　Demetrios；　and　two　of　them；　styling

themselves　the　committee　of　judges；　gravely　asked　permission　to

come　along　with　me　to　see　how　I　did　it。



But　I　was　in　no　hurry。　　I　waited　to　give　Charley　all　the　time　I

could；　and　I　pretended　dissatisfaction　with　the　stretch　of　the　sail

and　slightly　shifted　the　small　tackle　by　which　the　huge　sprit

forces　up　the　peak。　　It　was　not　until　I　was　sure　that　Charley　had

reached　Dan　Maloney's　and　was　on　the　little　mare's　back；　that　I

cast　off　from　the　wharf　and　gave　the　big　sail　to　the　wind。　　A　stout

puff　filled　it　and　suddenly　pressed　the　lee　gunwale　down　till　a

couple　of　buckets　of　water　came　inboard。　　A　little　thing　like　this

will　happen　to　the　best　small…boat　sailors；　and　yet；　though　I

instantly　let　go　the　sheet　and　righted；　I　was　cheered

sarcastically；　as　though　I　had　been　guilty　of　a　very　awkward

blunder。



When　Demetrios　saw　only　one　person　in　the　fish　patrol　boat；　and

that　one　a　boy；　he　proceeded　to　play　with　me。　　Making　a　short　tack

out；　with　me　not　thirty　feet　behind；　he　returned；　with　his　sheet　a

little　free；　to　Steamboat　Wharf。　　And　there　he　made　short　tacks；

and　turned　and　twisted　and　ducked　around；　to　the　great　delight　of

his　sympathetic　audience。　　I　was　right　behind　him　all　the　time；　and

I　dared　to　do　whatever　he　did；　even　when　he　squared　away　before　the

wind　and　jibed　his　big　sail　over　…　a　most　dangerous　trick　with　such

a　sail　in　such　a　wind。



He　depended　upon　the　brisk　sea　breeze　and　the　strong　ebb…tide；

which　together　kicked　up　a　nasty　sea；　to　bring　me　to　grief。　　But　I

was　on　my　mettle；　and　never　in　all　my　life　did　I　sail　a　boat　better

than　on　that　day。　　I　was　keyed　up　to　concert　pitch；　my　brain　was

working　smoothly　and　quickly；　my　hands　never　fumbled　once；　and　it

seemed　that　I　almost　divined　the　thousand　little　things　which　a

small…boat　sailor　must　be　taking　into　consideration　every　second。



It　was　Demetrios　who　came　to　grief　instead。　　Something　went　wrong

with　his　centre…board；　so　that　it　jammed　in　the　case　and　would　not

go　all　the　way　down。　　In　a　moment's　breathing　space；　which　he　had

gained　from　me　by　a　clever　trick；　I　saw　him　working　impatiently

with　the　centre…board；　trying　to　force　it　down。　　I　gave　him　little

time；　and　he　was　compelled　quickly　to　return　to　the　tiller　and

sheet。



The　centre…board　made　him　anxious。　　He　gave　over　playing　with　me；

and　started　on　the　long　beat　to　Vallejo。　　To　my　joy；　on　the　first

long　tack　across；　I　found　that　I　could　eat　into　the　wind　just　a

little　bit　closer　than　he。　　Here　was　where　another　man　in　the　boat

would　have　been　of　value　to　him；　for；　with　me　but　a　few　feet

astern；　he　did　not　dare　let　go　the　tiller　and　run　amidships　to　try

to　force　down　the　centre…board。



Unable　to　hang　on　as　close　in　the　eye　of　the　wind　as　formerly；　he

proceeded　to　slack　his　sheet　a　trifle　and　to　ease　off　a　bit；　in

order　to　outfoot　me。　　This　I　permitted　him　to　do　till　I　had　worked

to　windward；　when　I　bore　down　upon　him。　　As　I　drew　close；　he

feinted　at　coming　about。　　This　led　me　to　shoot　into　the　wind　to

forestall　him。　　But　it　was　only　a　feint；　cleverly　executed；　and　he

held　back　to　his　course　while　I　hurried　to　make　up　lost　ground。



He　was　undeniably　smarter　than　I　when　it　came　to　manoeuvring。　　Time

after　time　I　all　but　had　him；　and　each　time　he　tricked　me　and

escaped。　　Besides；　the　wind　was　freshening；　constantly；　and　each　of

us　had　his　hands　full　to　avoid　capsizing。　　As　for　my　boat；　it　could

not　have　been　kept　afloat　but　for　the　extra　ballast。　　I　sat　cocked

over　the　weather　gunwale；　tiller　in　one　hand　and　sheet　in　the

other；　and　the　sheet；　with　a　single　turn　around　a　pin；　I　was　very

often　forced　to　let　go　in　the　severer　puffs。　　This　allowed　the　sail

to　spill　the　wind；　which　was　equivalent　to　taking　off　so　much

driving　power；　and　of　course　I　lost　ground。　　My　consolation　was

that　Demetrios　was　as　often　compelled　to　do　the　same　thing。



The　strong　ebb…tide；　racing　down　the　Straits　in　the　teeth　of　the

wind；　caused　an　unusually　heavy　and　spiteful　sea；　which　dashed

aboard　continually。　　I　was　dripping　wet；　and　even　the　sail　was　wet

half…way　up　the　after　leech。　　Once　I　did　succeed　in　outmanoeuvring

Demetrios；　so　that　my　bow　bumped　into　him　amidships。　　Here　was

where　I　should　have　had　another　man。　　Before　I　could　run　forward

and　leap　aboard；　he　shoved　the　boats　apart　with　an　oar；　laughing

mockingly　in　my　face　as　he　did　so。



We　were　now　at　the　mouth　of　the　Straits；　in　a　bad　stretch　of　water。

Here　the　Vallejo　Straits　and　the　Carquinez　Straits　rushed　directly

at　each　other。　　Through　the　first　flowed　all　the　water　of　Napa

River　and　the　great　tide…lands；　through　the　second　flowed　all　the

water　of　Suisun　Bay　and　the　Sacramento　and　San　Joaquin　rivers。　　And

where　such　immense　bodies　of　water；　flowing　swiftly；　clashed

together；　a　terrible　tide…rip　was　produced。　　To　make　it　worse；　the

wind　howled　up　San　Pablo　Bay　for　fifteen　miles　and　drove　in　a

tremendous　sea　upon　the　tide…rip。



Conflicting　currents　tore　about　in　all　directions；　colliding；

forming　whirlpools；　sucks；　and　boils；　and　shooting　up　spitefully

into　hollow　waves　which　fell　aboard　as　often　from　leeward　as　from

windward。　　And　through　it　all；　confused；　driven　into　a　madness　of

motion；　thundered　the　great　smoking　seas　from　San　Pablo　Bay。



I　was　as　wildly　excited　as　the　water。　　The　boat　was　behaving

splendidly；　leaping　and　lurching　through　the　welter　like　a　race…

horse。　　I　could　hardly　contain　myself　with　the　joy　of　it。　　The　huge

sail；　the　howling　wind；　the　driving　seas；　the　plunging　boat　…　I；　a

pygmy；　a　mere　speck　in　the　midst　of　it；　was　mastering　the　elemental

strife；　flying　through　it　and　over　it；　triumphant　and　victorious。



And　just　then；　as　I　roared　along　like　a　conquering　hero；　the　boat

received　a　frightful　smash　and　came　instantly　to　a　dead　stop。　　I

was　flung　forward　and　into　the　bottom。　　As　I　sprang　up　I　caught　a

fleeting　glimpse　of　a　greenish；　barnacle…covered　object；　and　knew

it　at　once　for　what　it　was；　that　terror　of　navigation；　a　sunken

pile。　　No　man　may　guard　against　such　a　thing。　　Water…logged　and

floating　just　beneath　the　surface；　it　was　impossible　to　sight　it　in

the　troubled　water　in　time　to　escape。



The　whole　bow　of　the　boat　must　have　been　crushed　in；　for　in　a　few

seconds　the　boat　was　half　full。　　Then　a　couple　of　seas　filled　it；

and　it　sank　straight　down；　dragged　to　bottom　by　the　heavy　ballast。

So　quickly　did　it　all　happen　that　I　was　entangled　in　the　sail　and

drawn　under。　　When　I　fought　my　way　to　the　surface；　suffocating；　my

lungs　almost　bursting；　I　could　see　nothing　of　the　oars。　　They　must

have　been　swept　away　by　the　chaotic　currents。