tales of the fish patrol-第20章

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of　the　Greeks。　　And　at　the　mouth　of　the　Straits　I　looked　with　not　a

little　interest　upon　the　spot　where　a　few　days　before　I　should　have

drowned　but　for　the　good　that　was　in　the　nature　of　Demetrios

Contos。



A　great　wall　of　fog　advanced　across　San　Pablo　Bay　to　meet　us；　and

in　a　few　minutes　the　Reindeer　was　running　blindly　through　the　damp

obscurity。　　Charley；　who　was　steering；　seemed　to　have　an　instinct

for　that　kind　of　work。　　How　he　did　it；　he　himself　confessed　that　he

did　not　know；　but　he　had　a　way　of　calculating　winds；　currents；

distance；　time；　drift；　and　sailing　speed　that　was　truly　marvellous。



〃It　looks　as　though　it　were　lifting；〃　Neil　Partington　said；　a

couple　of　hours　after　we　had　entered　the　fog。　　〃Where　do　you　say　we

are；　Charley？〃



Charley　looked　at　his　watch；　〃Six　o'clock；　and　three　hours　more　of

ebb；〃　he　remarked　casually。



〃But　where　do　you　say　we　are？〃　Neil　insisted。



Charley　pondered　a　moment；　and　then　answered；　〃The　tide　has　edged

us　over　a　bit　out　of　our　course；　but　if　the　fog　lifts　right　now；　as

it　is　going　to　lift；　you'll　find　we're　not　more　than　a　thousand

miles　off　McNear's　Landing。〃



〃You　might　be　a　little　more　definite　by　a　few　miles；　anyway；〃　Neil

grumbled；　showing　by　his　tone　that　he　disagreed。



〃All　right；　then；〃　Charley　said；　conclusively；　〃not　less　than　a

quarter　of　a　mile；　not　more　than　a　half。〃



The　wind　freshened　with　a　couple　of　little　puffs；　and　the　fog

thinned　perceptibly。



〃McNear's　is　right　off　there；〃　Charley　said；　pointing　directly　into

the　fog　on　our　weather　beam。



The　three　of　us　were　peering　intently　in　that　direction；　when　the

Reindeer　struck　with　a　dull　crash　and　came　to　a　standstill。　　We　ran

forward；　and　found　her　bowsprit　entangled　in　the　tanned　rigging　of

a　short；　chunky　mast。　　She　had　collided；　head　on；　with　a　Chinese

junk　lying　at　anchor。



At　the　moment　we　arrived　forward；　five　Chinese；　like　so　many　bees；

came　swarming　out　of　the　little　'tween…decks　cabin；　the　sleep　still

in　their　eyes。



Leading　them　came　a　big；　muscular　man；　conspicuous　for　his　pock…

marked　face　and　the　yellow　silk　handkerchief　swathed　about　his

head。　　It　was　Yellow　Handkerchief；　the　Chinaman　whom　we　had

arrested　for　illegal　shrimp…fishing　the　year　before；　and　who；　at

that　time；　had　nearly　sunk　the　Reindeer；　as　he　had　nearly　sunk　it

now　by　violating　the　rules　of　navigation。



〃What　d'ye　mean；　you　yellow…faced　heathen；　lying　here　in　a　fairway

without　a　horn　a…going？〃　Charley　cried　hotly。



〃Mean？〃　Neil　calmly　answered。　　〃Just　take　a　look　…　that's　what　he

means。〃



Our　eyes　followed　the　direction　indicated　by　Neil's　finger；　and　we

saw　the　open　amidships　of　the　junk；　half　filled；　as　we　found　on

closer　examination；　with　fresh…caught　shrimps。　　Mingled　with　the

shrimps　were　myriads　of　small　fish；　from　a　quarter　of　an　inch

upward　in　size。



Yellow　Handkerchief　had　lifted　the　trap…net　at　high…water　slack；

and；　taking　advantage　of　the　concealment　offered　by　the　fog；　had

boldly　been　lying　by；　waiting　to　lift　the　net　again　at　low…water

slack。



〃Well；〃　Neil　hummed　and　hawed；　〃in　all　my　varied　and　extensive

experience　as　a　fish　patrolman；　I　must　say　this　is　the　easiest

capture　I　ever　made。　　What'll　we　do　with　them；　Charley？〃



〃Tow　the　junk　into　San　Rafael；　of　course；〃　came　the　answer。

Charley　turned　to　me。　　〃You　stand　by　the　junk；　lad；　and　I'll　pass

you　a　towing　line。　　If　the　wind　doesn't　fail　us；　we'll　make　the

creek　before　the　tide　gets　too　low；　sleep　at　San　Rafael；　and　arrive

in　Oakland　to…morrow　by　midday。〃



So　saying；　Charley　and　Neil　returned　to　the　Reindeer　and　got　under

way；　the　junk　towing　astern。　　I　went　aft　and　took　charge　of　the

prize；　steering　by　means　of　an　antiquated　tiller　and　a　rudder　with

large；　diamond…shaped　holes；　through　which　the　water　rushed　back

and　forth。



By　now　the　last　of　the　fog　had　vanished；　and　Charley's　estimate　of

our　position　was　confirmed　by　the　sight　of　McNear's　Landing　a　short

half…mile　away。　　Following　along　the　west　shore；　we　rounded　Point

Pedro　in　plain　view　of　the　Chinese　shrimp　villages；　and　a　great　to…

do　was　raised　when　they　saw　one　of　their　junks　towing　behind　the

familiar　fish　patrol　sloop。



The　wind；　coming　off　the　land；　was　rather　puffy　and　uncertain；　and

it　would　have　been　more　to　our　advantage　had　it　been　stronger。　　San

Rafael　Creek；　up　which　we　had　to　go　to　reach　the　town　and　turn　over

our　prisoners　to　the　authorities；　ran　through　wide…stretching

marshes；　and　was　difficult　to　navigate　on　a　falling　tide；　while　at

low　tide　it　was　impossible　to　navigate　at　all。　　So；　with　the　tide

already　half…ebbed；　it　was　necessary　for　us　to　make　time。　　This　the

heavy　junk　prevented；　lumbering　along　behind　and　holding　the

Reindeer　back　by　just　so　much　dead　weight。



〃Tell　those　coolies　to　get　up　that　sail；〃　Charley　finally　called　to

me。　　〃We　don't　want　to　hang　up　on　the　mud　flats　for　the　rest　of　the

night。〃



I　repeated　the　order　to　Yellow　Handkerchief；　who　mumbled　it　huskily

to　his　men。　　He　was　suffering　from　a　bad　cold；　which　doubled　him　up

in　convulsive　coughing　spells　and　made　his　eyes　heavy　and

bloodshot。　　This　made　him　more　evil…looking　than　ever；　and　when　he

glared　viciously　at　me　I　remembered　with　a　shiver　the　close　shave　I

had　had　with　him　at　the　time　of　his　previous　arrest。



His　crew　sullenly　tailed　on　to　the　halyards；　and　the　strange；

outlandish　sail；　lateen　in　rig　and　dyed　a　warm　brown；　rose　in　the

air。　　We　were　sailing　on　the　wind；　and　when　Yellow　Handkerchief

flattened　down　the　sheet　the　junk　forged　ahead　and　the　tow…line

went　slack。　　Fast　as　the　Reindeer　could　sail；　the　junk　outsailed

her；　and　to　avoid　running　her　down　I　hauled　a　little　closer　on　the

wind。　　But　the　junk　likewise　outpointed；　and　in　a　couple　of　minutes

I　was　abreast　of　the　Reindeer　and　to　windward。　　The　tow…line　had

now　tautened；　at　right　angles　to　the　two　boats；　and　the　predicament

was　laughable。



〃Cast　off！〃　I　shouted。



Charley　hesitated。



〃It's　all　right；〃　I　added。　　〃Nothing　can　happen。　　We'll　make　the

creek　on　this　tack；　and　you'll　be　right　behind　me　all　the　way　up　to

San　Rafael。〃



At　this　Charley　cast　off；　and　Yellow　Handkerchief　sent　one　of　his

men　forward　to　haul　in　the　line。　　In　the　gathering　darkness　I　could

just　make　out　the　mouth　of　San　Rafael　Creek；　and　by　the　time　we

entered　it　I　could　barely　see　its　banks。　　The　Reindeer　was　fully

five　minutes　astern；　and　we　continued　to　leave　her　astern　as　we

beat　up　the　narrow；　winding　channel。　　With　Charley　behind　us；　it

seemed　I　had　little　to　fear　from　my　five　prisoners；　but　the

darkness　prevented　my　keeping　a　sharp　eye　on　them；　so　I　transferred

my　revolver　from　my　trousers　pocket　to　the　side　pocket　of　my　coat；

where　I　could　more　quickly　put　my　hand　on　it。



Yellow　Handkerchief　was　the　one　I　feared；　and　that　he　knew　it　and

made　use　of　it；　subsequent　events　will　show。　　He　was　sitting　a　few

feet　away　from　me；　on　what　then　happened　to　be　the　weather　side　of

the　junk。　　I　could　scarcely　see　the　outlines　of　his　form；　but　I

soon　became　convinced　that　he　was　slowly；　very　slowly；　edging

closer　to　me。　　I　watched　him　carefully。　　Steering　with　my　left

hand；　I　slipped　my　right　into　my　pocket　and　got　hold　of　the

revolver。



I　saw　him　shift　along　for　a　couple　of　inches；　and　I　was　just　about

to　order　him　back　…　the　words　were　trembling　on　the　tip　of　my

tongue　…　when　I　was　struck　with　great　force　by　a　heavy　figure　that

had　leaped　through　the　air　upon　me　from　the　lee　side。　　It　was　one

of　the　crew。　　He　pinioned　my　right　arm　so　that　I　could　not　withdraw

my　hand　from　my　pocket；　and　at　the　same　time　clapped　his　other　hand

over　my　mouth。　　Of　course；　I　could　have　struggled　away　from　him　and

freed　my　hand　or　gotten　my　mouth　clear　so　that　I　might　cry　an

alarm；　but　in　a　trice　Yellow　Handkerchief　was　on　top　of　me。



I　struggled　around　to　no　purpose　in　the　bottom　of　the　junk；　while

my　legs　and　arms　were　tied　and　my　mou