tales of the fish patrol-第3章

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honest　Chinaman。〃



〃All　right；〃　I　answered。　　〃You　sabbe　talkee　talkee；　then　you　bail

water　plenty　plenty。　　After　that　we　talkee　talkee。〃



He　shook　his　head；　at　the　same　time　pointing　over　his　shoulder　to

his　comrades。　　〃No　can　do。　　Velly　bad　Chinamen；　heap　velly　bad。　　I

t'ink…um　…　〃



〃Stand　back！〃　I　shouted；　for　I　had　noticed　his　hand　disappear

beneath　his　blouse　and　his　body　prepare　for　a　spring。



Disconcerted；　he　went　back　into　the　cabin；　to　hold　a　council；

apparently；　from　the　way　the　jabbering　broke　forth。　　The　Reindeer

was　very　deep　in　the　water；　and　her　movements　had　grown　quite

loggy。　　In　a　rough　sea　she　would　have　inevitably　swamped；　but　the

wind；　when　it　did　blow；　was　off　the　land；　and　scarcely　a　ripple

disturbed　the　surface　of　the　bay。



〃I　think　you'd　better　head　for　the　beach；〃　George　said　abruptly；　in

a　manner　that　told　me　his　fear　had　forced　him　to　make　up　his　mind

to　some　course　of　action。



〃I　think　not；〃　I　answered　shortly。



〃I　command　you；〃　he　said　in　a　bullying　tone。



〃I　was　commanded　to　bring　these　prisoners　into　San　Rafael；〃　was　my

reply。



Our　voices　were　raised；　and　the　sound　of　the　altercation　brought

the　Chinese　out　of　the　cabin。



〃Now　will　you　head　for　the　beach？〃



This　from　George；　and　I　found　myself　looking　into　the　muzzle　of　his

revolver　…　of　the　revolver　he　dared　to　use　on　me；　but　was　too

cowardly　to　use　on　the　prisoners。



My　brain　seemed　smitten　with　a　dazzling　brightness。　　The　whole

situation；　in　all　its　bearings；　was　focussed　sharply　before　me　…

the　shame　of　losing　the　prisoners；　the　worthlessness　and　cowardice

of　George；　the　meeting　with　Le　Grant　and　the　other　patrol　men　and

the　lame　explanation；　and　then　there　was　the　fight　I　had　fought　so

hard；　victory　wrenched　from　me　just　as　I　thought　I　had　it　within　my

grasp。　　And　out　of　the　tail　of　my　eye　I　could　see　the　Chinese

crowding　together　by　the　cabin　doors　and　leering　triumphantly。　　It

would　never　do。



I　threw　my　hand　up　and　my　head　down。　　The　first　act　elevated　the

muzzle；　and　the　second　removed　my　head　from　the　path　of　the　bullet

which　went　whistling　past。　　One　hand　closed　on　George's　wrist；　the

other　on　the　revolver。　　Yellow　Handkerchief　and　his　gang　sprang

toward　me。　　It　was　now　or　never。　　Putting　all　my　strength　into　a

sudden　effort；　I　swung　George's　body　forward　to　meet　them。　　Then　I

pulled　back　with　equal　suddenness；　ripping　the　revolver　out　of　his

fingers　and　jerking　him　off　his　feet。　　He　fell　against　Yellow

Handkerchief's　knees；　who　stumbled　over　him；　and　the　pair　wallowed

in　the　bailing　hole　where　the　cockpit　floor　was　torn　open。　　The

next　instant　I　was　covering　them　with　my　revolver；　and　the　wild

shrimp…catchers　were　cowering　and　cringing　away。



But　I　swiftly　discovered　that　there　was　all　the　difference　in　the

world　between　shooting　men　who　are　attacking　and　men　who　are　doing

nothing　more　than　simply　refusing　to　obey。　　For　obey　they　would　not

when　I　ordered　them　into　the　bailing　hole。　　I　threatened　them　with

the　revolver；　but　they　sat　stolidly　in　the　flooded　cabin　and　on　the

roof　and　would　not　move。



Fifteen　minutes　passed；　the　Reindeer　sinking　deeper　and　deeper；　her

mainsail　flapping　in　the　calm。　　But　from　off　the　Point　Pedro　shore

I　saw　a　dark　line　form　on　the　water　and　travel　toward　us。　　It　was

the　steady　breeze　I　had　been　expecting　so　long。　　I　called　to　the

Chinese　and　pointed　it　out。　　They　hailed　it　with　exclamations。

Then　I　pointed　to　the　sail　and　to　the　water　in　the　Reindeer；　and

indicated　by　signs　that　when　the　wind　reached　the　sail；　what　of　the

water　aboard　we　would　capsize。　　But　they　jeered　defiantly；　for　they

knew　it　was　in　my　power　to　luff　the　helm　and　let　go　the　main…sheet；

so　as　to　spill　the　wind　and　escape　damage。



But　my　mind　was　made　up。　　I　hauled　in　the　main…sheet　a　foot　or　two；

took　a　turn　with　it；　and　bracing　my　feet；　put　my　back　against　the

tiller。　　This　left　me　one　hand　for　the　sheet　and　one　for　the

revolver。　　The　dark　line　drew　nearer；　and　I　could　see　them　looking

from　me　to　it　and　back　again　with　an　apprehension　they　could　not

successfully　conceal。　　My　brain　and　will　and　endurance　were　pitted

against　theirs；　and　the　problem　was　which　could　stand　the　strain　of

imminent　death　the　longer　and　not　give　in。



Then　the　wind　struck　us。　　The　main…sheet　tautened　with　a　brisk

rattling　of　the　blocks；　the　boom　uplifted；　the　sail　bellied　out；

and　the　Reindeer　heeled　over　…　over；　and　over；　till　the　lee…rail

went　under；　the　cabin　windows　went　under；　and　the　bay　began　to　pour

in　over　the　cockpit　rail。　　So　violently　had　she　heeled　over；　that

the　men　in　the　cabin　had　been　thrown　on　top　of　one　another　into　the

lee　bunk；　where　they　squirmed　and　twisted　and　were　washed　about；

those　underneath　being　perilously　near　to　drowning。



The　wind　freshened　a　bit；　and　the　Reindeer　went　over　farther　than

ever。　　For　the　moment　I　thought　she　was　gone；　and　I　knew　that

another　puff　like　that　and　she　surely　would　go。　　While　I　pressed

her　under　and　debated　whether　I　should　give　up　or　not；　the　Chinese

cried　for　mercy。　　I　think　it　was　the　sweetest　sound　I　have　ever

heard。　　And　then；　and　not　until　then；　did　I　luff　up　and　ease　out

the　main…sheet。　　The　Reindeer　righted　very　slowly；　and　when　she　was

on　an　even　keel　was　so　much　awash　that　I　doubted　if　she　could　be

saved。



But　the　Chinese　scrambled　madly　into　the　cockpit　and　fell　to

bailing　with　buckets；　pots；　pans；　and　everything　they　could　lay

hands　on。　　It　was　a　beautiful　sight　to　see　that　water　flying　over

the　side！　　And　when　the　Reindeer　was　high　and　proud　on　the　water

once　more；　we　dashed　away　with　the　breeze　on　our　quarter；　and　at

the　last　possible　moment　crossed　the　mud　flats　and　entered　the

slough。



The　spirit　of　the　Chinese　was　broken；　and　so　docile　did　they　become

that　ere　we　made　San　Rafael　they　were　out　with　the　tow…rope；　Yellow

Handkerchief　at　the　head　of　the　line。　　As　for　George；　it　was　his

last　trip　with　the　fish　patrol。　　He　did　not　care　for　that　sort　of

thing；　he　explained；　and　he　thought　a　clerkship　ashore　was　good

enough　for　him。　　And　we　thought　so　too。







THE　KING　OF　THE　GREEKS







Big　Alec　had　never　been　captured　by　the　fish　patrol。　　It　was　his

boast　that　no　man　could　take　him　alive；　and　it　was　his　history　that

of　the　many　men　who　had　tried　to　take　him　dead　none　had　succeeded。

It　was　also　history　that　at　least　two　patrolmen　who　had　tried　to

take　him　dead　had　died　themselves。　　Further；　no　man　violated　the

fish　laws　more　systematically　and　deliberately　than　Big　Alec。



He　was　called　〃Big　Alec〃　because　of　his　gigantic　stature。　　His

height　was　six　feet　three　inches；　and　he　was　correspondingly　broad…

shouldered　and　deep…chested。　　He　was　splendidly　muscled　and　hard　as

steel；　and　there　were　innumerable　stories　in　circulation　among　the

fisher…folk　concerning　his　prodigious　strength。　　He　was　as　bold　and

dominant　of　spirit　as　he　was　strong　of　body；　and　because　of　this　he

was　widely　known　by　another　name；　that　of　〃The　King　of　the　Greeks。〃

The　fishing　population　was　largely　composed　of　Greeks；　and　they

looked　up　to　him　and　obeyed　him　as　their　chief。　　And　as　their

chief；　he　fought　their　fights　for　them；　saw　that　they　were

protected；　saved　them　from　the　law　when　they　fell　into　its

clutches；　and　made　them　stand　by　one　another　and　himself　in　time　of

trouble。



In　the　old　days；　the　fish　patrol　had　attempted　his　capture　many

disastrous　times　and　had　finally　given　it　over；　so　that　when　the

word　was　out　that　he　was　coming　to　Benicia；　I　was　most　anxious　to

see　him。　　But　I　did　not　have　to　hunt　him　up。　　In　his　usual　bold

way；　the　first　thing　he　did　on　arriving　was　to　hunt　us　up。　　Charley

Le　Grant　and　I　at　the　time　were　under　a　patrol…man　named　Carmintel；

and　the　three　of　us　were　on　the　Reindeer；　preparing　for　a　trip；

when　Big　Alec　stepped　aboard。　　Carmintel　evidently　knew　him；　for

they　shook　hands　in　recognition。　　Big　Alec　took　no　notice　of

Charley　or　me。