tales of the fish patrol-第4章

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

Charley　or　me。



〃I've　come　down　to　fish　sturgeon　a　couple　of　months；〃　he　said　to

Carmintel。



His　eyes　flashed　with　challenge　as　he　spoke；　and　we　noticed　the

patrolman's　eyes　drop　before　him。



〃That's　all　right；　Alec；〃　Carmintel　said　in　a　low　voice。　　〃I'll　not

bother　you。　　Come　on　into　the　cabin；　and　we'll　talk　things　over；〃

he　added。



When　they　had　gone　inside　and　shut　the　doors　after　them；　Charley

winked　with　slow　deliberation　at　me。　　But　I　was　only　a　youngster；

and　new　to　men　and　the　ways　of　some　men；　so　I　did　not　understand。

Nor　did　Charley　explain；　though　I　felt　there　was　something　wrong

about　the　business。



Leaving　them　to　their　conference；　at　Charley's　suggestion　we

boarded　our　skiff　and　pulled　over　to　the　Old　Steamboat　Wharf；　where

Big　Alec's　ark　was　lying。　　An　ark　is　a　house…boat　of　small　though

comfortable　dimensions；　and　is　as　necessary　to　the　Upper　Bay

fisherman　as　are　nets　and　boats。　　We　were　both　curious　to　see　Big

Alec's　ark；　for　history　said　that　it　had　been　the　scene　of　more

than　one　pitched　battle；　and　that　it　was　riddled　with　bullet…holes。



We　found　the　holes　（stopped　with　wooden　plugs　and　painted　over）；

but　there　were　not　so　many　as　I　had　expected。　　Charley　noted　my

look　of　disappointment；　and　laughed；　and　then　to　comfort　me　he　gave

an　authentic　account　of　one　expedition　which　had　descended　upon　Big

Alec's　floating　home　to　capture　him；　alive　preferably；　dead　if

necessary。　　At　the　end　of　half　a　day's　fighting；　the　patrolmen　had

drawn　off　in　wrecked　boats；　with　one　of　their　number　killed　and

three　wounded。　　And　when　they　returned　next　morning　with

reinforcements　they　found　only　the　mooring…stakes　of　Big　Alec's

ark；　the　ark　itself　remained　hidden　for　months　in　the　fastnesses　of

the　Suisun　tules。



〃But　why　was　he　not　hanged　for　murder？〃　I　demanded。　　〃Surely　the

United　States　is　powerful　enough　to　bring　such　a　man　to　justice。〃



〃He　gave　himself　up　and　stood　trial；〃　Charley　answered。　　〃It　cost

him　fifty　thousand　dollars　to　win　the　case；　which　he　did　on

technicalities　and　with　the　aid　of　the　best　lawyers　in　the　state。

Every　Greek　fisherman　on　the　river　contributed　to　the　sum。　　Big

Alec　levied　and　collected　the　tax；　for　all　the　world　like　a　king。

The　United　States　may　be　all…powerful；　my　lad；　but　the　fact　remains

that　Big　Alec　is　a　king　inside　the　United　States；　with　a　country

and　subjects　all　his　own。〃



〃But　what　are　you　going　to　do　about　his　fishing　for　sturgeon？　　He's

bound　to　fish　with　a　'Chinese　line。'〃



Charley　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃We'll　see　what　we　will　see；〃　he

said　enigmatically。



Now　a　〃Chinese　line〃　is　a　cunning　device　invented　by　the　people

whose　name　it　bears。　　By　a　simple　system　of　floats；　weights；　and

anchors；　thousands　of　hooks；　each　on　a　separate　leader；　are

suspended　at　a　distance　of　from　six　inches　to　a　foot　above　the

bottom。　　The　remarkable　thing　about　such　a　line　is　the　hook。　　It　is

barbless；　and　in　place　of　the　barb；　the　hook　is　filed　long　and

tapering　to　a　point　as　sharp　as　that　of　a　needle。　　These　hoods　are

only　a　few　inches　apart；　and　when　several　thousand　of　them　are

suspended　just　above　the　bottom；　like　a　fringe；　for　a　couple　of

hundred　fathoms；　they　present　a　formidable　obstacle　to　the　fish

that　travel　along　the　bottom。



Such　a　fish　is　the　sturgeon；　which　goes　rooting　along　like　a　pig；

and　indeed　is　often　called　〃pig…fish。〃　　Pricked　by　the　first　hook

it　touches；　the　sturgeon　gives　a　startled　leap　and　comes　into

contact　with　half　a　dozen　more　hooks。　　Then　it　threshes　about

wildly；　until　it　receives　hook　after　hook　in　its　soft　flesh；　and

the　hooks；　straining　from　many　different　angles；　hold　the　luckless

fish　fast　until　it　is　drowned。　　Because　no　sturgeon　can　pass

through　a　Chinese　line；　the　device　is　called　a　trap　in　the　fish

laws；　and　because　it　bids　fair　to　exterminate　the　sturgeon；　it　is

branded　by　the　fish　laws　as　illegal。　　And　such　a　line；　we　were

confident；　Big　Alec　intended　setting；　in　open　and　flagrant

violation　of　the　law。



Several　days　passed　after　the　visit　of　Big　Alec；　during　which

Charley　and　I　kept　a　sharp　watch　on　him。　　He　towed　his　ark　around

the　Solano　Wharf　and　into　the　big　bight　at　Turner's　Shipyard。　　The

bight　we　knew　to　be　good　ground　for　sturgeon；　and　there　we　felt

sure　the　King　of　the　Greeks　intended　to　begin　operations。　　The　tide

circled　like　a　mill…race　in　and　out　of　this　bight；　and　made　it

possible　to　raise；　lower；　or　set　a　Chinese　line　only　at　slack

water。　　So　between　the　tides　Charley　and　I　made　it　a　point　for　one

or　the　other　of　us　to　keep　a　lookout　from　the　Solano　Wharf。



On　the　fourth　day　I　was　lying　in　the　sun　behind　the　stringer…piece

of　the　wharf；　when　I　saw　a　skiff　leave　the　distant　shore　and　pull

out　into　the　bight。　　In　an　instant　the　glasses　were　at　my　eyes　and

I　was　following　every　movement　of　the　skiff。　　There　were　two　men　in

it；　and　though　it　was　a　good　mile　away；　I　made　out　one　of　them　to

be　Big　Alec；　and　ere　the　skiff　returned　to　shore　I　made　out　enough

more　to　know　that　the　Greek　had　set　his　line。



〃Big　Alec　has　a　Chinese　line　out　in　the　bight　off　Turner's

Shipyard；〃　Charley　Le　Grant　said　that　afternoon　to　Carmintel。



A　fleeting　expression　of　annoyance　passed　over　the　patrolman's

face；　and　then　he　said；　〃Yes？〃　in　an　absent　way；　and　that　was　all。



Charley　bit　his　lip　with　suppressed　anger　and　turned　on　his　heel。



〃Are　you　game；　my　lad？〃　he　said　to　me　later　on　in　the　evening；　just

as　we　finished　washing　down　the　Reindeer's　decks　and　were　preparing

to　turn　in。



A　lump　came　up　in　my　throat；　and　I　could　only　nod　my　head。



〃Well；　then；〃　and　Charley's　eyes　glittered　in　a　determined　way；

〃we've　got　to　capture　Big　Alec　between　us；　you　and　I；　and　we've　got

to　do　it　in　spite　of　Carmintel。　　Will　you　lend　a　hand？〃



〃It's　a　hard　proposition；　but　we　can　do　it；〃　he　added　after　a

pause。



〃Of　course　we　can；〃　I　supplemented　enthusiastically。



And　then　he　said；　〃Of　course　we　can；〃　and　we　shook　hands　on　it　and

went　to　bed。



But　it　was　no　easy　task　we　had　set　ourselves。　　In　order　to　convict

a　man　of　illegal　fishing；　it　was　necessary　to　catch　him　in　the　act

with　all　the　evidence　of　the　crime　about　him　…　the　hooks；　the

lines；　the　fish；　and　the　man　himself。　　This　meant　that　we　must　take

Big　Alec　on　the　open　water；　where　he　could　see　us　coming　and

prepare　for　us　one　of　the　warm　receptions　for　which　he　was　noted。



〃There's　no　getting　around　it；〃　Charley　said　one　morning。　　〃If　we

can　only　get　alongside　it's　an　even　toss；　and　there's　nothing　left

for　us　but　to　try　and　get　alongside。　　Come　on；　lad。〃



We　were　in　the　Columbia　River　salmon　boat；　the　one　we　had　used

against　the　Chinese　shrimp…catchers。　　Slack　water　had　come；　and　as

we　dropped　around　the　end　of　the　Solano　Wharf　we　saw　Big　Alec　at

work；　running　his　line　and　removing　the　fish。



〃Change　places；〃　Charley　commanded；　〃and　steer　just　astern　of　him

as　though　you're　going　into　the　shipyard。〃



I　took　the　tiller；　and　Charley　sat　down　on　a　thwart　amidships；

placing　his　revolver　handily　beside　him。



〃If　he　begins　to　shoot；〃　he　cautioned；　〃get　down　in　the　bottom　and

steer　from　there；　so　that　nothing　more　than　your　hand　will　be

exposed。〃



I　nodded；　and　we　kept　silent　after　that；　the　boat　slipping　gently

through　the　water　and　Big　Alec　growing　nearer　and　nearer。　　We　could

see　him　quite　plainly；　gaffing　the　sturgeon　and　throwing　them　into

the　boat　while　his　companion　ran　the　line　and　cleared　the　hooks　as

he　dropped　them　back　into　the　water。　　Nevertheless；　we　were　five

hundred　yards　away　when　the　big　fisherman　hailed　us。



〃Here！　　You！　　What　do　you　want？〃　he　shouted。



〃Keep　going；〃　Charley　whispered；　〃just　as　though　you　didn't　hear

him。〃



The　next　few　moments　were　very　anxious　ones。　　The　fisherman　was

studying　us　sharply；　while　we　were　gliding　up　on　him　every　second。



〃You　keep　off　if