tales of the fish patrol-第5章
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studying us sharply; while we were gliding up on him every second。
〃You keep off if you know what's good for you!〃 he called out
suddenly; as though he had made up his mind as to who and what we
were。 〃If you don't; I'll fix you!〃
He brought a rifle to his shoulder and trained it on me。
〃Now will you keep off?〃 he demanded。
I could hear Charley groan with disappointment。 〃Keep off;〃 he
whispered; 〃it's all up for this time。〃
I put up the tiller and eased the sheet; and the salmon boat ran
off five or six points。 Big Alec watched us till we were out of
range; when he returned to his work。
〃You'd better leave Big Alec alone;〃 Carmintel said; rather sourly;
to Charley that night。
〃So he's been complaining to you; has he?〃 Charley said
significantly。
Carmintel flushed painfully。 〃You'd better leave him alone; I tell
you;〃 he repeated。 〃He's a dangerous man; and it won't pay to fool
with him。〃
〃Yes;〃 Charley answered softly; 〃I've heard that it pays better to
leave him alone。〃
This was a direct thrust at Carmintel; and we could see by the
expression of his face that it sank home。 For it was common
knowledge that Big Alec was as willing to bribe as to fight; and
that of late years more than one patrolman had handled the
fisherman's money。
〃Do you mean to say … 〃 Carmintel began; in a bullying tone。
But Charley cut him off shortly。 〃I mean to say nothing;〃 he said。
〃You heard what I said; and if the cap fits; why … 〃
He shrugged his shoulders; and Carmintel glowered at him;
speechless。
〃What we want is imagination;〃 Charley said to me one day; when we
had attempted to creep upon Big Alec in the gray of dawn and had
been shot at for our trouble。
And thereafter; and for many days; I cudgelled my brains trying to
imagine some possible way by which two men; on an open stretch of
water; could capture another who knew how to use a rifle and was
never to be found without one。 Regularly; every slack water;
without slyness; boldly and openly in the broad day; Big Alec was
to be seen running his line。 And what made it particularly
exasperating was the fact that every fisherman; from Benicia to
Vallejo knew that he was successfully defying us。 Carmintel also
bothered us; for he kept us busy among the shad…fishers of San
Pablo; so that we had little time to spare on the King of the
Greeks。 But Charley's wife and children lived at Benicia; and we
had made the place our headquarters; so that we always returned to
it。
〃I'll tell you what we can do;〃 I said; after several fruitless
weeks had passed; 〃we can wait some slack water till Big Alec has
run his line and gone ashore with the fish; and then we can go out
and capture the line。 It will put him to time and expense to make
another; and then we'll figure to capture that too。 If we can't
capture him; we can discourage him; you see。〃
Charley saw; and said it wasn't a bad idea。 We watched our chance;
and the next low…water slack; after Big Alec had removed the fish
from the line and returned ashore; we went out in the salmon boat。
We had the bearings of the line from shore marks; and we knew we
would have no difficulty in locating it。 The first of the flood
tide was setting in; when we ran below where we thought the line
was stretched and dropped over a fishing…boat anchor。 Keeping a
short rope to the anchor; so that it barely touched the bottom; we
dragged it slowly along until it stuck and the boat fetched up hard
and fast。
〃We've got it;〃 Charley cried。 〃Come on and lend a hand to get it
in。〃
Together we hove up the rope till the anchor I came in sight with
the sturgeon line caught across one of the flukes。 Scores of the
murderous…looking hooks flashed into sight as we cleared the
anchor; and we had just started to run along the line to the end
where we could begin to lift it; when a sharp thud in the boat
startled us。 We looked about; but saw nothing and returned to our
work。 An instant later there was a similar sharp thud and the
gunwale splintered between Charley's body and mine。
〃That's remarkably like a bullet; lad;〃 he said reflectively。 〃And
it's a long shot Big Alec's making。〃
〃And he's using smokeless powder;〃 he concluded; after an
examination of the mile…distant shore。 〃That's why we can't hear
the report。〃
I looked at the shore; but could see no sign of Big Alec; who was
undoubtedly hidden in some rocky nook with us at his mercy。 A
third bullet struck the water; glanced; passed singing over our
heads; and struck the water again beyond。
〃I guess we'd better get out of this;〃 Charley remarked coolly。
〃What do you think; lad?〃
I thought so; too; and said we didn't want the line anyway。
Whereupon we cast off and hoisted the spritsail。 The bullets
ceased at once; and we sailed away; unpleasantly confident that Big
Alec was laughing at our discomfiture。
And more than that; the next day on the fishing wharf; where we
were inspecting nets; he saw fit to laugh and sneer at us; and this
before all the fishermen。 Charley's face went black with anger;
but beyond promising Big Alec that in the end he would surely land
him behind the bars; he controlled himself and said nothing。 The
King of the Greeks made his boast that no fish patrol had ever
taken him or ever could take him; and the fishermen cheered him and
said it was true。 They grew excited; and it looked like trouble
for a while; but Big Alec asserted his kingship and quelled them。
Carmintel also laughed at Charley; and dropped sarcastic remarks;
and made it hard for him。 But Charley refused to be angered;
though he told me in confidence that he intended to capture Big
Alec if it took all the rest of his life to accomplish it。
〃I don't know how I'll do it;〃 he said; 〃but do it I will; as sure
as I am Charley Le Grant。 The idea will come to me at the right
and proper time; never fear。〃
And at the right time it came; and most unexpectedly。 Fully a
month had passed; and we were constantly up and down the river; and
down and up the bay; with no spare moments to devote to the
particular fisherman who ran a Chinese line in the bight of
Turner's Shipyard。 We had called in at Selby's Smelter one
afternoon; while on patrol work; when all unknown to us our
opportunity happened along。 It appeared in the guise of a helpless
yacht loaded with seasick people; so we could hardly be expected to
recognize it as the opportunity。 It was a large sloop…yacht; and
it was helpless inasmuch as the trade…wind was blowing half a gale
and there were no capable sailors aboard。
From the wharf at Selby's we watched with careless interest the
lubberly manoeuvre performed of bringing the yacht to anchor; and
the equally lubberly manoeuvre of sending the small boat ashore。 A
very miserable…looking man in draggled ducks; after nearly swamping
the boat in the heavy seas; passed us the painter and climbed out。
He staggered about as though the wharf were rolling; and told us
his troubles; which were the troubles of the yacht。 The only
rough…weather sailor aboard; the man on whom they all depended; had
been called back to San Francisco by a telegram; and they had
attempted to continue the cruise alone。 The high wind and big seas
of San Pablo Bay had been too much for them; all hands were sick;
nobody knew anything or could do anything; and so they had run in
to the smelter either to desert the yacht or to get somebody to
bring it to Benicia。 In short; did we know of any sailors who
would bring the yacht into Benicia?
Charley looked at me。 The Reindeer was lying in a snug place。 We
had nothing on hand in the way of patrol work till midnight。 With
the wind then blowing; we could sail the yacht into Benicia in a
couple of hours; have several more hours ashore; and come back to
the smelter on the evening train。
〃All right; captain;〃