tales of the fish patrol-第6章

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couple　of　hours；　have　several　more　hours　ashore；　and　come　back　to

the　smelter　on　the　evening　train。



〃All　right；　captain；〃　Charley　said　to　the　disconsolate　yachtsman；

who　smiled　in　sickly　fashion　at　the　title。



〃I'm　only　the　owner；〃　he　explained。



We　rowed　him　aboard　in　much　better　style　than　he　had　come　ashore；

and　saw　for　ourselves　the　helplessness　of　the　passengers。　　There

were　a　dozen　men　and　women；　and　all　of　them　too　sick　even　to　appear

grateful　at　our　coming。　　The　yacht　was　rolling　savagely；　broad　on；

and　no　sooner　had　the　owner's　feet　touched　the　deck　than　he

collapsed　and　joined；　the　others。　　Not　one　was　able　to　bear　a　hand；

so　Charley　and　I　between　us　cleared　the　badly　tangled　running　gear；

got　up　sail；　and　hoisted　anchor。



It　was　a　rough　trip；　though　a　swift　one。　　The　Carquinez　Straits

were　a　welter　of　foam　and　smother；　and　we　came　through　them　wildly

before　the　wind；　the　big　mainsail　alternately　dipping　and　flinging

its　boom　skyward　as　we　tore　along。　　But　the　people　did　not　mind。

They　did　not　mind　anything。　　Two　or　three；　including　the　owner；

sprawled　in　the　cockpit；　shuddering　when　the　yacht　lifted　and　raced

and　sank　dizzily　into　the　trough；　and　between…whiles　regarding　the

shore　with　yearning　eyes。　　The　rest　were　huddled　on　the　cabin　floor

among　the　cushions。　　Now　and　again　some　one　groaned；　but　for　the

most　part　they　were　as　limp　as　so　many　dead　persons。



As　the　bight　at　Turner's　Shipyard　opened　out；　Charley　edged　into　it

to　get　the　smoother　water。　　Benicia　was　in　view；　and　we　were

bowling　along　over　comparatively　easy　water；　when　a　speck　of　a　boat

danced　up　ahead　of　us；　directly　in　our　course。　　It　was　low…water

slack。　　Charley　and　I　looked　at　each　other。　　No　word　was　spoken；

but　at　once　the　yacht　began　a　most　astonishing　performance；　veering

and　yawing　as　though　the　greenest　of　amateurs　was　at　the　wheel。　　It

was　a　sight　for　sailormen　to　see。　　To　all　appearances；　a　runaway

yacht　was　careering　madly　over　the　bight；　and　now　and　again

yielding　a　little　bit　to　control　in　a　desperate　effort　to　make

Benicia。



The　owner　forgot　his　seasickness　long　enough　to　look　anxious。　　The

speck　of　a　boat　grew　larger　and　larger；　till　we　could　see　Big　Alec

and　his　partner；　with　a　turn　of　the　sturgeon　line　around　a　cleat；

resting　from　their　labor　to　laugh　at　us。　　Charley　pulled　his

sou'wester　over　his　eyes；　and　I　followed　his　example；　though　I

could　not　guess　the　idea　he　evidently　had　in　mind　and　intended　to

carry　into　execution。



We　came　foaming　down　abreast　of　the　skiff；　so　close　that　we　could

hear　above　the　wind　the　voices　of　Big　Alec　and　his　mate　as　they

shouted　at　us　with　all　the　scorn　that　professional　watermen　feel

for　amateurs；　especially　when　amateurs　are　making　fools　of

themselves。



We　thundered　on　past　the　fishermen；　and　nothing　had　happened。

Charley　grinned　at　the　disappointment　he　saw　in　my　face；　and　then

shouted：



〃Stand　by　the　main…sheet　to　jibe！〃



He　put　the　wheel　hard　over；　and　the　yacht　whirled　around

obediently。　　The　main…sheet　slacked　and　dipped；　then　shot　over　our

heads　after　the　boom　and　tautened　with　a　crash　on　the　traveller。

The　yacht　heeled　over　almost　on　her　beam　ends；　and　a　great　wail

went　up　from　the　seasick　passengers　as　they　swept　across　the　cabin

floor　in　a　tangled　mass　and　piled　into　a　heap　in　the　starboard

bunks。



But　we　had　no　time　for　them。　　The　yacht；　completing　the　manoeuvre；

headed　into　the　wind　with　slatting　canvas；　and　righted　to　an　even

keel。　　We　were　still　plunging　ahead；　and　directly　in　our　path　was

the　skiff。　　I　saw　Big　Alec　dive　overboard　and　his　mate　leap　for　our

bowsprit。　　Then　came　the　crash　as　we　struck　the　boat；　and　a　series

of　grinding　bumps　as　it　passed　under　our　bottom。



〃That　fixes　his　rifle；〃　I　heard　Charley　mutter；　as　he　sprang　upon

the　deck　to　look　for　Big　Alec　somewhere　astern。



The　wind　and　sea　quickly　stopped　our　forward　movement；　and　we　began

to　drift　backward　over　the　spot　where　the　skiff　had　been。　　Big

Alec's　black　head　and　swarthy　face　popped　up　within　arm's　reach；

and　all　unsuspecting　and　very　angry　with　what　he　took　to　be　the

clumsiness　of　amateur　sailors；　he　was　hauled　aboard。　　Also　he　was

out　of　breath；　for　he　had　dived　deep　and　stayed　down　long　to　escape

our　keel。



The　next　instant；　to　the　perplexity　and　consternation　of　the　owner；

Charley　was　on　top　of　Big　Alec　in　the　cockpit；　and　I　was　helping

bind　him　with　gaskets。　　The　owner　was　dancing　excitedly　about　and

demanding　an　explanation；　but　by　that　time　Big　Alec's　partner　had

crawled　aft　from　the　bowsprit　and　was　peering　apprehensively　over

the　rail　into　the　cockpit。　　Charley's　arm　shot　around　his　neck　and

the　man　landed　on　his　back　beside　Big　Alec。



〃More　gaskets！〃　Charley　shouted；　and　I　made　haste　to　supply　them。



The　wrecked　skiff　was　rolling　sluggishly　a　short　distance　to

windward；　and　I　trimmed　the　sheets　while　Charley　took　the　wheel　and

steered　for　it。



〃These　two　men　are　old　offenders；〃　he　explained　to　the　angry　owner；

〃and　they　are　most　persistent　violators　of　the　fish　and　game　laws。

You　have　seen　them　caught　in　the　act；　and　you　may　expect　to　be

subpoenaed　as　witness　for　the　state　when　the　trial　comes　off。〃



As　he　spoke　he　rounded　alongside　the　skiff。　　It　had　been　torn　from

the　line；　a　section　of　which　was　dragging　to　it。　　He　hauled　in

forty　or　fifty　feet　with　a　young　sturgeon　still　fast　in　a　tangle　of

barbless　hooks；　slashed　that　much　of　the　line　free　with　his　knife；

and　tossed　it　into　the　cockpit　beside　the　prisoners。



〃And　there's　the　evidence；　Exhibit　A；　for　the　people；〃　Charley

continued。　　〃Look　it　over　carefully　so　that　you　may　identify　it　in

the　court…room　with　the　time　and　place　of　capture。〃



And　then；　in　triumph；　with　no　more　veering　and　yawing；　we　sailed

into　Benicia；　the　King　of　the　Greeks　bound　hard　and　fast　in　the

cockpit；　and　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　a　prisoner　of　the　fish

patrol。







A　RAID　ON　THE　OYSTER　PIRATES







Of　the　fish　patrolmen　under　whom　we　served　at　various　times；

Charley　Le　Grant　and　I　were　agreed；　I　think；　that　Neil　Partington

was　the　best。　　He　was　neither　dishonest　nor　cowardly；　and　while　he

demanded　strict　obedience　when　we　were　under　his　orders；　at　the

same　time　our　relations　were　those　of　easy　comradeship；　and　he

permitted　us　a　freedom　to　which　we　were　ordinarily　unaccustomed；　as

the　present　story　will　show。



Neil's　family　lived　in　Oakland；　which　is　on　the　Lower　Bay；　not　more

than　six　miles　across　the　water　from　San　Francisco。　　One　day；　while

scouting　among　the　Chinese　shrimp…catchers　of　Point　Pedro；　he

received　word　that　his　wife　was　very　ill；　and　within　the　hour　the

Reindeer　was　bowling　along　for　Oakland；　with　a　stiff　northwest

breeze　astern。　　We　ran　up　the　Oakland　Estuary　and　came　to　anchor；

and　in　the　days　that　followed；　while　Neil　was　ashore；　we　tightened

up　the　Reindeer's　rigging；　overhauled　the　ballast；　scraped　down；

and　put　the　sloop　into　thorough　shape。



This　done；　time　hung　heavy　on　our　hands。　　Neil's　wife　was

dangerously　ill；　and　the　outlook　was　a　week's　lie…over；　awaiting

the　crisis。　　Charley　and　I　roamed　the　docks；　wondering　what　we

should　do；　and　so　came　upon　the　oyster　fleet　lying　at　the　Oakland

City　Wharf。　　In　the　main　they　were　trim；　natty　boats；　made　for

speed　and　bad　weather；　and　we　sat　down　on　the　stringer…piece　of　the

dock　to　study　them。



〃A　good　catch；　I　guess；〃　Charley　said；　pointing　to　the　heaps　of

oysters；　assorted　in　three　sizes；　which　lay　upon　their　decks。



Pedlers　were　backing　their　wagons　to　the　edge　of　the　wharf；　and

from　the　bargaining　and　chaffering　that　went　on；　I　managed　to　learn

the　selling　price　of　the　oysters。



〃That　boat　must　have　at　least　two　hundred　dollars'　worth　aboard；〃　I

calculated。　　〃I　wonder　how　long　it　took　to　get　the　load？〃



〃Three　or　four　days；〃　Charley　answered。　　〃Not　bad　wages　for　two　men

…　twenty…five　dollars　a　day　apiece。〃



The　boat　we　were　d