tales of the fish patrol-第7章

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…　twenty…five　dollars　a　day　apiece。〃



The　boat　we　were　discussing；　the　Ghost；　lay　directly　beneath　us。

Two　men　composed　its　crew。　　One　was　a　squat；　broad…shouldered

fellow　with　remarkably　long　and　gorilla…like　arms；　while　the　other

was　tall　and　well　proportioned；　with　clear　blue　eyes　and　a　mat　of

straight　black　hair。　　So　unusual　and　striking　was　this　combination

of　hair　and　eyes　that　Charley　and　I　remained　somewhat　longer　than

we　intended。



And　it　was　well　that　we　did。　　A　stout；　elderly　man；　with　the　dress

and　carriage　of　a　successful　merchant；　came　up　and　stood　beside　us；

looking　down　upon　the　deck　of　the　Ghost。　　He　appeared　angry；　and

the　longer　he　looked　the　angrier　he　grew。



〃Those　are　my　oysters；〃　he　said　at　last。　　〃I　know　they　are　my

oysters。　　You　raided　my　beds　last　night　and　robbed　me　of　them。〃



The　tall　man　and　the　short　man　on　the　Ghost　looked　up。



〃Hello；　Taft；〃　the　short　man　said；　with　insolent　familiarity。

（Among　the　bayfarers　he　had　gained　the　nickname　of　〃The　Centipede〃

on　account　of　his　long　arms。）　　〃Hello；　Taft；〃　he　repeated；　with　the

same　touch　of　insolence。　　〃Wot　'r　you　growling　about　now？〃



〃Those　are　my　oysters　…　that's　what　I　said。　　You've　stolen　them

from　my　beds。〃



〃Yer　mighty　wise；　ain't　ye？〃　was　the　Centipede's　sneering　reply。

〃S'pose　you　can　tell　your　oysters　wherever　you　see　'em？〃



〃Now；　in　my　experience；〃　broke　in　the　tall　man；　〃oysters　is　oysters

wherever　you　find　'em；　an'　they're　pretty　much　alike　all　the　Bay

over；　and　the　world　over；　too；　for　that　matter。　　We're　not　wantin'

to　quarrel　with　you；　Mr。　Taft；　but　we　jes'　wish　you　wouldn't

insinuate　that　them　oysters　is　yours　an'　that　we're　thieves　an'

robbers　till　you　can　prove　the　goods。〃



〃I　know　they're　mine；　I'd　stake　my　life　on　it！〃　Mr。　Taft　snorted。



〃Prove　it；〃　challenged　the　tall　man；　who　we　afterward　learned　was

known　as　〃The　Porpoise〃　because　of　his　wonderful　swimming

abilities。



Mr。　Taft　shrugged　his　shoulders　helplessly。　　Of　course　he　could　not

prove　the　oysters　to　be　his；　no　matter　how　certain　he　might　be。



〃I'd　give　a　thousand　dollars　to　have　you　men　behind　the　bars！〃　he

cried。　　〃I'll　give　fifty　dollars　a　head　for　your　arrest　and

conviction；　all　of　you！〃



A　roar　of　laughter　went　up　from　the　different　boats；　for　the　rest

of　the　pirates　had　been　listening　to　the　discussion。



〃There's　more　money　in　oysters；〃　the　Porpoise　remarked　dryly。



Mr。　Taft　turned　impatiently　on　his　heel　and　walked　away。　　From　out

of　the　corner　of　his　eye；　Charley　noted　the　way　he　went。　　Several

minutes　later；　when　he　had　disappeared　around　a　corner；　Charley

rose　lazily　to　his　feet。　　I　followed　him；　and　we　sauntered　off　in

the　opposite　direction　to　that　taken　by　Mr。　Taft。



〃Come　on！　　Lively！〃　Charley　whispered；　when　we　passed　from　the　view

of　the　oyster　fleet。



Our　course　was　changed　at　once；　and　we　dodged　around　corners　and

raced　up　and　down　side…streets　till　Mr。　Taft's　generous　form　loomed

up　ahead　of　us。



〃I'm　going　to　interview　him　about　that　reward；〃　Charley　explained；

as　we　rapidly　over…hauled　the　oyster…bed　owner。　　〃Neil　will　be

delayed　here　for　a　week；　and　you　and　I　might　as　well　be　doing

something　in　the　meantime。　　What　do　you　say？〃



〃Of　course；　of　course；〃　Mr。　Taft　said；　when　Charley　had　introduced

himself　and　explained　his　errand。　　〃Those　thieves　are　robbing　me　of

thousands　of　dollars　every　year；　and　I　shall　be　glad　to　break　them

up　at　any　price；　…　yes；　sir；　at　any　price。　　As　I　said；　I'll　give

fifty　dollars　a　head；　and　call　it　cheap　at　that。　　They've　robbed　my

beds；　torn　down　my　signs；　terrorized　my　watchmen；　and　last　year

killed　one　of　them。　　Couldn't　prove　it。　　All　done　in　the　blackness

of　night。　　All　I　had　was　a　dead　watchman　and　no　evidence。　　The

detectives　could　do　nothing。　　Nobody　has　been　able　to　do　anything

with　those　men。　　We　have　never　succeeded　in　arresting　one　of　them。

So　I　say；　Mr。　…　　What　did　you　say　your　name　was？〃



〃Le　Grant；〃　Charley　answered。



〃So　I　say；　Mr。　Le　Grant；　I　am　deeply　obliged　to　you　for　the

assistance　you　offer。　　And　I　shall　be　glad；　most　glad；　sir；　to　co…

operate　with　you　in　every　way。　　My　watchmen　and　boats　are　at　your

disposal。　　Come　and　see　me　at　the　San　Francisco　offices　any　time；

or　telephone　at　my　expense。　　And　don't　be　afraid　of　spending　money。

I'll　foot　your　expenses；　whatever　they　are；　so　long　as　they　are

within　reason。　　The　situation　is　growing　desperate；　and　something

must　be　done　to　determine　whether　I　or　that　band　of　ruffians　own

those　oyster　beds。〃



〃Now　we'll　see　Neil；〃　Charley　said；　when　he　had　seen　Mr。　Taft　upon

his　train　to　San　Francisco。



Not　only　did　Neil　Partington　interpose　no　obstacle　to　our

adventure；　but　he　proved　to　be　of　the　greatest　assistance。　　Charley

and　I　knew　nothing　of　the　oyster　industry；　while　his　head　was　an

encyclopaedia　of　facts　concerning　it。　　Also；　within　an　hour　or　so；

he　was　able　to　bring　to　us　a　Greek　boy　of　seventeen　or　eighteen　who

knew　thoroughly　well　the　ins　and　outs　of　oyster　piracy。



At　this　point　I　may　as　well　explain　that　we　of　the　fish　patrol　were

free　lances　in　a　way。　　While　Neil　Partington；　who　was　a　patrolman

proper；　received　a　regular　salary；　Charley　and　I；　being　merely

deputies；　received　only　what　we　earned　…　that　is　to　say；　a　certain

percentage　of　the　fines　imposed　on　convicted　violators　of　the　fish

laws。　　Also；　any　rewards　that　chanced　our　way　were　ours。　　We

offered　to　share　with　Partington　whatever　we　should　get　from　Mr。

Taft；　but　the　patrolman　would　not　hear　of　it。　　He　was　only　too

happy；　he　said；　to　do　a　good　turn　for　us；　who　had　done　so　many　for

him。



We　held　a　long　council　of　war；　and　mapped　out　the　following　line　of

action。　　Our　faces　were　unfamiliar　on　the　Lower　Bay；　but　as　the

Reindeer　was　well　known　as　a　fish…patrol　sloop；　the　Greek　boy；

whose　name　was　Nicholas；　and　I　were　to　sail　some　innocent…looking

craft　down　to　Asparagus　Island　and　join　the　oyster　pirates'　fleet。

Here；　according　to　Nicholas's　description　of　the　beds　and　the

manner　of　raiding；　it　was　possible　for　us　to　catch　the　pirates　in

the　act　of　stealing　oysters；　and　at　the　same　time　to　get　them　in

our　power。　　Charley　was　to　be　on　the　shore；　with　Mr。　Taft's

watchmen　and　a　posse　of　constables；　to　help　us　at　the　right　time。



〃I　know　just　the　boat；〃　Neil　said；　at　the　conclusion　of　the

discussion；　〃a　crazy　old　sloop　that's　lying　over　at　Tiburon。　　You

and　Nicholas　can　go　over　by　the　ferry；　charter　it　for　a　song；　and

sail　direct　for　the　beds。〃



〃Good　luck　be　with　you；　boys；〃　he　said　at　parting；　two　days　later。

〃Remember；　they　are　dangerous　men；　so　be　careful。〃



Nicholas　and　I　succeeded　in　chartering　the　sloop　very　cheaply；　and

between　laughs；　while　getting　up　sail；　we　agreed　that　she　was　even

crazier　and　older　than　she　had　been　described。　　She　was　a　big；

flat…bottomed；　square…sterned　craft；　sloop…rigged；　with　a　sprung

mast；　slack　rigging；　dilapidated　sails；　and　rotten　running…gear；

clumsy　to　handle　and　uncertain　in　bringing　about；　and　she　smelled

vilely　of　coal　tar；　with　which　strange　stuff　she　had　been　smeared

from　stem　to　stern　and　from　cabin…roof　to　centreboard。　　And　to　cap

it　all；　Coal　Tar　Maggie　was　printed　in　great　white　letters　the

whole　length　of　either　side。



It　was　an　uneventful　though　laughable　run　from　Tiburon　to　Asparagus

Island；　where　we　arrived　in　the　afternoon　of　the　following　day。

The　oyster　pirates；　a　fleet　of　a　dozen　sloops；　were　lying　at　anchor

on　what　was　known　as　the　〃Deserted　Beds。〃　　The　Coal　Tar　Maggie　came

sloshing　into　their　midst　with　a　light　breeze　astern；　and　they

crowded　on　deck　to　see　us。　　Nicholas　and　I　had　caught　the　spirit　of

the　crazy　craft；　and　we　handled　her　in　most　lubberly　fashion。



〃Wot　is　it？〃　some　one　called。



〃Name　it　'n'　ye　kin　have　it！〃　called　another。



〃I　swan　naow；　ef　it　ain't　the　old　Ark　itself！〃　mimicked　the

Centipede　from　the　deck　of　the　Ghost。



〃Hey！　　Ahoy　there；　clipper　ship！〃