tales of the fish patrol-第14节

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men　would　strain　to　their　utmost　and　fail　to　get　in　an　inch　of　the

rope；　at　other　times　they　came　ahead　more　rapidly。



When　the　four　boats　were　near　enough　together　for　a　man　to　pass

from　one　to　another；　one　Greek　from　each　of　three　got　into　the

nearest　boat　to　us；　taking　his　rifle　with　him。　　This　made　five　in

the　foremost　boat；　and　it　was　plain　that　their　intention　was　to

board　us。　　This　they　undertook　to　do；　by　main　strength　and　sweat；

running　hand　over　hand　the　float…line　of　a　net。　　And　though　it　was

slow；　and　they　stopped　frequently　to　rest；　they　gradually　drew

nearer。



Charley　smiled　at　their　efforts；　and　said；　〃Give　her　the　topsail；

Ole。〃



The　cap　at　the　mainmast　head　was　broken　out；　and　sheet　and　downhaul

pulled　flat；　amid　a　scattering　rifle　fire　from　the　boats；　and　the

Mary　Rebecca　lay　over　and　sprang　ahead　faster　than　ever。



But　the　Greeks　were　undaunted。　　Unable；　at　the　increased　speed；　to

draw　themselves　nearer　by　means　of　their　hands；　they　rigged　from

the　blocks　of　their　boat　sail　what　sailors　call　a　〃watch…tackle。〃

One　of　them；　held　by　the　legs　by　his　mates；　would　lean　far　over　the

bow　and　make　the　tackle　fast　to　the　float…line。　　Then　they　would

heave　in　on　the　tackle　till　the　blocks　were　together；　when　the

manoeuvre　would　be　repeated。



〃Have　to　give　her　the　staysail；〃　Charley　said。



Ole　Ericsen　looked　at　the　straining　Mary　Rebecca　and　shook　his

head。　　〃It　will　take　der　masts　out　of　her；〃　he　said。



〃And　we'll　be　taken　out　of　her　if　you　don't；〃　Charley　replied。



Ole　shot　an　anxious　glance　at　his　masts；　another　at　the　boat　load

of　armed　Greeks；　and　consented。



The　five　men　were　in　the　bow　of　the　boat　…　a　bad　place　when　a　craft

is　towing。　　I　was　watching　the　behavior　of　their　boat　as　the　great

fisherman's　staysail；　far；　far　larger　than　the　top…sail　and　used

only　in　light　breezes；　was　broken　out。　　As　the　Mary　Rebecca　lurched

forward　with　a　tremendous　jerk；　the　nose　of　the　boat　ducked　down

into　the　water；　and　the　men　tumbled　over　one　another　in　a　wild　rush

into　the　stern　to　save　the　boat　from　being　dragged　sheer　under

water。



〃That　settles　them！〃　Charley　remarked；　though　he　was　anxiously

studying　the　behavior　of　the　Mary　Rebecca；　which　was　being　driven

under　far　more　canvas　than　she　was　rightly　able　to　carry。



〃Next　stop　is　Antioch！〃　announced　the　cheerful　sailor；　after　the

manner　of　a　railway　conductor。　　〃And　next　comes　Merryweather！〃



〃Come　here；　quick；〃　Charley　said　to　me。



I　crawled　across　the　deck　and　stood　upright　beside　him　in　the

shelter　of　the　sheet　steel。



〃Feel　in　my　inside　pocket；〃　he　commanded；　〃and　get　my　notebook。

That's　right。　　Tear　out　a　blank　page　and　write　what　I　tell　you。〃



And　this　is　what　I　wrote：





Telephone　to　Merryweather；　to　the　sheriff；　the　constable；　or　the

judge。　　Tell　them　we　are　coming　and　to　turn　out　the　town。　　Arm

everybody。　　Have　them　down　on　the　wharf　to　meet　us　or　we　are　gone

gooses。





Now　make　it　good　and　fast　to　that　marlin…spike；　and　stand　by　to

toss　it　ashore。〃



I　did　as　he　directed。　　By　then　we　were　close　to　Antioch。　　The　wind

was　shouting　through　our　rigging；　the　Mary　Rebecca　was　half　over　on

her　side　and　rushing　ahead　like　an　ocean　greyhound。　　The　seafaring

folk　of　Antioch　had　seen　us　breaking　out　topsail　and　staysail；　a

most　reckless　performance　in　such　weather；　and　had　hurried　to　the

wharf…ends　in　little　groups　to　find　out　what　was　the　matter。



Straight　down　the　water　front　we　boomed；　Charley　edging　in　till　a

man　could　almost　leap　ashore。　　When　he　gave　the　signal　I　tossed　the

marlinspike。　　It　struck　the　planking　of　the　wharf　a　resounding

smash；　bounced　along　fifteen　or　twenty　feet；　and　was　pounced　upon

by　the　amazed　onlookers。



It　all　happened　in　a　flash；　for　the　next　minute　Antioch　was　behind

and　we　were　heeling　it　up　the　San　Joaquin　toward　Merryweather；　six

miles　away。　　The　river　straightened　out　here　into　its　general

easterly　course；　and　we　squared　away　before　the　wind；　wing…and…wing

once　more；　the　foresail　bellying　out　to　starboard。



Ole　Ericsen　seemed　sunk　into　a　state　of　stolid　despair。　　Charley

and　the　two　sailors　were　looking　hopeful；　as　they　had　good　reason

to　be。　　Merryweather　was　a　coal…mining　town；　and；　it　being　Sunday；

it　was　reasonable　to　expect　the　men　to　be　in　town。　　Further；　the

coal…miners　had　never　lost　any　love　for　the　Greek　fishermen；　and

were　pretty　certain　to　render　us　hearty　assistance。



We　strained　our　eyes　for　a　glimpse　of　the　town；　and　the　first　sight

we　caught　of　it　gave　us　immense　relief。　　The　wharves　were　black

with　men。　　As　we　came　closer；　we　could　see　them　still　arriving；

stringing　down　the　main　street；　guns　in　their　hands　and　on　the　run。

Charley　glanced　astern　at　the　fishermen　with　a　look　of　ownership　in

his　eye　which　till　then　had　been　missing。　　The　Greeks　were　plainly

overawed　by　the　display　of　armed　strength　and　were　putting　their

own　rifles　away。



We　took　in　topsail　and　staysail；　dropped　the　main　peak；　and　as　we

got　abreast　of　the　principal　wharf　jibed　the　mainsail。　　The　Mary

Rebecca　shot　around　into　the　wind；　the　captive　fishermen　describing

a　great　arc　behind　her；　and　forged　ahead　till　she　lost　way；　when

lines　we're　flung　ashore　and　she　was　made　fast。　　This　was

accomplished　under　a　hurricane　of　cheers　from　the　delighted　miners。



Ole　Ericsen　heaved　a　great　sigh。　　〃Ay　never　tank　Ay　see　my　wife

never　again；〃　he　confessed。



〃Why；　we　were　never　in　any　danger；〃　said　Charley。



Ole　looked　at　him　incredulously。



〃Sure；　I　mean　it；〃　Charley　went　on。　　〃All　we　had　to　do；　any　time；

was　to　let　go　our　end　…　as　I　am　going　to　do　now；　so　that　those

Greeks　can　untangle　their　nets。〃



He　went　below　with　a　monkey…wrench；　unscrewed　the　nut；　and　let　the

hook　drop　off。　　When　the　Greeks　had　hauled　their　nets　into　their

boats　and　made　everything　shipshape；　a　posse　of　citizens　took　them

off　our　hands　and　led　them　away　to　jail。



〃Ay　tank　Ay　ban　a　great　big　fool；〃　said　Ole　Ericsen。　　But　he

changed　his　mind　when　the　admiring　townspeople　crowded　aboard　to

shake　hands　with　him；　and　a　couple　of　enterprising　newspaper　men

took　photographs　of　the　Mary　Rebecca　and　her　captain。







DEMETRIOS　CONTOS







It　must　not　be　thought；　from　what　I　have　told　of　the　Greek

fishermen；　that　they　were　altogether　bad。　　Far　from　it。　　But　they

were　rough　men；　gathered　together　in　isolated　communities　and

fighting　with　the　elements　for　a　livelihood。　　They　lived　far　away

from　the　law　and　its　workings；　did　not　understand　it；　and　thought

it　tyranny。　　Especially　did　the　fish　laws　seem　tyrannical。　　And

because　of　this；　they　looked　upon　the　men　of　the　fish　patrol　as

their　natural　enemies。



We　menaced　their　lives；　or　their　living；　which　is　the　same　thing；

in　many　ways。　　We　confiscated　illegal　traps　and　nets；　the　materials

of　which　had　cost　them　considerable　sums　and　the　making　of　which

required　weeks　of　labor。　　We　prevented　them　from　catching　fish　at

many　times　and　seasons；　which　was　equivalent　to　preventing　them

from　making　as　good　a　living　as　they　might　have　made　had　we　not

been　in　existence。　　And　when　we　captured　them；　they　were　brought

into　the　courts　of　law；　where　heavy　cash　fines　were　collected　from

them。　　As　a　result；　they　hated　us　vindictively。　　As　the　dog　is　the

natural　enemy　of　the　cat；　the　snake　of　man；　so　were　we　of　the　fish

patrol　the　natural　enemies　of　the　fishermen。



But　it　is　to　show　that　they　could　act　generously　as　well　as　hate

bitterly　that　this　story　of　Demetrios　Contos　is　told。　　Demetrios

Contos　lived　in　Vallejo。　　Next　to　Big　Alec；　he　was　the　largest；

bravest；　and　most　influential　man　among　the　Greeks。　　He　had　given

us　no　trouble；　and　I　doubt　if　he　would　ever　have　clashed　with　us

had　he　not　invested　in　a　new　salmon　boat。　　This　boat　was　the　cause

of　all　the　trouble。　　He　had　had　it　built　upon　his　own　model；　in

which　the　lines　of　the　general　salmon　boat　were　somewhat　modified。



To　his　high　elation　he　found　his　new　boat　very　fast　…　in　fact；

faster　than　any　other　boat　on　the　bay　or　rivers。　　Forthwith　he　grew

proud　and　boastful：　　and；　our　raid　with　the　Mary　Rebecca　on　the

Sunday　salmon　fishers　having　wrought　fear　in　their　hearts；　he　sent

a　challenge　up　to　Benicia。　　One　of　the　local　fishermen　conveyed　it

to　us；　it　was　to　the　effect　that　Demetrios　Contos　would　sail　up

from　Vallejo　on　the　following　Sunday；　and　in　the　plain　sight　of

Benicia　set　his　net　and　catch　salmon；　and　that　Charley　Le　Grant；

patrolman；　might　come　and　get　him　if　he　could。　　Of　course　Charley

and　I　had　heard　nothing　of　the　new　boat。　　Our　own　boat　was　pretty

fast；　and　we　were　not　afraid　to　have　a　brush　with　any　other　that

happened　along。



Sunday　came。　　The　challenge　had　been　bruited　abroad；　and　the

fishermen　and　seafaring　folk　of　Benicia　turned　out　to　a　man；

crowding　Steamboat　Wharf　till　it　looked　like　the　grand　stand　at　a

football　match。　　Charley　and　I　had　been　sceptical；　but　the