tales of the fish patrol-第18节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



us　over　a　bit　out　of　our　course；　but　if　the　fog　lifts　right　now；　as

it　is　going　to　lift；　you'll　find　we're　not　more　than　a　thousand

miles　off　McNear's　Landing。〃



〃You　might　be　a　little　more　definite　by　a　few　miles；　anyway；〃　Neil

grumbled；　showing　by　his　tone　that　he　disagreed。



〃All　right；　then；〃　Charley　said；　conclusively；　〃not　less　than　a

quarter　of　a　mile；　not　more　than　a　half。〃



The　wind　freshened　with　a　couple　of　little　puffs；　and　the　fog

thinned　perceptibly。



〃McNear's　is　right　off　there；〃　Charley　said；　pointing　directly　into

the　fog　on　our　weather　beam。



The　three　of　us　were　peering　intently　in　that　direction；　when　the

Reindeer　struck　with　a　dull　crash　and　came　to　a　standstill。　　We　ran

forward；　and　found　her　bowsprit　entangled　in　the　tanned　rigging　of

a　short；　chunky　mast。　　She　had　collided；　head　on；　with　a　Chinese

junk　lying　at　anchor。



At　the　moment　we　arrived　forward；　five　Chinese；　like　so　many　bees；

came　swarming　out　of　the　little　'tween…decks　cabin；　the　sleep　still

in　their　eyes。



Leading　them　came　a　big；　muscular　man；　conspicuous　for　his　pock…

marked　face　and　the　yellow　silk　handkerchief　swathed　about　his

head。　　It　was　Yellow　Handkerchief；　the　Chinaman　whom　we　had

arrested　for　illegal　shrimp…fishing　the　year　before；　and　who；　at

that　time；　had　nearly　sunk　the　Reindeer；　as　he　had　nearly　sunk　it

now　by　violating　the　rules　of　navigation。



〃What　d'ye　mean；　you　yellow…faced　heathen；　lying　here　in　a　fairway

without　a　horn　a…going？〃　Charley　cried　hotly。



〃Mean？〃　Neil　calmly　answered。　　〃Just　take　a　look　…　that's　what　he

means。〃



Our　eyes　followed　the　direction　indicated　by　Neil's　finger；　and　we

saw　the　open　amidships　of　the　junk；　half　filled；　as　we　found　on

closer　examination；　with　fresh…caught　shrimps。　　Mingled　with　the

shrimps　were　myriads　of　small　fish；　from　a　quarter　of　an　inch

upward　in　size。



Yellow　Handkerchief　had　lifted　the　trap…net　at　high…water　slack；

and；　taking　advantage　of　the　concealment　offered　by　the　fog；　had

boldly　been　lying　by；　waiting　to　lift　the　net　again　at　low…water

slack。



〃Well；〃　Neil　hummed　and　hawed；　〃in　all　my　varied　and　extensive

experience　as　a　fish　patrolman；　I　must　say　this　is　the　easiest

capture　I　ever　made。　　What'll　we　do　with　them；　Charley？〃



〃Tow　the　junk　into　San　Rafael；　of　course；〃　came　the　answer。

Charley　turned　to　me。　　〃You　stand　by　the　junk；　lad；　and　I'll　pass

you　a　towing　line。　　If　the　wind　doesn't　fail　us；　we'll　make　the

creek　before　the　tide　gets　too　low；　sleep　at　San　Rafael；　and　arrive

in　Oakland　to…morrow　by　midday。〃



So　saying；　Charley　and　Neil　returned　to　the　Reindeer　and　got　under

way；　the　junk　towing　astern。　　I　went　aft　and　took　charge　of　the

prize；　steering　by　means　of　an　antiquated　tiller　and　a　rudder　with

large；　diamond…shaped　holes；　through　which　the　water　rushed　back

and　forth。



By　now　the　last　of　the　fog　had　vanished；　and　Charley's　estimate　of

our　position　was　confirmed　by　the　sight　of　McNear's　Landing　a　short

half…mile　away。　　Following　along　the　west　shore；　we　rounded　Point

Pedro　in　plain　view　of　the　Chinese　shrimp　villages；　and　a　great　to…

do　was　raised　when　they　saw　one　of　their　junks　towing　behind　the

familiar　fish　patrol　sloop。



The　wind；　coming　off　the　land；　was　rather　puffy　and　uncertain；　and

it　would　have　been　more　to　our　advantage　had　it　been　stronger。　　San

Rafael　Creek；　up　which　we　had　to　go　to　reach　the　town　and　turn　over

our　prisoners　to　the　authorities；　ran　through　wide…stretching

marshes；　and　was　difficult　to　navigate　on　a　falling　tide；　while　at

low　tide　it　was　impossible　to　navigate　at　all。　　So；　with　the　tide

already　half…ebbed；　it　was　necessary　for　us　to　make　time。　　This　the

heavy　junk　prevented；　lumbering　along　behind　and　holding　the

Reindeer　back　by　just　so　much　dead　weight。



〃Tell　those　coolies　to　get　up　that　sail；〃　Charley　finally　called　to

me。　　〃We　don't　want　to　hang　up　on　the　mud　flats　for　the　rest　of　the

night。〃



I　repeated　the　order　to　Yellow　Handkerchief；　who　mumbled　it　huskily

to　his　men。　　He　was　suffering　from　a　bad　cold；　which　doubled　him　up

in　convulsive　coughing　spells　and　made　his　eyes　heavy　and

bloodshot。　　This　made　him　more　evil…looking　than　ever；　and　when　he

glared　viciously　at　me　I　remembered　with　a　shiver　the　close　shave　I

had　had　with　him　at　the　time　of　his　previous　arrest。



His　crew　sullenly　tailed　on　to　the　halyards；　and　the　strange；

outlandish　sail；　lateen　in　rig　and　dyed　a　warm　brown；　rose　in　the

air。　　We　were　sailing　on　the　wind；　and　when　Yellow　Handkerchief

flattened　down　the　sheet　the　junk　forged　ahead　and　the　tow…line

went　slack。　　Fast　as　the　Reindeer　could　sail；　the　junk　outsailed

her；　and　to　avoid　running　her　down　I　hauled　a　little　closer　on　the

wind。　　But　the　junk　likewise　outpointed；　and　in　a　couple　of　minutes

I　was　abreast　of　the　Reindeer　and　to　windward。　　The　tow…line　had

now　tautened；　at　right　angles　to　the　two　boats；　and　the　predicament

was　laughable。



〃Cast　off！〃　I　shouted。



Charley　hesitated。



〃It's　all　right；〃　I　added。　　〃Nothing　can　happen。　　We'll　make　the

creek　on　this　tack；　and　you'll　be　right　behind　me　all　the　way　up　to

San　Rafael。〃



At　this　Charley　cast　off；　and　Yellow　Handkerchief　sent　one　of　his

men　forward　to　haul　in　the　line。　　In　the　gathering　darkness　I　could

just　make　out　the　mouth　of　San　Rafael　Creek；　and　by　the　time　we

entered　it　I　could　barely　see　its　banks。　　The　Reindeer　was　fully

five　minutes　astern；　and　we　continued　to　leave　her　astern　as　we

beat　up　the　narrow；　winding　channel。　　With　Charley　behind　us；　it

seemed　I　had　little　to　fear　from　my　five　prisoners；　but　the

darkness　prevented　my　keeping　a　sharp　eye　on　them；　so　I　transferred

my　revolver　from　my　trousers　pocket　to　the　side　pocket　of　my　coat；

where　I　could　more　quickly　put　my　hand　on　it。



Yellow　Handkerchief　was　the　one　I　feared；　and　that　he　knew　it　and

made　use　of　it；　subsequent　events　will　show。　　He　was　sitting　a　few

feet　away　from　me；　on　what　then　happened　to　be　the　weather　side　of

the　junk。　　I　could　scarcely　see　the　outlines　of　his　form；　but　I

soon　became　convinced　that　he　was　slowly；　very　slowly；　edging

closer　to　me。　　I　watched　him　carefully。　　Steering　with　my　left

hand；　I　slipped　my　right　into　my　pocket　and　got　hold　of　the

revolver。



I　saw　him　shift　along　for　a　couple　of　inches；　and　I　was　just　about

to　order　him　back　…　the　words　were　trembling　on　the　tip　of　my

tongue　…　when　I　was　struck　with　great　force　by　a　heavy　figure　that

had　leaped　through　the　air　upon　me　from　the　lee　side。　　It　was　one

of　the　crew。　　He　pinioned　my　right　arm　so　that　I　could　not　withdraw

my　hand　from　my　pocket；　and　at　the　same　time　clapped　his　other　hand

over　my　mouth。　　Of　course；　I　could　have　struggled　away　from　him　and

freed　my　hand　or　gotten　my　mouth　clear　so　that　I　might　cry　an

alarm；　but　in　a　trice　Yellow　Handkerchief　was　on　top　of　me。



I　struggled　around　to　no　purpose　in　the　bottom　of　the　junk；　while

my　legs　and　arms　were　tied　and　my　mouth　securely　bound　in　what　I

afterward　found　to　be　a　cotton　shirt。　　Then　I　was　left　lying　in　the

bottom。　　Yellow　Handkerchief　took　the　tiller；　issuing　his　orders　in

whispers；　and　from　our　position　at　the　time；　and　from　the

alteration　of　the　sail；　which　I　could　dimly　make　out　above　me　as　a

blot　against　the　stars；　I　knew　the　junk　was　being　headed　into　the

mouth　of　a　small　slough　which　emptied　at　that　point　into　San　Rafael

Creek。



In　a　couple　of　minutes　we　ran　softly　alongside　the　bank；　and　the

sail　was　silently　lowered。　　The　Chinese　kept　very　quiet。　　Yellow

Handkerchief　sat　down　in　the　bottom　alongside　of　me；　and　I　could

feel　him　straining　to　repress　his　raspy；　hacking　cough。　　Possibly

seven　or　eight　minutes　later　I　heard　Charley's　voice　as　the

Reindeer　went　past　the　mouth　of　the　slough。



〃I　can't　tell　you　how　relieved　I　am；〃　I　could　plainly　hear　him

saying　to　Neil；　〃that　the　lad　has　finished　with　the　fish　patrol

without　accident。〃



Here　Neil　said　something　which　I　could　not　catch；　and　then

Charley's　voice　went　on：



〃The　youngster　takes　naturally　to　the　water；　and　if；　when　he

finishes　high　school；　he　takes　a　course　in　navigation　and　goes　deep

sea；　I　see　no　reason　why　he　shouldn't　rise　to　be　master　of　the

finest　and　biggest　ship　afloat。〃



It　was　all　very　flattering　to　me；　but　lying　there；　bound　and　gagged

by　my　own　prisoners；　with　the　voices　growing　faint　and　fainter　as

the　Reindeer　slipped　on　through　the　darkness　toward　San　Rafael；　I

must　say　I　was　not　in　quite　the　proper　situation　to　enjoy　my

smiling　future。　　With　the　Reindeer　went　my　last　hope。　　What　was　to

happen　next　I　could　not　imagine；　for　the　Chinese　were　a　different

race　from　mine；　and　from　what　I　knew　I　was　confident　that　fair　play

was　no　part　of　their　make…up。



After　waiting　a　few　minutes　longer；　the　crew　hoisted　the　lateen

sail；　and　Yellow　Handkerchief　steered　down　toward　the　mouth　of　San

Rafael　Creek。　　The　tide　was　getting　lower；　and　he　had