tales of the fish patrol-第4节

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bottom。　　The　remarkable　thing　about　such　a　line　is　the　hook。　　It　is

barbless；　and　in　place　of　the　barb；　the　hook　is　filed　long　and

tapering　to　a　point　as　sharp　as　that　of　a　needle。　　These　hoods　are

only　a　few　inches　apart；　and　when　several　thousand　of　them　are

suspended　just　above　the　bottom；　like　a　fringe；　for　a　couple　of

hundred　fathoms；　they　present　a　formidable　obstacle　to　the　fish

that　travel　along　the　bottom。



Such　a　fish　is　the　sturgeon；　which　goes　rooting　along　like　a　pig；

and　indeed　is　often　called　〃pig…fish。〃　　Pricked　by　the　first　hook

it　touches；　the　sturgeon　gives　a　startled　leap　and　comes　into

contact　with　half　a　dozen　more　hooks。　　Then　it　threshes　about

wildly；　until　it　receives　hook　after　hook　in　its　soft　flesh；　and

the　hooks；　straining　from　many　different　angles；　hold　the　luckless

fish　fast　until　it　is　drowned。　　Because　no　sturgeon　can　pass

through　a　Chinese　line；　the　device　is　called　a　trap　in　the　fish

laws；　and　because　it　bids　fair　to　exterminate　the　sturgeon；　it　is

branded　by　the　fish　laws　as　illegal。　　And　such　a　line；　we　were

confident；　Big　Alec　intended　setting；　in　open　and　flagrant

violation　of　the　law。



Several　days　passed　after　the　visit　of　Big　Alec；　during　which

Charley　and　I　kept　a　sharp　watch　on　him。　　He　towed　his　ark　around

the　Solano　Wharf　and　into　the　big　bight　at　Turner's　Shipyard。　　The

bight　we　knew　to　be　good　ground　for　sturgeon；　and　there　we　felt

sure　the　King　of　the　Greeks　intended　to　begin　operations。　　The　tide

circled　like　a　mill…race　in　and　out　of　this　bight；　and　made　it

possible　to　raise；　lower；　or　set　a　Chinese　line　only　at　slack

water。　　So　between　the　tides　Charley　and　I　made　it　a　point　for　one

or　the　other　of　us　to　keep　a　lookout　from　the　Solano　Wharf。



On　the　fourth　day　I　was　lying　in　the　sun　behind　the　stringer…piece

of　the　wharf；　when　I　saw　a　skiff　leave　the　distant　shore　and　pull

out　into　the　bight。　　In　an　instant　the　glasses　were　at　my　eyes　and

I　was　following　every　movement　of　the　skiff。　　There　were　two　men　in

it；　and　though　it　was　a　good　mile　away；　I　made　out　one　of　them　to

be　Big　Alec；　and　ere　the　skiff　returned　to　shore　I　made　out　enough

more　to　know　that　the　Greek　had　set　his　line。



〃Big　Alec　has　a　Chinese　line　out　in　the　bight　off　Turner's

Shipyard；〃　Charley　Le　Grant　said　that　afternoon　to　Carmintel。



A　fleeting　expression　of　annoyance　passed　over　the　patrolman's

face；　and　then　he　said；　〃Yes？〃　in　an　absent　way；　and　that　was　all。



Charley　bit　his　lip　with　suppressed　anger　and　turned　on　his　heel。



〃Are　you　game；　my　lad？〃　he　said　to　me　later　on　in　the　evening；　just

as　we　finished　washing　down　the　Reindeer's　decks　and　were　preparing

to　turn　in。



A　lump　came　up　in　my　throat；　and　I　could　only　nod　my　head。



〃Well；　then；〃　and　Charley's　eyes　glittered　in　a　determined　way；

〃we've　got　to　capture　Big　Alec　between　us；　you　and　I；　and　we've　got

to　do　it　in　spite　of　Carmintel。　　Will　you　lend　a　hand？〃



〃It's　a　hard　proposition；　but　we　can　do　it；〃　he　added　after　a

pause。



〃Of　course　we　can；〃　I　supplemented　enthusiastically。



And　then　he　said；　〃Of　course　we　can；〃　and　we　shook　hands　on　it　and

went　to　bed。



But　it　was　no　easy　task　we　had　set　ourselves。　　In　order　to　convict

a　man　of　illegal　fishing；　it　was　necessary　to　catch　him　in　the　act

with　all　the　evidence　of　the　crime　about　him　…　the　hooks；　the

lines；　the　fish；　and　the　man　himself。　　This　meant　that　we　must　take

Big　Alec　on　the　open　water；　where　he　could　see　us　coming　and

prepare　for　us　one　of　the　warm　receptions　for　which　he　was　noted。



〃There's　no　getting　around　it；〃　Charley　said　one　morning。　　〃If　we

can　only　get　alongside　it's　an　even　toss；　and　there's　nothing　left

for　us　but　to　try　and　get　alongside。　　Come　on；　lad。〃



We　were　in　the　Columbia　River　salmon　boat；　the　one　we　had　used

against　the　Chinese　shrimp…catchers。　　Slack　water　had　come；　and　as

we　dropped　around　the　end　of　the　Solano　Wharf　we　saw　Big　Alec　at

work；　running　his　line　and　removing　the　fish。



〃Change　places；〃　Charley　commanded；　〃and　steer　just　astern　of　him

as　though　you're　going　into　the　shipyard。〃



I　took　the　tiller；　and　Charley　sat　down　on　a　thwart　amidships；

placing　his　revolver　handily　beside　him。



〃If　he　begins　to　shoot；〃　he　cautioned；　〃get　down　in　the　bottom　and

steer　from　there；　so　that　nothing　more　than　your　hand　will　be

exposed。〃



I　nodded；　and　we　kept　silent　after　that；　the　boat　slipping　gently

through　the　water　and　Big　Alec　growing　nearer　and　nearer。　　We　could

see　him　quite　plainly；　gaffing　the　sturgeon　and　throwing　them　into

the　boat　while　his　companion　ran　the　line　and　cleared　the　hooks　as

he　dropped　them　back　into　the　water。　　Nevertheless；　we　were　five

hundred　yards　away　when　the　big　fisherman　hailed　us。



〃Here！　　You！　　What　do　you　want？〃　he　shouted。



〃Keep　going；〃　Charley　whispered；　〃just　as　though　you　didn't　hear

him。〃



The　next　few　moments　were　very　anxious　ones。　　The　fisherman　was

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　re