tales of the fish patrol-第8节

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The　watchmen　wisely　retreated　before　so　overwhelming　a　force；　and

rowed　their　boat　along　the　channel　toward　where　the　shore　should

be。　　Besides；　it　was　in　the　plan　for　them　to　retreat。



We　hauled　the　noses　of　the　boats　up　on　the　shore　side　of　a　big

shoal；　and　all　hands；　with　sacks；　spread　out　and　began　picking。

Every　now　and　again　the　clouds　thinned　before　the　face　of　the　moon；

and　we　could　see　the　big　oysters　quite　distinctly。　　In　almost　no

time　sacks　were　filled　and　carried　back　to　the　boats；　where　fresh

ones　were　obtained。　　Nicholas　and　I　returned　often　and　anxiously　to

the　boats　with　our　little　loads；　but　always　found　some　one　of　the

pirates　coming　or　going。



〃Never　mind；〃　he　said；　〃no　hurry。　　As　they　pick　farther　and　farther

away；　it　will　take　too　long　to　carry　to　the　boats。　　Then　they'll

stand　the　full　sacks　on　end　and　pick　them　up　when　the　tide　comes　in

and　the　skiffs　will　float　to　them。〃



Fully　half　an　hour　went　by；　and　the　tide　had　begun　to　flood；　when

this　came　to　pass。　　Leaving　the　pirates　at　their　work；　we　stole

back　to　the　boats。　　One　by　one；　and　noiselessly；　we　shoved　them　off

and　made　them　fast　in　an　awkward　flotilla。　　Just　as　we　were　shoving

off　the　last　skiff；　our　own；　one　of　the　men　came　upon　us。　　It　was

Barchi。　　His　quick　eye　took　in　the　situation　at　a　glance；　and　he

sprang　for　us；　but　we　went　clear　with　a　mighty　shove；　and　he　was

left　floundering　in　the　water　over　his　head。　　As　soon　as　he　got

back　to　the　shoal　he　raised　his　voice　and　gave　the　alarm。



We　rowed　with　all　our　strength；　but　it　was　slow　going　with　so　many

boats　in　tow。　　A　pistol　cracked　from　the　shoal；　a　second；　and　a

third；　then　a　regular　fusillade　began。　　The　bullets　spat　and　spat

all　about　us；　but　thick　clouds　had　covered　the　moon；　and　in　the　dim

darkness　it　was　no　more　than　random　firing。　　It　was　only　by　chance

that　we　could　be　hit。



〃Wish　we　had　a　little　steam　launch；〃　I　panted。



〃I'd　just　as　soon　the　moon　stayed　hidden；〃　Nicholas　panted　back。



It　was　slow　work；　but　every　stroke　carried　us　farther　away　from　the

shoal　and　nearer　the　shore；　till　at　last　the　shooting　died　down；

and　when　the　moon　did　come　out　we　were　too　far　away　to　be　in

danger。　　Not　long　afterward　we　answered　a　shoreward　hail；　and　two

Whitehall　boats；　each　pulled　by　three　pairs　of　oars；　darted　up　to

us。　　Charley's　welcome　face　bent　over　to　us；　and　he　gripped　us　by

the　hands　while　he　cried；　〃Oh；　you　joys！　　You　joys！　　Both　of　you！〃



When　the　flotilla　had　been　landed；　Nicholas　and　I　and　a　watchman

rowed　out　in　one　of　the　Whitehalls；　with　Charley　in　the　stern…

sheets。　　Two　other　Whitehalls　followed　us；　and　as　the　moon　now

shone　brightly；　we　easily　made　out　the　oyster　pirates　on　their

lonely　shoal。　　As　we　drew　closer；　they　fired　a　rattling　volley　from

their　revolvers；　and　we　promptly　retreated　beyond　range。



〃Lot　of　time；〃　Charley　said。　　〃The　flood　is　setting　in　fast；　and　by

the　time　it's　up　to　their　necks　there　won't　be　any　fight　left　in

them。〃



So　we　lay　on　our　oars　and　waited　for　the　tide　to　do　its　work。　　This

was　the　predicament　of　the　pirates：　　because　of　the　big　run…out；

the　tide　was　now　rushing　back　like　a　mill…race；　and　it　was

impossible　for　the　strongest　swimmer　in　the　world　to　make　against

it　the　three　miles　to　the　sloops。　　Between　the　pirates　and　the

shore　were　we；　precluding　escape　in　that　direction。　　On　the　other

hand；　the　water　was　rising　rapidly　over　the　shoals；　and　it　was　only

a　question　of　a　few　hours　when　it　would　be　over　their　heads。



It　was　beautifully　calm；　and　in　the　brilliant　white　moonlight　we

watched　them　through　our　night　glasses　and　told　Charley　of　the

voyage　of　the　Coal　Tar　Maggie。　　One　o'clock　came；　and　two　o'clock；

and　the　pirates　were　clustering　on　the　highest　shoal；　waist…deep　in

water。



〃Now　this　illustrates　the　value　of　imagination；〃　Charley　was

saying。　　〃Taft　has　been　trying　for　years　to　get　them；　but　he　went

at　it　with　bull　strength　and　failed。　　Now　we　used　our　heads　。　。　。〃



Just　then　I　heard　a　scarcely　audible　gurgle　of　water；　and　holding

up　my　hand　for　silence；　I　turned　and　pointed　to　a　ripple　slowly

widening　out　in　a　growing　circle。　　It　was　not　more　than　fifty　feet

from　us。　　We　kept　perfectly　quiet　and　waited。　　After　a　minute　the

water　broke　six　feet　away；　and　a　black　head　and　white　shoulder

showed　in　the　moonlight。　　With　a　snort　of　surprise　and　of　suddenly

expelled　breath；　the　head　and　shoulder　went　down。



We　pulled　ahead　several　strokes　and　drifted　with　the　current。　　Four

pairs　of　eyes　searched　the　surface　of　the　water；　but　never　another

ripple　showed；　and　never　another　glimpse　did　we　catch　of　the　black

head　and　white　shoulder。



〃It's　the　Porpoise；〃　Nicholas　said。　　〃It　would　take　broad　daylight

for　us　to　catch　him。〃



At　a　quarter　to　three　the　pirates　gave　their　first　sign　of

weakening。　　We　heard　cries　for　help；　in　the　unmistakable　voice　of

the　Centipede；　and　this　time；　on　rowing　closer；　we　were　not　fired

upon。　　The　Centipede　was　in　a　truly　perilous　plight。　　Only　the

heads　and　shoulders　of　his　fellow…marauders　showed　above　the　water

as　they　braced　themselves　against　the　current；　while　his　feet　were

off　the　bottom　and　they　were　supporting　him。



〃Now；　lads；〃　Charley　said　briskly；　〃we　have　got　you；　and　you　can't

get　away。　　If　you　cut　up　rough；　we'll　have　to　leave　you　alone　and

the　water　will　finish　you。　　But　if　you're　good　we'll　take　you

aboard；　one　man　at　a　time；　and　you'll　all　be　saved。　　What　do　you

say？〃



〃Ay；〃　they　chorused　hoarsely　between　their　chattering　teeth。



〃Then　one　man　at　a　time；　and　the　short　men　first。〃



The　Centipede　was　the　first　to　be　pulled　aboard；　and　he　came

willingly；　though　he　objected　when　the　constable　put　the　handcuffs

on　him。　　Barchi　was　next　hauled　in；　quite　meek　and　resigned　from

his　soaking。　　When　we　had　ten　in；　our　boat　we　drew　back；　and　the

second　Whitehall　was　loaded。　　The　third　Whitehall　received　nine

prisoners　only　…　a　catch　of　twenty…nine　in　all。



〃You　didn't　get　the　Porpoise；〃　the　Centipede　said　exultantly；　as

though　his　escape　materially　diminished　our　success。



Charley　laughed。　　〃But　we　saw　him　just　the　same；　a…snorting　for

shore　like　a　puffing　pig。〃



It　was　a　mild　and　shivering　band　of　pirates　that　we　marched　up　the

beach　to　the　oyster　house。　　In　answer　to　Charley's　knock；　the　door

was　flung　open；　and　a　pleasant　wave　of　warm　air　rushed　out　upon　us。



〃You　can　dry　your　clothes　here；　lads；　and　get　some　hot　coffee；〃

Charley　announced；　as　they　filed　in。



And　there；　sitting　ruefully　by　the　fire；　with　a　steaming　mug　in　his

hand；　was　the　Porpoise。　　With　one　accord　Nicholas　and　I　looked　at

Charley。　　He　laughed　gleefully。



〃That　comes　of　imagination；〃　he　said。　　〃When　you　see　a　thing；

you've　got　to　see　it　all　around；　or　what's　the　good　of　seeing　it　at

all？　　I　saw　the　beach；　so　I　left　a　couple　of　constables　behind　to

keep　an　eye　on　it。　　That's　all。〃







THE　SIEGE　OF　THE　〃LANCASHIRE　QUEEN〃







Possibly　our　most　exasperating　experience　on　the　fish　patrol　was

when　Charley　Le　Grant　and　I　laid　a　two　weeks'　siege　to　a　big　four…

masted　English　ship。　　Before　we　had　finished　with　the　affair；　it

became　a　pretty　mathematical　problem；　and　it　was　by　the　merest

chance　that　we　came　into　possession　of　the　instrument　that　brought

it　to　a　successful　termination。



After　our　raid　on　the　oyster　pirates　we　had　returned　to　Oakland；

where　two　more　weeks　passed　before　Neil　Partington's　wife　was　out

of　danger　and　on　the　highroad　to　recovery。　　So　it　was　after　an

absence　of　a　month；　all　told；　that　we　turned　the　Reindeer's　nose

toward　Benicia。　　When　the　cat's　away　the　mice　will　play；　and　in

these　four　weeks　the　fishermen　had　become　very　bold　in　violating

the　law。　　When　we　passed　Point　Pedro　we　noticed　many　signs　of

activity　among　the　shrimp…catchers；　and；　well　into　San　Pablo　Bay；

we　observed　a　widely　scattered　fleet　of　Upper　Bay　fishing…boats

hastily　pulling　in　their　nets　and　getting　up　sail。



This　was　suspicious　enough　to　warrant　investigation；　and　the　first

and　only　boat　we　succeeded　in　boarding　proved　to　have　an　illegal

net。　　The　law　permitted　no　smaller　mesh　for　catching　shad　than　one

that　measured　seven　and　one…half　inches　inside　the　knots；　while　the

mesh　of　this　particular　net　measured　only　three　inches。　　It　was　a

flagrant　breach　of　the　rules；　and　the　two　fishermen　were　forthwith

put　under　arrest。　　Neil　Partington　took　one　of　them　with　him　to

help　manage　the　Reindeer；　while　Charley　and　I　went　on　ahead　with

the　other　in　the　captured　boat。



But　the　shad　fleet　had　headed　over　toward　the　Petaluma　shore　in

wild　flight；　and　for　the　rest　of　the　run　through　San　Pablo　Bay　we

saw　no　more　fishermen　at　all。　　Our　prisoner；　a　bronzed　and　bearded

Greek；　sat　sullenly　on　his　net　while　we　sailed　his　craft。　　It　was　a

new　Columbia　River　salmon　boat；　evidently　on　its　first　trip；　and　it

handled　splendidly。　　Even　when　Charley　praised　it；　our　p