tales of the fish patrol-第6部分

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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！〃　another　wag　shouted。　　〃Wot's　yer

port？〃



We　took　no　notice　of　the　joking；　but　acted；　after　the　manner　of

greenhorns；　as　though　the　Coal　Tar　Maggie　required　our　undivided

attention。　　I　rounded　her　well　to　windward　of　the　Ghost；　and

Nicholas　ran　for'ard　to　drop　the　anchor。　　To　all　appearances　it　was

a　bungle；　the　way　the　chain　tangled　and　kept　the　anchor　from

reaching　the　bottom。　　And　to　all　appearances　Nicholas　and　I　were

terribly　excited　as　we　strove　to　clear　it。　　At　any　rate；　we　quite

deceived　the　pirates；　who　took　huge　delight　in　our　predicament。



But　the　chain　remained　tangled；　and　amid　all　kinds　of　mocking

advice　we　drifted　down　upon　and　fouled　the　Ghost；　whose　bowsprit

poked　square　through　our　mainsail　and　ripped　a　hole　in　it　as　big　as

a　barn　door。　　The　Centipede　and　the　Porpoise　doubled　up　on　the

cabin　in　paroxysms　of　laughter；　and　left　us　to　get　clear　as　best　we

could。　　This；　with　much　unseaman…like　performance；　we　succeeded　in

doing；　and　likewise　in　clearing　the　anchor…chain；　of　which　we　let

out　about　three　hundred　feet。　　With　only　ten　feet　of　water　under

us；　this　would　permit　the　Coal　Tar　Maggie　to　swing　in　a　circle　six

hundred　feet　in　diameter；　in　which　circle　she　would　be　able　to　foul

at　least　half　the　fleet。



The　oyster　pirates　lay　snugly　together　at　short　hawsers；　the

weather　being　fine；　and　they　protested　loudly　at　our　ignorance　in

putting　out　such　an　unwarranted　length　of　anchor…chain。　　And　not

only　did　they　protest；　for　they　made　us　heave　it　in　again；　all　but

thirty　feet。



Having　sufficiently　impressed　them　with　our　general　lubberliness；

Nicholas　and　I　went　below　to　congratulate　ourselves　and　to　cook

supper。　　Hardly　had　we　finished　the　meal　and　washed　the　dishes；

when　a　skiff　ground　against　the　Coal　Tar　Maggie's　side；　and　heavy

feet　trampled　on　deck。　　Then　the　Centipede's　brutal　face　appeared

in　the　companionway；　and　he　descended　into　the　cabin；　followed　by

the　Porpoise。　　Before　they　could　seat　themselves　on　a　bunk；　another

skiff　came　alongside；　and　another；　and　another；　till　the　whole

fleet　was　represented　by　the　gathering　in　the　cabin。



〃Where'd　you　swipe　the　old　tub？〃　asked　a　squat　and　hairy　man；　with

cruel　eyes　and　Mexican　features。



〃Didn't　swipe　it；〃　Nicholas　answered；　meeting　them　on　their　own

ground　and　encouraging　the　idea　that　we　had　stolen　the　Coal　Tar

Maggie。　　〃And　if　we　did；　what　of　it？〃



〃Well；　I　don't　admire　your　taste；　that's　all；〃　sneered　he　of　the

Mexican　features。　　〃I'd　rot　on　the　beach　first　before　I'd　take　a

tub　that　couldn't　get　out　of　its　own　way。〃



〃How　were　we　to　know　till　we　tried　her？〃　Nicholas　asked；　so

innocently　as　to　cause　a　laugh。　　〃And　how　do　you　get　the　oysters？〃

he　hurried　on。　　〃We　want　a　load　of　them；　that's　what　we　came　for；　a

load　of　oysters。〃



〃What　d'ye　want　'em　for？〃　demanded　the　Porpoise。



〃Oh；　to　give　away　to　our　friends；　of　course；〃　Nicholas　retorted。

〃That's　what　you　do　with　yours；　I　suppose。〃



This　started　another　laugh；　and　as　our　visitors　grew　more　genial　we

could　see　that　they　had　not　the　slightest　suspicion　of　our　identity

or　purpose。



〃Didn't　I　see　you　on　the　dock　in　Oakland　the　other　day？〃　the

Centipede　asked　suddenly　of　me。



〃Yep；〃　I　answered　boldly；　taking　the　bull　by　the　horns。　　〃I　was

watching　you　fellows　and　figuring　out　whether　we'd　go　oystering　or

not。　　It's　a　pretty　good　business；　I　calculate；　and　so　we're　going

in　for　it。　　That　is；〃　I　hastened　to　add；　〃if　you　fellows　don't

mind。〃



〃I'll　tell　you　one　thing；　which　ain't　two　things；〃　he　replied；　〃and

that　is　you'll　have　to　hump　yerself　an'　get　a　better　boat。　　We

won't　stand　to　be　disgraced　by　any　such　box　as　this。　　Understand？〃



〃Sure；〃　I　said。　　〃Soon　as　we　sell　some　oysters　we'll　outfit　in

style。〃



〃And　if　you　show　yerself　square　an'　the　right　sort；〃　he　went　on；

〃why；　you　kin　run　with　us。　　But　if　you　don't〃　（here　his　voic