tales of the fish patrol-第6章

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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　voice

became　stern　and　menacing）；　〃why；　it'll　be　the　sickest　day　of　yer

life。　　Understand？〃



〃Sure；〃　I　said。



After　that　and　more　warning　and　advice　of　similar　nature；　the

conversation　became　general；　and　we　learned　that　the　beds　were　to

be　raided　that　very　night。　　As　they　got　into　their　boats；　after　an

hour's　stay；　we　were　invited　to　join　them　in　the　raid　with　the

assurance　of　〃the　more　the　merrier。〃



〃Did　you　notice　that　short；　Mexican…looking　chap？〃　Nicholas　asked；

when　they　had　departed　to　their　various　sloops。　　〃He's　Barchi；　of

the　Sporting　Life　Gang；　and　the　fellow　that　came　with　him　is

Skilling。　　They're　both　out　now　on　five　thousand　dollars'　bail。〃



I　had　heard　of　the　Sporting　Life　Gang　before；　a　crowd　of　hoodlums

and　criminals　that　terrorized　the　lower　quarters　of　Oakland；　and

two…thirds　of　which　were　usually　to　be　found　in　state's　prison　for

crimes　that　ranged　from　perjury　and　ballot…box　stuffing　to　murder。



〃They　are　not　regular　oyster　pirates；〃　Nicholas　continued。

〃They've　just　come　down　for　the　lark　and　to　make　a　few　dollars。

But　we'll　have　to　watch　out　for　them。〃



We　sat　in　the　cockpit　and　discussed　the　details　of　our　plan　till

eleven　o'clock　had　passed；　when　we　heard　the　rattle　of　an　oar　in　a

boat　from　the　direction　of　the　Ghost。　　We　hauled　up　our　own　skiff；

tossed　in　a　few　sacks；　and　rowed　over。　　There　we　found　all　the

skiffs　assembling；　it　being　the　intention　to　raid　the　beds　in　a

body。



To　my　surprise；　I　found　barely　a　foot　of　water　where　we　had　dropped

anchor　in　ten　feet。　　It　was　the　big　June　run…out　of　the　full　moon；

and　as　the　ebb　had　yet　an　hour　and　a　half　to　run；　I　knew　that　our

anchorage　would　be　dry　ground　before　slack　water。



Mr。　Taft's　beds　were　three　miles　away；　and　for　a　long　time　we　rowed

silently　in　the　wake　of　the　other　boats；　once　in　a　while　grounding

and　our　oar　blades　constantly　striking　bottom。　　At　last　we　came

upon　soft　mud　covered　with　not　more　than　two　inches　of　water　…　not

enough　to　float　the　boats。　　But　the　pirates　at　once　were　over　the

side；　and　by　pushing　and　pulling　on　the　flat…bottomed　skiffs；　we

moved　steadily　along。



The　full　moon　was　partly　obscured　by　high…flying　clouds；　but　the

pirates　went　their　way　with　the　familiarity　born　of　long　practice。

After　half　a　mile　of　the　mud；　we　came　upon　a　deep　channel；　up　which

we　rowed；　with　dead　oyster　shoals　looming　high　and　dry　on　either

side。　　At　last　we　reached　the　picking　grounds。　　Two　men；　on　one　of

the　shoals；　hailed　us　and　warned　us　off。　　But　the　Centipede；　the

Porpoise；　Barchi；　and　Skilling　took　the　lead；　and　followed　by　the

rest　of　us；　at　least　thirty　men　in　half　as　many　boats；　rowed　right

up　to　the　watchmen。



〃You'd　better　slide　outa　this　here；〃　Barchi　said　threateningly；　〃or

we'll　fill　you　so　full　of　holes　you　wouldn't　float　in　molasses。〃



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