The　parley　that　followed　with　the　captain　was　short　and　snappy。　　He
  absolutely　forbade　us　to　board　the　Lancashire　Queen；　and　as
  absolutely　refused　to　give　up　the　two　men。　　By　this　time　Charley
  was　as　enraged　as　the　Greek。　　Not　only　had　he　been　foiled　in　a　long
  and　ridiculous　chase；　but　he　had　been　knocked　senseless　into　the
  bottom　of　his　boat　by　the　men　who　had　escaped　him。
  〃Knock　off　my　head　with　little　apples；〃　he　declared　emphatically；
  striking　the　fist　of　one　hand　into　the　palm　of　the　other；　〃if　those
  two　men　ever　escape　me！　　I'll　stay　here　to　get　them　if　it　takes　the
  rest　of　my　natural　life；　and　if　I　don't　get　them；　then　I　promise
  you　I'll　live　unnaturally　long　or　until　I　do　get　them；　or　my　name's
  not　Charley　Le　Grant！〃
  And　then　began　the　siege　of　the　Lancashire　Queen；　a　siege　memorable
  in　the　annals　of　both　fishermen　and　fish　patrol。　　When　the　Reindeer
  came　along；　after　a　fruitless　pursuit　of　the　shad　fleet；　Charley
  instructed　Neil　Partington　to　send　out　his　own　salmon　boat；　with
  blankets；　provisions；　and　a　fisherman's　charcoal　stove。　　By　sunset
  this　exchange　of　boats　was　made；　and　we　said　good…by　to　our　Greek；
  who　perforce　had　to　go　into　Benicia　and　be　locked　up　for　his　own
  violation　of　the　law。　　After　supper；　Charley　and　I　kept　alternate
  four…hour　watches　till　day…light。　　The　fishermen　made　no　attempt　to
  escape　that　night；　though　the　ship　sent　out　a　boat　for　scouting
  purposes　to　find　if　the　coast　were　clear。
  By　the　next　day　we　saw　that　a　steady　siege　was　in　order；　and　we
  perfected　our　plans　with　an　eye　to　our　own　comfort。　　A　dock；　known
  as　the　Solano　Wharf；　which　ran　out　from　the　Benicia　shore；　helped
  us　in　this。　　It　happened　that　the　Lancashire　Queen；　the　shore　at
  Turner's　Shipyard；　and　the　Solano　Wharf　were　the　corners　of　a　big
  equilateral　triangle。　　From　ship　to　shore；　the　side　of　the　triangle
  along　which　the　Italians　had　to　escape；　was　a　distance　equal　to
  that　from　the　Solano　Wharf　to　the　shore；　the　side　of　the　triangle
  along　which　we　had　to　travel　to　get　to　the　shore　before　the
  Italians。　　But　as　we　could　sail　much　faster　than　they　could　row；　we
  could　permit　them　to　travel　about　half　their　side　of　the　triangle
  before　we　darted　out　along　our　side。　　If　we　allowed　them　to　get
  more　than　half…way；　they　were　certain　to　beat　us　to　shore；　while　if
  we　started　before　they　were　half…way；　they　were　equally　certain　to
  beat　us　back　to　the　ship。
  We　found　that　an　imaginary　line；　drawn　from　the　end　of　the　wharf　to
  a　windmill　farther　along　the　shore；　cut　precisely　in　half　the　line
  of　the　triangle　along　which　the　Italians　must　escape　to　reach　the
  land。　　This　line　made　it　easy　for　us　to　determine　how　far　to　let
  them　run　away　before　we　bestirred　ourselves　in　pursuit。　　Day　after
  day　we　would　watch　them　through　our　glasses　as　they　rowed　leisurely
  along　toward　the　half…way　point；　and　as　they　drew　close　into　line
  with　the　windmill；　we　would　leap　into　the　boat　and　get　up　sail。　　At
  sight　of　our　preparation；　they　would　turn　and　row　slowly　back　to
  the　Lancashire　Queen；　secure　in　the　knowledge　that　we　could　not
  overtake　them。
  To　guard　against　calms　…　when　our　salmon　boat　would　be　useless　…　we
  also　had　in　readiness　a　light　rowing　skiff　equipped　with　spoon…
  oars。　　But　at　such　times；　when　the　wind　failed　us；　we　were　forced
  to　row　out　from　the　wharf　as　soon　as　they　rowed　from　the　ship。　　In
  the　night…time；　on　the　other　hand；　we　were　compelled　to　patrol　the
  immediate　vicinity　of　the　ship；　which　we　did；　Charley　and　I
  standing　four…hour　watches　turn　and　turn　about。　　The　Italians；
  however；　preferred　the　daytime　in　which　to　escape；　and　so　our　long
  night　vigils　were　without　result。
  〃What　makes　me　mad；〃　said　Charley；　〃is　our　being　kept　from　our
  honest　beds　while　those　rascally　lawbreakers　are　sleeping　soundly
  every　night。　　But　much　good　may　it　do　them；〃　he　threatened。　　〃I'll
  keep　them　on　that　ship　till　the　captain　charges　them　board；　as　sure
  as　a　sturgeon's　not　a　catfish！〃
  It　was　a　tantalizing　problem　that　confronted　us。　　As　long　as　we
  were　vigilant；　they　could　not　escape；　and　as　long　as　they　were
  careful；　we　would　be　unable　to　catch　them。　　Charley　cudgelled　his
  brains　continually；　but　for　once　his　imagination　failed　him。　　It
  was　a　problem　apparently　without　other　solution　than　that　of
  patience。　　It　was　a　waiting　game；　and　whichever　waited　the　longer
  was　bound　to　win。　　To　add　to　our　irritation；　friends　of　the
  Italians　established　a　code　of　signals　with　them　from　the　shore；　so
  that　we　never　dared　relax　the　siege　for　a　moment。　　And　besides
  this；　there　were　always　one　or　two　suspicious…looking　fishermen
  hanging　around　the　Solano　Wharf　and　keeping　watch　on　our　actions。
  We　could　do　nothing　but　〃grin　and　bear　it；〃　as　Charley　said；　while
  it　took　up　all　our　time　and　prevented　us　from　doing　other　work。
  The　days　went　by；　and　there　was　no　change　in　the　situation。　　Not
  that　no　attempts　were　made　to　change　it。　　One　night　friends　from
  the　shore　came　out　in　a　skiff　and　attempted　to　confuse　us　while　the
  two　Italians　escaped。　　That　they　did　not　succeed　was　due　to　the
  lack　of　a　little　oil　on　the　ship's　davits。　　For　we　were　drawn　back
  from　the　pursuit　of　the　strange　boat　by　the　creaking　of　the　davits；
  and　arrived　at　the　Lancashire　Queen　just　as　the　Italians　were
  lowering　their　skiff。　　Another　night；　fully　half　a　dozen　skiffs
  rowed　around　us　in　the　darkness；　but　we　held　on　like　a　leech　to　the
  side　of　the　ship　and　frustrated　their　plan　till　they　grew　angry　and
  showered　us　with　abuse。　　Charley　laughed　to　himself　in　the　bottom
  of　the　boat。
  〃It's　a　good　sign；　lad；〃　he　said　to　me。　　〃When　men　begin　to　abuse；
  make　sure　they're　losing　patience；　and　shortly　after　they　lose
  patience；　they　lose　their　heads。　　Mark　my　words；　if　we　only　hold
  out；　they'll　get　careless　some　fine　day；　and　then　we'll　get　them。〃
  But　they　did　not　grow　careless；　and　Charley　confessed　that　this　was
  one　of　the　times　when　all　signs　failed。　　Their　patience　seemed
  equal　to　ours；　and　the　second　week　of　the　siege　dragged
  monotonously　along。　　Then　Charley's　lagging　imagination　quickened
  sufficiently　to　suggest　a　ruse。　　Peter　Boyelen；　a　new　patrolman　and
  one　unknown　to　the　fisher…folk；　happened　to　arrive　in　Benicia　and
  we　took　him　into　our　plan。　　We　were　as　secret　as　possible　about　it；
  but　in　some　unfathomable　way　the　friends　ashore　got　word　to　the
  beleaguered　Italians　to　keep　their　eyes　open。
  On　the　night　we　were　to　put　our　ruse　into　effect；　Charley　and　I
  took　up　our　usual　station　in　our　rowing　skiff　alongside　the
  Lancashire　Queen。　　After　it　was　thoroughly　dark；　Peter　Boyelen　came
  out　in　a　crazy　duck　boat；　the　kind　you　can　pick　up　and　carry　away
  under　one　arm。　　When　we　heard　him　coming　along；　paddling　noisily；
  we　slipped　away　a　short　distance　into　the　darkness；　and　rested　on
  our　oars。　　Opposite　the　gangway；　having　jovially　hailed　the　anchor…
  watch　of　the　Lancashire　Queen　and　asked　the　direction　of　the
  Scottish　Chiefs；　another　wheat　ship；　he　awkwardly　capsized　himself。
  The　man　who　was　standing　the　anchor…watch　ran　down　the　gangway　and
  hauled　him　out　of　the　water。　　This　was　what　he　wanted；　to　get
  aboard　the　ship；　and　the　next　thing　he　expected　was　to　be　taken　on
  deck　and　then　below　to　warm　up　and　dry　out。　　But　the　captain
  inhospitably　kept　him　perched　on　the　lowest　gang…way　step；
  shivering　miserably　and　with　his　feet　dangling　in　the　water；　till
  we；　out　of　very　pity；　rowed　in　from　the　darkness　and　took　him　off。
  The　jokes　and　gibes　of　the　awakened　crew　sounded　anything　but　sweet
  in　our　ears；　and　even　the　two　Italians　climbed　up　on　the　rail　and
  laughed　down　at　us　long　and　maliciously。
  〃That's　all　right；〃　Charley　said　in　a　low　voice；　which　I　only　could
  hear。　　〃I'm　mighty　glad　it's　not　us　that's　laughing　first。　　We'll
  save　our　laugh　to　the　end；　eh；　lad？〃
  He　clapped　a　hand　on　my　shoulder　as　he　finished；　but　it　seemed　to
  me　that　there　was　more　determination　than　hope　in　his　voice。
  It　would　have　been　possible　for　us　to　secure　the　aid　of　United
  States　marshals　and　board　the　English　ship；　backed　by　Government
  authority。　　But　the　instructions　of　the　Fish　Commission　were　to　the
  effect　that　the　patrolmen　should　avoid　complications；　and　this　one；
  did　we　call　on　the　higher　powers；　might　well　end　in　a　pretty
  international　tangle。
  The　second　week　of　the　siege　drew　to　its　close；　and　there　was　no
  sign　of　change　in　the　situation。　　On　the　morning　of　the　fourteenth
  day　the　change　came；　and　it　came　in　a　guise　as　unexpected　and
  startling　to　us　as　it　was　to　the　men　we　were　striving　to　capture。
  Charley　and　I；　after　our　customary　night　vigil　by　the　side　of　the
  Lancashire　Queen；　rowed　into　the　Solana　Wharf。
  〃Hello！〃　cried　Charley；　in　surprise。　　〃In　the　name　of　reason　and
  common　sense；　what　is　that？　　Of　all　unmannerly　craft　did　you　ever
  see　the　like？〃
  Well　might　he　exclaim；　for　there；　tied　up　to　the　dock；　lay　the
  strangest　looking　launch　I　had　ever　seen。　　Not　that　it　coul