strangest　looking　launch　I　had　ever　seen。　　Not　that　it　could　be
  called　a　launch；　either；　but　it　seemed　to　resemble　a　launch　more
  than　any　other　kind　of　boat。　　It　was　seventy　feet　long；　but　so
  narrow　was　it；　and　so　bare　of　superstructure；　that　it　appeared　much
  smaller　than　it　really　was。　　It　was　built　wholly　of　steel；　and　was
  painted　black。　　Three　smokestacks；　a　good　distance　apart　and　raking
  well　aft；　arose　in　single　file　amidships；　while　the　bow；　long　and
  lean　and　sharp　as　a　knife；　plainly　advertised　that　the　boat　was
  made　for　speed。　　Passing　under　the　stern；　we　read　Streak；　painted
  in　small　white　letters。
  Charley　and　I　were　consumed　with　curiosity。　　In　a　few　minutes　we
  were　on　board　and　talking　with　an　engineer　who　was　watching　the
  sunrise　from　the　deck。　　He　was　quite　willing　to　satisfy　our
  curiosity；　and　in　a　few　minutes　we　learned　that　the　Streak　had　come
  in　after　dark　from　San　Francisco；　that　this　was　what　might　be
  called　the　trial　trip；　and　that　she　was　the　property　of　Silas　Tate；
  a　young　mining　millionaire　of　California；　whose　fad　was　high…speed
  yachts。　　There　was　some　talk　about　turbine　engines；　direct
  application　of　steam；　and　the　absence　of　pistons；　rods；　and　cranks；
  …　all　of　which　was　beyond　me；　for　I　was　familiar　only　with　sailing
  craft；　but　I　did　understand　the　last　words　of　the　engineer。
  〃Four　thousand　horse…power　and　forty…five　miles　an　hour；　though　you
  wouldn't　think　it；〃　he　concluded　proudly。
  〃Say　it　again；　man！　　Say　it　again！〃　Charley　exclaimed　in　an　excited
  voice。
  〃Four　thousand　horse…power　and　forty…five　miles　an　hour；〃　the
  engineer　repeated；　grinning　good…naturedly。
  〃Where's　the　owner？〃　was　Charley's　next　question。　　〃Is　there　any
  way　I　can　speak　to　him？〃
  The　engineer　shook　his　head。　　〃No；　I'm　afraid　not。　　He's　asleep；
  you　see。〃
  At　that　moment　a　young　man　in　blue　uniform　came　on　deck　farther　aft
  and　stood　regarding　the　sunrise。
  〃There　he　is；　that's　him；　that's　Mr。　Tate；〃　said　the　engineer。
  Charley　walked　aft　and　spoke　to　him；　and　while　he　talked　earnestly
  the　young　man　listened　with　an　amused　expression　on　his　face。　　He
  must　have　inquired　about　the　depth　of　water　close　in　to　the　shore
  at　Turner's　Shipyard；　for　I　could　see　Charley　making　gestures　and
  explaining。　　A　few　minutes　later　he　came　back　in　high　glee。
  〃Come　on　lad；〃　he　said。　　〃On　to　the　dock　with　you。　　We've　got
  them！〃
  It　was　our　good　fortune　to　leave　the　Streak　when　we　did；　for　a
  little　later　one　of　the　spy　fishermen　appeared。　　Charley　and　I　took
  up　our　accustomed　places；　on　the　stringer…piece；　a　little　ahead　of
  the　Streak　and　over　our　own　boat；　where　we　could　comfortably　watch
  the　Lancashire　Queen。　　Nothing　occurred　till　about　nine　o'clock；
  when　we　saw　the　two　Italians　leave　the　ship　and　pull　along　their
  side　of　the　triangle　toward　the　shore。　　Charley　looked　as
  unconcerned　as　could　be；　but　before　they　had　covered　a　quarter　of
  the　distance；　he　whispered　to　me：
  〃Forty…five　miles　an　hour　。　。　。　nothing　can　save　them　。　。　。　they
  are　ours！〃
  Slowly　the　two　men　rowed　along　till　they　were　nearly　in　line　with
  the　windmill。　　This　was　the　point　where　we　always　jumped　into　our
  salmon　boat　and　got　up　the　sail；　and　the　two　men；　evidently
  expecting　it；　seemed　surprised　when　we　gave　no　sign。
  When　they　were　directly　in　line　with　the　windmill；　as　near　to　the
  shore　as　to　the　ship；　and　nearer　the　shore　than　we　had　ever　allowed
  them　before；　they　grew　suspicious。　　We　followed　them　through　the
  glasses；　and　saw　them　standing　up　in　the　skiff　and　trying　to　find
  out　what　we　were　doing。　　The　spy　fisherman；　sitting　beside　us　on
  the　stringer…piece　was　likewise　puzzled。　　He　could　not　understand
  our　inactivity。　　The　men　in　the　skiff　rowed　nearer　the　shore；　but
  stood　up　again　and　scanned　it；　as　if　they　thought　we　might　be　in
  hiding　there。　　But　a　man　came　out　on　the　beach　and　waved　a
  handkerchief　to　indicate　that　the　coast　was　clear。　　That　settled
  them。　　They　bent　to　the　oars　to　make　a　dash　for　it。　　Still　Charley
  waited。　　Not　until　they　had　covered　three…quarters　of　the　distance
  from　the　Lancashire　Queen；　which　left　them　hardly　more　than　a
  quarter　of　a　mile　to　gain　the　shore；　did　Charley　slap　me　on　the
  shoulder　and　cry：
  〃They're　ours！　　They're　ours！〃
  We　ran　the　few　steps　to　the　side　of　the　Streak　and　jumped　aboard。
  Stern　and　bow　lines　were　cast　off　in　a　jiffy。　　The　Streak　shot
  ahead　and　away　from　the　wharf。　　The　spy　fisherman　we　had　left
  behind　on　the　stringer…piece　pulled　out　a　revolver　and　fired　five
  shots　into　the　air　in　rapid　succession。　　The　men　in　the　skiff　gave
  instant　heed　to　the　warning；　for　we　could　see　them　pulling　away
  like　mad。
  But　if　they　pulled　like　mad；　I　wonder　how　our　progress　can　be
  described？　　We　fairly　flew。　　So　frightful　was　the　speed　with　which
  we　displaced　the　water；　that　a　wave　rose　up　on　either　side　our　bow
  and　foamed　aft　in　a　series　of　three　stiff；　up…standing　waves；　while
  astern　a　great　crested　billow　pursued　us　hungrily；　as　though　at
  each　moment　it　would　fall　aboard　and　destroy　us。　　The　Streak　was
  pulsing　and　vibrating　and　roaring　like　a　thing　alive。　　The　wind　of
  our　progress　was　like　a　gale　…　a　forty…five…mile　gale。　　We　could
  not　face　it　and　draw　breath　without　choking　and　strangling。　　It
  blew　the　smoke　straight　back　from　the　mouths　of　the　smoke…stacks　at
  a　direct　right　angle　to　the　perpendicular。　　In　fact；　we　were
  travelling　as　fast　as　an　express　train。　　〃We　just　streaked　it；〃　was
  the　way　Charley　told　it　afterward；　and　I　think　his　description
  comes　nearer　than　any　I　can　give。
  As　for　the　Italians　in　the　skiff　…　hardly　had　we　started；　it　seemed
  to　me；　when　we　were　on　top　of　them。　　Naturally；　we　had　to　slow　down
  long　before　we　got　to　them；　but　even　then　we　shot　past　like　a
  whirlwind　and　were　compelled　to　circle　back　between　them　and　the
  shore。　　They　had　rowed　steadily；　rising　from　the　thwarts　at　every
  stroke；　up　to　the　moment　we　passed　them；　when　they　recognized
  Charley　and　me。　　That　took　the　last　bit　of　fight　out　of　them。　　They
  hauled　in　their　oars；　and　sullenly　submitted　to　arrest。
  〃Well；　Charley；〃　Neil　Partington　said；　as　we　discussed　it　on　the
  wharf　afterward；　〃I　fail　to　see　where　your　boasted　imagination　came
  into　play　this　time。〃
  But　Charley　was　true　to　his　hobby。　　〃Imagination？〃　he　demanded；
  pointing　to　the　Streak。　　〃Look　at　that！　just　look　at　it！　　If　the
  invention　of　that　isn't　imagination；　I　should　like　to　know　what
  is。〃
  〃Of　course；〃　he　added；　〃it's　the　other　fellow's　imagination；　but　it
  did　the　work　all　the　same。〃
  CHARLEY'S　COUP
  Perhaps　our　most　laughable　exploit　on　the　fish　patrol；　and　at　the
  same　time　our　most　dangerous　one；　was　when　we　rounded　in；　at　a
  single　haul；　an　even　score　of　wrathful　fishermen。　　Charley　called
  it　a　〃coop；〃　having　heard　Neil　Partington　use　the　term；　but　I　think
  he　misunderstood　the　word；　and　thought　it　meant　〃coop；〃　to　catch；
  to　trap。　　The　fishermen；　however；　coup　or　coop；　must　have　called　it
  a　Waterloo；　for　it　was　the　severest　stroke　ever　dealt　them　by　the
  fish　patrol；　while　they　had　invited　it　by　open　and　impudent
  defiance　of　the　law。
  During　what　is　called　the　〃open　season〃　the　fishermen　might　catch
  as　many　salmon　as　their　luck　allowed　and　their　boats　could　hold。
  But　there　was　one　important　restriction。　　From　sun…down　Saturday
  night　to　sun…up　Monday　morning；　they　were　not　permitted　to　set　a
  net。　　This　was　a　wise　provision　on　the　part　of　the　Fish　Commission；
  for　it　was　necessary　to　give　the　spawning　salmon　some　opportunity
  to　ascend　the　river　and　lay　their　eggs。　　And　this　law；　with　only　an
  occasional　violation；　had　been　obediently　observed　by　the　Greek
  fishermen　who　caught　salmon　for　the　canneries　and　the　market。
  One　Sunday　morning；　Charley　received　a　telephone　call　from　a　friend
  in　Collinsville；　who　told　him　that　the　full　force　of　fishermen　was
  out　with　its　nets。　　Charley　and　I　jumped　into　our　salmon　boat　and
  started　for　the　scene　of　the　trouble。　　With　a　light　favoring　wind
  at　our　back　we　went　through　the　Carquinez　Straits；　crossed　Suisun
  Bay；　passed　the　Ship　Island　Light；　and　came　upon　the　whole　fleet　at
  work。
  But　first　let　me　describe　the　method　by　which　they　worked。　　The　net
  used　is　what　is　known　as　a　gill…net。　　It　has　a　simple　diamond…
  shaped　mesh　which　measures　at　least　seven　and　one…half　inches
  between　the　knots。　　From　five　to　seven　and　even　eight　hundred　feet
  in　length；　these　nets　are　only　a　few　feet　wide。　　They　are　not
  stationary；　but　float　with　the　current；　the　upper　edge　supported　on
  the　surface　by　floats；　the　lower　edge　sunk　by　means　of　leaden
  weights；
  This　arrangement　keeps　the　net　upright　in　the　current　and
  effectually　prevents　all　but　the　smaller　fish　from　ascending　the
  river。　　The　salmon；　swimming　near　the　surface；　as　is　their　custom；
  run　their　heads　through　these　meshes；　and　are　prevented　from　going
  on　through　by　their　larger　girth　of　body；　and　from　going