run　their　heads　through　these　meshes；　and　are　prevented　from　going
  on　through　by　their　larger　girth　of　body；　and　from　going　back
  because　of　their　gills；　which　catch　in　the　mesh。　　It　requires　two
  fishermen　to　set　such　a　net；　…　one　to　row　the　boat；　while　the
  other；　standing　in　the　stern；　carefully　pays　out　the　net。　　When　it
  is　all　out；　stretching　directly　across　the　stream；　the　men　make
  their　boat　fast　to　one　end　of　the　net　and　drift　along　with　it。
  As　we　came　upon　the　fleet　of　law…breaking　fishermen；　each　boat　two
  or　three　hundred　yards　from　its　neighbors；　and　boats　and　nets
  dotting　the　river　as　far　as　we　could　see；　Charley　said：
  〃I've　only　one　regret；　lad；　and　that　is　that　I　have'nt　a　thousand
  arms　so　as　to　be　able　to　catch　them　all。　　As　it　is；　we'll　only　be
  able　to　catch　one　boat；　for　while　we　are　tackling　that　one　it　will
  be　up　nets　and　away　with　the　rest。〃
  As　we　drew　closer；　we　observed　none　of　the　usual　flurry　and
  excitement　which　our　appearance　invariably　produced。　　Instead；　each
  boat　lay　quietly　by　its　net；　while　the　fishermen　favored　us　with
  not　the　slightest　attention。
  〃It's　curious；〃　Charley　muttered。　　〃Can　it　be　they　don't　recognize
  us？〃
  I　said　that　it　was　impossible；　and　Charley　agreed；　yet　there　was　a
  whole　fleet；　manned　by　men　who　knew　us　only　too　well；　and　who　took
  no　more　notice　of　us　than　if　we　were　a　hay　scow　or　a　pleasure
  yacht。
  This　did　not　continue　to　be　the　case；　however；　for　as　we　bore　down
  upon　the　nearest　net；　the　men　to　whom　it　belonged　detached　their
  boat　and　rowed　slowly　toward　the　shore。　　The　rest　of　the　boats
  showed　no；　sign　of　uneasiness。
  〃That's　funny；〃　was　Charley's　remark。　　〃But　we　can　confiscate　the
  net；　at　any　rate。〃
  We　lowered　sail；　picked　up　one　end　of　the　net；　and　began　to　heave
  it　into　the　boat。　　But　at　the　first　heave　we　heard　a　bullet　zip…
  zipping　past　us　on　the　water；　followed　by　the　faint　report　of　a
  rifle。　　The　men　who　had　rowed　ashore　were　shooting　at　us。　　At　the
  next　heave　a　second　bullet　went　zipping　past；　perilously　near。
  Charley　took　a　turn　around　a　pin　and　sat　down。　　There　were　no　more
  shots。　　But　as　soon　as　he　began　to　heave　in；　the　shooting
  recommenced。
  〃That　settles　it；〃　he　said；　flinging　the　end　of　the　net　overboard。
  〃You　fellows　want　it　worse　than　we　do；　and　you　can　have　it。〃
  We　rowed　over　toward　the　next　net；　for　Charley　was　intent　on
  finding　out　whether　or　not　we　were　face　to　face　with　an　organized
  defiance。　　As　we　approached；　the　two　fishermen　proceeded　to　cast
  off　from　their　net　and　row　ashore；　while　the　first　two　rowed　back
  and　made　fast　to　the　net　we　had　abandoned。　　And　at　the　second　net
  we　were　greeted　by　rifle　shots　till　we　desisted　and　went　on　to　the
  third；　where　the　manoeuvre　was　again　repeated。
  Then　we　gave　it　up；　completely　routed；　and　hoisted　sail　and　started
  on　the　long　windward　beat　back　to　Benicia。　　A　number　of　Sundays
  went　by；　on　each　of　which　the　law　was　persistently　violated。　　Yet；
  short　of　an　armed　force　of　soldiers；　we　could　do　nothing。　　The
  fishermen　had　hit　upon　a　new　idea　and　were　using　it　for　all　it　was
  worth；　while　there　seemed　no　way　by　which　we　could　get　the　better
  of　them。
  About　this　time　Neil　Partington　happened　along　from　the　Lower　Bay；
  where　he　had　been　for　a　number　of　weeks。　　With　him　was　Nicholas；
  the　Greek　boy　who　had　helped　us　in　our　raid　on　the　oyster　pirates；
  and　the　pair　of　them　took　a　hand。　　We　made　our　arrangements
  carefully。　　It　was　planned　that　while　Charley　and　I　tackled　the
  nets；　they　were　to　be　hidden　ashore　so　as　to　ambush　the　fishermen
  who　landed　to　shoot　at　us。
  It　was　a　pretty　plan。　　Even　Charley　said　it　was。　　But　we　reckoned
  not　half　so　well　as　the　Greeks。　　They　forestalled　us　by　ambushing
  Neil　and　Nicholas　and　taking　them　prisoners；　while；　as　of　old；
  bullets　whistled　about　our　ears　when　Charley　and　I　attempted　to
  take　possession　of　the　nets。　　When　we　were　again　beaten　off；　Neil
  Partington　and　Nicholas　were　released。　　They　were　rather　shamefaced
  when　they　put　in　an　appearance；　and　Charley　chaffed　them
  unmercifully。　　But　Neil　chaffed　back；　demanding　to　know　why
  Charley's　imagination　had　not　long　since　overcome　the　difficulty。
  〃Just　you　wait；　the　idea'll　come　all　right；〃　Charley　promised。
  〃Most　probably；〃　Neil　agreed。　　〃But　I'm　afraid　the　salmon　will　be
  exterminated　first；　and　then　there　will　be　no　need　for　it　when　it
  does　come。〃
  Neil　Partington；　highly　disgusted　with　his　adventure；　departed　for
  the　Lower　Bay；　taking　Nicholas　with　him；　and　Charley　and　I　were
  left　to　our　own　resources。　　This　meant　that　the　Sunday　fishing
  would　be　left　to　itself；　too；　until　such　time　as　Charley's　idea
  happened　along。　　I　puzzled　my　head　a　good　deal　to　find　out　some　way
  of　checkmating　the　Greeks；　as　also　did　Charley；　and　we　broached　a
  thousand　expedients　which　on　discussion　proved　worthless。
  The　fishermen；　on　the　other　hand；　were　in　high　feather；　and　their
  boasts　went　up　and　down　the　river　to　add　to　our　discomfiture。
  Among　all　classes　of　them　we　became　aware　of　a　growing
  insubordination。　　We　were　beaten；　and　they　were　losing　respect　for
  us。　　With　the　loss　of　respect；　contempt　began　to　arise。　　Charley
  began　to　be　spoken　of　as　the　〃olda　woman；〃　and　I　received　my　rating
  as　the　〃pee…wee　kid。〃　　The　situation　was　fast　becoming　unbearable；
  and　we　knew　that　we　should　have　to　deliver　a　stunning　stroke　at　the
  Greeks　in　order　to　regain　the　old…time　respect　in　which　we　had
  stood。
  Then　one　morning　the　idea　came。　　We　were　down　on　Steamboat　Wharf；
  where　the　river　steamers　made　their　landings；　and　where　we　found　a
  group　of　amused　long…shoremen　and　loafers　listening　to　the　hard…
  luck　tale　of　a　sleepy…eyed　young　fellow　in　long　sea…boots。　　He　was
  a　sort　of　amateur　fisherman；　he　said；　fishing　for　the　local　market
  of　Berkeley。　　Now　Berkeley　was　on　the　Lower　Bay；　thirty　miles　away。
  On　the　previous　night；　he　said；　he　had　set　his　net　and　dozed　off　to
  sleep　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat。
  The　next　he　knew　it　was　morning；　and　he　opened　his　eyes　to　find　his
  boat　rubbing　softly　against　the　piles　of　Steamboat　Wharf　at
  Benicia。　　Also　he　saw　the　river　steamer　Apache　lying　ahead　of　him；
  and　a　couple　of　deck…hands　disentangling　the　shreds　of　his　net　from
  the　paddle…wheel。　　In　short；　after　he　had　gone　to　sleep；　his
  fisherman's　riding　light　had　gone　out；　and　the　Apache　had　run　over
  his　net。　　Though　torn　pretty　well　to　pieces；　the　net　in　some　way
  still　remained　foul；　and　he　had　had　a　thirty…mile　tow　out　of　his
  course。
  Charley　nudged　me　with　his　elbow。　　I　grasped　his　thought　on　the
  instant；　but　objected：
  〃We　can't　charter　a　steamboat。〃
  〃Don't　intend　to；〃　he　rejoined。　　〃But　let's　run　over　to　Turner's
  Shipyard。　　I've　something　in　my　mind　there　that　may　be　of　use　to
  us。〃
  And　over　we　went　to　the　shipyard；　where　Charley　led　the　way　to　the
  Mary　Rebecca；　lying　hauled　out　on　the　ways；　where　she　was　being
  cleaned　and　overhauled。　　She　was　a　scow…schooner　we　both　knew　well；
  carrying　a　cargo　of　one　hundred　and　forty　tons　and　a　spread　of
  canvas　greater　than　other　schooner　on　the　bay。
  〃How　d'ye　do；　Ole；〃　Charley　greeted　a　big　blue…shirted　Swede　who
  was　greasing　the　jaws　of　the　main　gaff　with　a　piece　of　pork　rind。
  Ole　grunted；　puffed　away　at　his　pipe；　and　went　on　greasing。　　The
  captain　of　a　bay　schooner　is　supposed　to　work　with　his　hands　just
  as　well　as　the　men。
  Ole　Ericsen　verified　Charley's　conjecture　that　the　Mary　Rebecca；　as
  soon　as　launched；　would　run　up　the　San　Joaquin　River　nearly　to
  Stockton　for　a　load　of　wheat。　　Then　Charley　made　his　proposition；
  and　Ole　Ericsen　shook　his　head。
  〃Just　a　hook；　one　good…sized　hook；〃　Charley　pleaded。
  〃No；　Ay　tank　not；〃　said　Ole　Ericsen。　　〃Der　Mary　Rebecca　yust　hang
  up　on　efery　mud…bank　with　that　hook。　　Ay　don't　want　to　lose　der
  Mary　Rebecca。　　She's　all　Ay　got。〃
  〃No；　no；〃　Charley　hurried　to　explain。　　〃We　can　put　the　end　of　the
  hook　through　the　bottom　from　the　outside；　and　fasten　it　on　the
  inside　with　a　nut。　　After　it's　done　its　work；　why；　all　we　have　to
  do　is　to　go　down　into　the　hold；　unscrew　the　nut；　and　out　drops　the
  hook。　　Then　drive　a　wooden　peg　into　the　hole；　and　the　Mary　Rebecca
  will　be　all　right　again。〃
  Ole　Ericsen　was　obstinate　for　a　long　time；　but　in　the　end；　after　we
  had　had　dinner　with　him；　he　was　brought　round　to　consent。
  〃Ay　do　it；　by　Yupiter！〃　he　said；　striking　one　huge　fist　into　the
  palm　of　the　other　hand。　　〃But　yust　hurry　you　up　wid　der　hook。　　Der
  Mary　Rebecca　slides　into　der　water　to…night。〃
  It　was　Saturday；　and　Charley　had　need　to　hurry。　　We　headed　for　the
  shipyard　blacksmith　shop；　where；　under　Charley's　directions；　a　most
  generously　curved　book　of　heavy　steel　was　made。　　Back　we　hastened
  to　the　Mary　Rebecca。　　Aft　of　the　great　centre…board　case；　through
  what　was　properly　her　keel；　a　hole　was　bored。　　The　end　of　the　hook
  was　inserted　from　the　outside；　and　Charley；　on　the　inside；　screwed
  the　nut　on