football　match。　　Charley　and　I　had　been　sceptical；　but　the　fact　of
  the　crowd　convinced　us　that　there　was　something　in　Demetrios
  Contos's　dare。
  In　the　afternoon；　when　the　sea…breeze　had　picked　up　in　strength；
  his　sail　hove　into　view　as　he　bowled　along　before　the　wind。　　He
  tacked　a　score　of　feet　from　the　wharf；　waved　his　hand　theatrically；
  like　a　knight　about　to　enter　the　lists；　received　a　hearty　cheer　in
  return；　and　stood　away　into　the　Straits　for　a　couple　of　hundred
  yards。　　Then　he　lowered　sail；　and；　drifting　the　boat　sidewise　by
  means　of　the　wind；　proceeded　to　set　his　net。　　He　did　not　set　much
  of　it；　possibly　fifty　feet；　yet　Charley　and　I　were　thunderstruck　at
  the　man's　effrontery。　　We　did　not　know　at　the　time；　but　we　learned
  afterward；　that　the　net　he　used　was　old　and　worthless。　　It　could
  catch　fish；　true；　but　a　catch　of　any　size　would　have　torn　it　to
  pieces。
  Charley　shook　his　head　and　said：
  〃I　confess；　it　puzzles　me。　　What　if　he　has　out　only　fifty　feet？　　He
  could　never　get　it　in　if　we　once　started　for　him。　　And　why　does　he
  come　here　anyway；　flaunting　his　law…breaking　in　our　faces？　　Right
  in　our　home　town；　too。〃
  Charley's　voice　took　on　an　aggrieved　tone；　and　he　continued　for
  some　minutes　to　inveigh　against　the　brazenness　of　Demetrios　Contos。
  In　the　meantime；　the　man　in　question　was　lolling　in　the　stern　of
  his　boat　and　watching　the　net　floats。　　When　a　large　fish　is　meshed
  in　a　gill…net；　the　floats　by　their　agitation　advertise　the　fact。
  And　they　evidently　advertised　it　to　Demetrios；　for　he　pulled　in
  about　a　dozen　feet　of　net；　and　held　aloft　for　a　moment；　before　he
  flung　it　into　the　bottom　of　the　boat；　a　big；　glistening　salmon。　　It
  was　greeted　by　the　audience　on　the　wharf　with　round　after　round　of
  cheers。　　This　was　more　than　Charley　could　stand。
  〃Come　on；　lad；〃　he　called　to　me；　and　we　lost　no　time　jumping　into
  our　salmon　boat　and　getting　up　sail。
  The　crowd　shouted　warning　to　Demetrios；　and　as　we　darted　out　from
  the　wharf　we　saw　him　slash　his　worthless　net　clear　with　a　long
  knife。　　His　sail　was　all　ready　to　go　up；　and　a　moment　later　it
  fluttered　in　the　sunshine。　　He　ran　aft；　drew　in　the　sheet；　and
  filled　on　the　long　tack　toward　the　Contra　Costa　Hills。
  By　this　time　we　were　not　more　than　thirty　feet　astern。　　Charley　was
  jubilant。　　He　knew　our　boat　was　fast；　and　he　knew；　further；　that　in
  fine　sailing　few　men　were　his　equals。　　He　was　confident　that　we
  should　surely　catch　Demetrios；　and　I　shared　his　confidence。　　But
  somehow　we　did　not　seem　to　gain。
  It　was　a　pretty　sailing　breeze。　　We　were　gliding　sleekly　through
  the　water；　but　Demetrios　was　slowly　sliding　away　from　us。　　And　not
  only　was　he　going　faster；　but　he　was　eating　into　the　wind　a
  fraction　of　a　point　closer　than　we。　　This　was　sharply　impressed
  upon　us　when　he　went　about　under　the　Contra　Costa　Hills　and　passed
  us　on　the　other　tack　fully　one　hundred　feet　dead　to　windward。
  〃Whew！〃　Charley　exclaimed。　　〃Either　that　boat　is　a　daisy；　or　we've
  got　a　five…gallon　coal…oil　can　fast　to　our　keel！〃
  It　certainly　looked　it　one　way　or　the　other。　　And　by　the　time
  Demetrios　made　the　Sonoma　Hills；　on　the　other　side　of　the　Straits；
  we　were　so　hopelessly　outdistanced　that　Charley　told　me　to　slack
  off　the　sheet；　and　we　squared　away　for　Benicia。　　The　fishermen　on
  Steamboat　Wharf　showered　us　with　ridicule　when　we　returned　and　tied
  up。　　Charley　and　I　got　out　and　walked　away；　feeling　rather
  sheepish；　for　it　is　a　sore　stroke　to　one's　pride　when　he　thinks　he
  has　a　good　boat　and　knows　how　to　sail　it；　and　another　man　comes
  along　and　beats　him。
  Charley　mooned　over　it　for　a　couple　of　days；　then　word　was　brought
  to　us；　as　before；　that　on　the　next　Sunday　Demetrios　Contos　would
  repeat　his　performance。　　Charley　roused　himself。　　He　had　our　boat
  out　of　the　water；　cleaned　and　repainted　its　bottom；　made　a　trifling
  alteration　about　the　centre…board；　overhauled　the　running　gear；　and
  sat　up　nearly　all　of　Saturday　night　sewing　on　a　new　and　much　larger
  sail。　　So　large　did　he　make　it；　in　fact；　that　additional　ballast
  was　imperative；　and　we　stowed　away　nearly　five　hundred　extra　pounds
  of　old　railroad　iron　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat。
  Sunday　came；　and　with　it　came　Demetrios　Contos；　to　break　the　law
  defiantly　in　open　day。　　Again　we　had　the　afternoon　sea…breeze；　and
  again　Demetrios　cut　loose　some　forty　or　more　feet　of　his　rotten
  net；　and　got　up　sail　and　under　way　under　our　very　noses。　　But　he
  had　anticipated　Charley's　move；　and　his　own　sail　peaked　higher　than
  ever；　while　a　whole　extra　cloth　had　been　added　to　the　after　leech。
  It　was　nip　and　tuck　across　to　the　Contra　Costa　Hills；　neither　of　us
  seeming　to　gain　or　to　lose。　　But　by　the　time　we　had　made　the　return
  tack　to　the　Sonoma　Hills；　we　could　see　that；　while　we　footed　it　at
  about　equal　speed；　Demetrios　had　eaten　into　the　wind　the　least　bit
  more　than　we。　　Yet　Charley　was　sailing　our　boat　as　finely　and
  delicately　as　it　was　possible　to　sail　it；　and　getting　more　out　of
  it　than　he　ever　had　before。
  Of　course；　he　could　have　drawn　his　revolver　and　fired　at　Demetrios；
  but　we　had　long　since　found　it　contrary　to　our　natures　to　shoot　at
  a　fleeing　man　guilty　of　only　a　petty　offence。　　Also　a　sort　of　tacit
  agreement　seemed　to　have　been　reached　between　the　patrolmen　and　the
  fishermen。　　If　we　did　not　shoot　while　they　ran　away；　they；　in　turn；
  did　not　fight　if　we　once　laid　hands　on　them。　　Thus　Demetrios　Contos
  ran　away　from　us；　and　we　did　no　more　than　try　our　best　to　overtake
  him；　and；　in　turn；　if　our　boat　proved　faster　than　his；　or　was
  sailed　better；　he　would；　we　knew；　make　no　resistance　when　we　caught
  up　with　him。
  With　our　large　sails　and　the　healthy　breeze　romping　up　the
  Carquinez　Straits；　we　found　that　our　sailing　was　what　is　called
  〃ticklish。〃　　We　had　to　be　constantly　on　the　alert　to　avoid　a
  capsize；　and　while　Charley　steered　I　held　the　main…sheet　in　my　hand
  with　but　a　single　turn　round　a　pin；　ready　to　let　go　at　any　moment。
  Demetrios；　we　could　see；　sailing　his　boat　alone；　had　his　hands
  full。
  But　it　was　a　vain　undertaking　for　us　to　attempt　to　catch　him。　　Out
  of　his　inner　consciousness　he　had　evolved　a　boat　that　was　better
  than　ours。　　And　though　Charley　sailed　fully　as　well；　if　not　the
  least　bit　better；　the　boat　he　sailed　was　not　so　good　as　the
  Greek's。
  〃Slack　away　the　sheet；〃　Charley　commanded；　and　as　our　boat　fell　off
  before　the　wind；　Demetrios's　mocking　laugh　floated　down　to　us。
  Charley　shook　his　head；　saying；　〃It's　no　use。　　Demetrios　has　the
  better　boat。　　If　he　tries　his　performance　again；　we　must　meet　it
  with　some　new　scheme。〃
  This　time　it　was　my　imagination　that　came　to　the　rescue。
  〃What's　the　matter；〃　I　suggested；　on　the　Wednesday　following；　〃with
  my　chasing　Demetrios　in　the　boat　next　Sunday；　while　you　wait　for
  him　on　the　wharf　at　Vallejo　when　he　arrives？〃
  Charley　considered　it　a　moment　and　slapped　his　knee。
  〃A　good　idea！　　You're　beginning　to　use　that　head　of　yours。　　A
  credit　to　your　teacher；　I　must　say。〃
  〃But　you　mustn't　chase　him　too　far；〃　he　went　on；　the　next　moment；
  〃or　he'll　head　out　into　San　Pablo　Bay　instead　of　running　home　to
  Vallejo；　and　there　I'll　be；　standing　lonely　on　the　wharf　and
  waiting　in　vain　for　him　to　arrive。〃
  On　Thursday　Charley　registered　an　objection　to　my　plan。
  〃Everybody'll　know　I've　gone　to　Vallejo；　and　you　can　depend　upon　it
  that　Demetrios　will　know；　too。　　I'm　afraid　we'll　have　to　give　up
  the　idea。〃
  This　objection　was　only　too　valid；　and　for　the　rest　of　the　day　I
  struggled　under　my　disappointment。　　But　that　night　a　new　way　seemed
  to　open　to　me；　and　in　my　eagerness　I　awoke　Charley　from　a　sound
  sleep。
  〃Well；〃　he　grunted；　〃what's　the　matter？　　House　afire？〃
  〃No；〃　I　replied；　〃but　my　head　is。　　Listen　to　this。　　On　Sunday　you
  and　I　will　be　around　Benicia　up　to　the　very　moment　Demetrios's　sail
  heaves　into　sight。　　This　will　lull　everybody's　suspicions。　　Then；
  when　Demetrios's　sail　does　heave　in　sight；　do　you　stroll　leisurely
  away　and　up…town。　　All　the　fishermen　will　think　you're　beaten　and
  that　you　know　you're　beaten。〃
  〃So　far；　so　good；〃　Charley　commented；　while　I　paused　to　catch
  breath。
  〃And　very　good　indeed；〃　I　continued　proudly。　　〃You　stroll
  carelessly　up…town；　but　when　you're　once　out　of　sight　you　leg　it
  for　all　you're　worth　for　Dan　Maloney's。　　Take　the　little　mare　of
  his；　and　strike　out　on　the　country　road　for　Vallejo。　　The　road's　in
  fine　condition；　and　you　can　make　it　in　quicker　time　than　Demetrios
  can　beat　all　the　way　down　against　the　wind。〃
  〃And　I'll　arrange　right　away　for　the　mare；　first　thing　in　the
  morning；〃　Charley　said；　accepting　the　modified　plan　without
  hesitation。
  〃But；　I　say；〃　he　said；　a　little　later；　this　time　waking　me　out　of　a
  sound　sleep。
  I　could　hear　him　chuckling　in　the　dark。
  〃I　say；　lad；　isn't　it　rather　a　novelty　for　the　fish　patrol　to　be
  taking　to　horseback？〃
  〃Imagination；〃　I