st sight we
caught of it gave us immense relief. The wharves were black with men.
As we came closer, we could see them still arriving, stringing down
the main street, guns in their hands and on the run. Charley glanced
astern at the fishermen with a look of ownership in his eye which till
then had been missing. The Greeks were plainly overawed by the display
of armed strength and were putting their own rifles away.

We took in topsail and staysail, dropped the main peak, and as we got
abreast of the principal wharf jibed the mainsail. The _Mary Rebecca_
shot around into the wind, the captive fishermen describing a great
arc behind her, and forged ahead till she lost way, when lines were
flung ashore and she was made fast. This was accomplished under a
hurricane of cheers from the delighted miners.

Ole Ericsen heaved a great sigh. "Ay never tank Ay see my wife never
again," he confessed.

"Why, we were never in any danger," said Charley.

Ole looked at him incredulously.

"Sure, I mean it," Charley went on. "All we had to do, any time, was
to let go our end--as I am going to do now, so that those Greeks can
untangle their nets."

He went below with a monkey-wrench, unscrewed the nut, and let the
hook drop off. When the Greeks had hauled their nets into their boats
and made everything ship-shape, a posse of citizens took them off our
hands and led them away to jail.

"Ay tank Ay ban a great big fool," said Ole Ericsen. But he changed
his mind when the admiring townspeople crowded aboard to shake hands
with him, and a couple of enterprising newspaper men took photographs
of the _Mary Rebecca_ and her captain.

VI

DEMETRIOS CONTOS

It must not be thought, from what I have told of the Greek fishermen,
that they were altogether bad. Far from it. But they were rough men,
gathered together in isolated communities and fighting with the
elements for a livelihood. They lived far away from the law and its
workings, did not understand it, and thought it tyranny. Especially
did the fish laws seem tyrannical. And because of this, they looked
upon the men of the fish patrol as their natural enemies.

We menaced their lives, or their living, which is the same thing, in
many ways. We confiscated illegal traps and nets, the materials of
which had cost them considerable sums and the making of which required
weeks of labor. We prevented them from catching fish at many times and
seasons, which was equivalent to preve