at of the
many men who had tried to take him dead none had succeeded. It was also
history that at least two patrolmen who had tried to take him dead had
died themselves. Further, no man violated the fish laws more
systematically and deliberately than Big Alec.

He was called "Big Alec" because of his gigantic stature. His height
was six feet three inches, and he was correspondingly broad-shouldered
and deep-chested. He was splendidly muscled and hard as steel, and
there were innumerable stories in circulation among the fisher-folk
concerning his prodigious strength. He was as bold and dominant of
spirit as he was strong of body, and because of this he was widely
known by another name, that of "The King of the Greeks." The fishing
population was largely composed of Greeks, and they looked up to him
and obeyed him as their chief. And as their chief, he fought their
fights for them, saw that they were protected, saved them from the law
when they fell into its clutches, and made them stand by one another
and himself in time of trouble.

In the old days, the fish patrol had attempted his capture many
disastrous times and had finally given it over, so that when the word
was out that he was coming to Benicia, I was most anxious to see him.

But I did not have to hunt him up. In his usual bold way, the first
thing he did on arriving was to hunt us up. Charley Le Grant and I at
the time were under a patrolman named Carmintel, and the three of us
were on the _Reindeer_, preparing for a trip, when Big Alec stepped
aboard. Carmintel evidently knew him, for they shook hands in
recognition. Big Alec took no notice of Charley or me.

"I've come down to fish sturgeon a couple of months," he said to
Carmintel.

His eyes flashed with challenge as he spoke, and we noticed the
patrolman's eyes drop before him.

"That's all right, Alec," Carmintel said in a low voice. "I'll not
bother you. Come on into the cabin, and we'll talk things over," he
added.

When they had gone inside and shut the doors after them, Charley winked
with slow deliberation at me. But I was only a youngster, and new to
men and the ways of some men, so I did not understand. Nor did Charley
explain, though I felt there was something wrong about the business.

Leaving them to their conference, at Charley's suggestion we boarded
our skiff and pulled over to the Old Steamboat Wharf, where Big Alec's
ark was lying. An ark is a house-boat of small though comfortable