Part 38 (1/2)
The lights of the returning ory answered:
”Listen, Mascola If you're looking for trouble, this is the place to find it If you're not, you can et as many fish as we are We'll not bother you There's plenty of albacore over here to-night for everybody If you try to break through us, it will be up to you”
Mascola's anger came in a torrent of Italian words Then he colish: ”This Mr Bandrist's island He tell o You stay, you like trouble My ory answered quietly ”And when you see your friend Bandrist, tell hi the land If he has any more claim to the water than we have, he'll have to show us”
Mascola completed his repairs, started his motor and raced away in the direction of his fleet with the _Richard_ running close at his side But when he ca-boats, he h it any more with this one,” Bronson commented
”I reckon when he looks over his boat it'llin a few ribs”
Mascola returned to his fleet, his cheeks burning with rage In the first preliminary skirmish with the ene of value Had daed his boat too, no doubt Well, he'dhis boats, he gave orders for an immediate advance in the direction of the cannery fleet
Kenneth Gregory looked after the departing lights of the _Fuor d'Italia_
”Score one for the invaders of Bandrist's island,” he said gri expedition, except that we had a better boat than his” Then he turned to Bronson ”Take us up to the other end,” he instructed ”I want to tell the boys to keep as close in as they can so Mascola's boats will have to skirt the reef to get by”
When they arrived at the indicated spot and the V broadened according to orders, the lights of the alien fleet could be discernedtoward the ”Looks as if they were going to try to crowd in froory smiled ”That's just what I want the is to get an idea of just what you're going into If Mascola had taken a good look, he wouldn't have come that way”
CHAPTER XXIII
BATTLE OF NORTHWEST HARBOR
Convoyed by his fishi+ng fleet, Mascola ca to the seaward of the cannery boats he circled, laid to and critically surveyed the bobbing lights in the narrow channel which was flanked on both sides by saw-toothed reefs The fish were co from the north and west
Doubtless the American fisherman already had them well ”chum the cannery boats if they did not give way and take their school He had done it before It was si his boats to follow, he led theory stood in the bow of the _Pelican_ with a aphone and directed the position of the boats whichMascola away fro ht football for pressure The _Pelican_ forht and left followed the heavy Diesel- the extreme ends Behind the first line ca-boats cruising the center area Every boat was at its proper station, awaiting the signal froory's word to Howard: ”All right, Too”
He stood at Howard's side as the fisherman whistled for sea-way andhiave no heed to the signal save to draw closer together and slacken speed as they entered the narrow channel
Again the cannery boats shrieked a warning and the wedge narroith the ay until only the bare width of a boat separated the bea vessels Dead ahead, and only a few boat-lengths away, twinkled the lights of the alien fleet Gregory grasped the rail of the engine-house and braced himself for the shock The next instant the fore blow on the bow
The heavy fishi+ng-boat quivered froine came into play The drunken skipper of the _Lura_ felt his craft being shunted to the side Before he could gather his wits together, another American boat brushed his outside rail and crowded hiht between the heavy hulls of the _Pelican_ and _Albatross_, the _Lura_ grated, bea fro the water in a vain effort to break through the tong-like grip of the two boats which disputed her passage
The drunken crew of the _Lura_ surged to the rail ild cries of rage The air was filled with flying lass and the dull thud of heavy objects hurled from the alien craft to the deck of the _Pelican_
”Stay under cover,” Gregory commanded the crew ”Stand by if they try to board”