Virginia marine policemen Duck Ruark of Deltaville and the legendary Bill Ryland of Urbanna went down on the Nansemond River to inspect several James River oystermen whom they suspected were catching bushels of oysters in excess of the legal limit.
They drove down to a fence line near where the oystermen docked and Bill got out and started to climb the fence. Three of the “meanest ass” dogs you’ve ever seen came running towards them, showing their teeth and barking like crazy. Duck said, “Mr. Ryland, those dogs look mean as hell.”
Bill Ryland went on over the fence and said, “Come on Duck, they won’t hurt you.”
Duck said, “Mr. Ryland I don’t mean any disrespect to you or to my job, but if those boys have every oyster in the James River on that dock I’m not going over that fence with those dogs there.” Duck waited at the car, while Ryland went down to the dock and approached the oystermen.
“I heard somebody scream, ‘G-d, it’s ‘gum boots!’” That’s what every Virginia waterman called Bill Ryland, because he wore high black boots with the tops flipped down. He never carried a gun, but he was shot at numerous times, especially over on the Potomac River.
God knows they hated him over there. He had no fear of anything or anybody and that irked them.
“Suddenly the dogs stopped barking and I couldn’t hear anything,” Duck said. “Then here comes Mr. Ryland across the field, the dogs walking alongside and he was patting their heads and they were waging their tails.”
“How’d you make out?” Duck asked.
“Wrote six citations,” Ryland said. He then added, “Let’s go!”
“To my knowledge, he never said a word to anyone about me not going over that fence,” said Duck.
It Happened Here in Rivah Country!
