Trial by Typhoon by Albert Richard Wetjen
Page 3
afterwards it is useless even for small boats.
“That’s a stroke of luck.”
Gentleman Harry had calculated things
Altogether that night seven of the most
to a nicety, except he had not planned to make
famous buyers in the South were deftly his clean-up until the following night. The knocked out and robbed, and in the riotous
presence of Typhoon Bradley and the fact that
whirl of the pearling beach their absence that night there was a favorable wind had passed almost unnoticed.
induced him to act sooner than he had
expected. At the three or four knot speed the
OUT in the lagoon the rakish and fast bark
Wanderer was making she would be several
Wanderer slipped her cable and began to hours reaching the channel and clearing for move silent as a ghost away from the rest of
the open sea. And she would just have time to
the shipping. Two whaleboats, filled with men
scrape through before the tide turned. If
ahead of her, were towing her. Two miles out
pursuit could be delayed for only an hour after
the canvas was set and before the urge of a
that the Gentleman was reasonably safe.
gentle wind she moved toward the channel.
Behind her a stab of red flame HE rubbed his hands together and walked up suddenly spurted up from Chang’s schooner
and down the poop with Tench. He was highly
the Lotus Bud, followed almost at once by a elated. He had pulled off one of the most
similar red flame from Cumming’s brig the
spectacular raids in the history of the Islands;
Hyacinth. On the poop of the Wanderer had made a laughing stock of Typhoon
Gentleman Harry chuckled.
Bradley and was in a position to dispose of his
“Neat work,” he boasted. “That’ll keep
old enemy for good. He could not resist the
the whole beach busy for a while saving the
temptation to tell him so and he and Tench
ships.”
went down to the main cabin.
Action Stories
10
Bradley was conscious now, his head
track.”
and one side of his face covered with dried
The other shrugged. Captain Tench
blood and his limbs cramped from his bonds.
poured a drink and tossed it down with relish.
He blinked in the sudden flood of light when
“We ain’t fools,” he growled. “We set
Gentleman Harry opened the door of his fire to two packets so the others would be kept prison and with Tench’s aid hauled him into
busy. And we’ll be at sea just ahead of the tide
the main cabin and sat him in a chair.
turn. That’ll shut ’em in for a while.”
“Well,” he said coolly, although his
head was throbbing as if it would burst. “You
IT was true. Bradley thought hard. From the
seem to have pulled off something.”
looks of things the Gentleman would get away
The Gentleman lighted a cheroot and
with it. If he wasn’t stopped this side of the blew smoke into Bradley’s eyes.
channel there wouldn’t be a chance in a
“I have,” he boasted. “I’ve cleaned out
hundred of catching him. He had a big crew
the beach.”
also, nearly all white men, and heavily armed.
Typhoon stared at the little pile of There’d be a bloody fight even if the pearling canvas belts and chamois leather bags that lay
ships did overtake him by some miracle.
on the table. He recognized Chang’s belt by
Typhoon groaned and the Gentleman laughed.
the ornate embroidery. He recognized
“I suppose you wonder why I’m
Cummings’ chamois sack, and Peira’s initials
keeping you?” he jeered. He leaned forward
showed he had been cleaned too. The and with savageness struck Bradley’s face Gentleman laughed.
with his open hand, struck him again and
“Seven of ’em,” he sneered. “Two-
again, his features convulsed and his eyes
thirds of the season’s output and the cream of
burning fire.
the lot.”
“Damn you, Bradley! I’ve got you
“Clever.” admitted Typhoon evenly. now. You’ve had a long run, over ten years,
“How did you manage it? Kill them?”
and you’ve got in my way too many times.
“Not at all. No need for that. Merely
You remember the first time, eh? On Balata
had ’em knocked out and tied up. Limpy Beach. You smashed my face there. You’re Smith knew all the buyers by sight so I going to pay for that, savvy?”
brought him along to handle the deal.”
Bradley shrugged though he was white
Bradley nodded. Limpy Smith was a
and tense.
vicious little rat of a man, one of the worst
“Seems like you’re talking too much,”
characters of the pearling grounds, but one
he said calmly. “Why not get it over?”
who gained his ends by cunning rather than by
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” the
force. Bradley had wondered why he hadn’t
Gentleman sneered. “Yes, you’d like a bullet
shown up this season but this accounted for it.
through your damned head, a quick death! But
The Gentleman had got hold of him and used
that’s too easy. I owe you too much. I’m going
him.
to watch you die slowly, see? Dying for days
The beach was all but cleaned, no and days.
doubt of it, and all the verandahs of the
“When we’re at sea I’m going to tie
Islands would tell the tale how Gentleman
you in a boat and trail you along astern. I’ll
Harry had finally bested Typhoon Bradley.
strip you so the sun can get at you. I’ll watch
Bradley swore under his breath.
you go mad with thirst and hunger, watch you
“You can’t get away with it,” he stated
try to break free to throw yourself overside
harshly. “There’ll be a dozen ships on your
and drown. I’ll enjoy all that. Maybe now and
Trial by Typhoon
11
then I’ll bring you alongside and dribble a
impossible that death would follow him there.
little cold water on your chest, just where you
Yet for all that comforting thought
can’t reach it. There’ll be a good many in the
Bradley was bitter. To go out lashed in an
Islands who’ll thank me for all that. And
open boat, to go mad with thirst and hunger
maybe some time some skipper’ll pick up a
while his old enemy watched and laughed and
ship’s boat with a dried-up mummy in it that
gloated. Bradley swore through tight teeth and
was once Typhoon Bradley.”
struggled furiously with his bonds. In a few
He was insane, working himself into a
hours there would be no hope. Once the
fury. Even Tench stared at him with some
Wanderer cleared the channel and the tide amazement. Tench had no liking at all for
turned he was done.
their captive but he was rather appalled at the
sheer ferocity the Gentleman was exhibiting.
&n
bsp; “Bah!” snapped the Gentleman at last.
CHAPTER IV
“Let’s pitch him back in the cabin to think it
TYPHOON STRIKES
over.” He flung a glass of gin and water into
Bradley’s face, so the shattered fragments cut
his cheek and the fiery spirit made his eyes
AN hour passed and then another. Typhoon
run.
gave up struggling with his bonds and lay
“I’ll kill you for that!” he said between
panting and sweating on the cabin deck. He
his teeth. The Gentleman laughed, recovering
could hear the shoes of men on the poop
his calmness.
above and sometimes caught the sound of
“Your killing days are over,” he their voices and a mutter of laughter as the sneered. “Give me a hand, Tench.”
wind blew into the open port. They were
walking on the opposite side of the ship,
THEY dragged Typhoon back into the cabin
which was the windward side, and that fact
again, Hung him inside, kicked him half was fortunate for Bradley.
unconscious and then left him to stare at the
Occasionally two of the men would
round circle of the open port where the stars
drop below and there would follow the clink
shone big and flickering. The Wanderer
of glasses in the main cabin. But Bradley was
slipped along, the wind humming in her not disturbed any more.
rigging, the level water of the great lagoon
He was just struggling to his feet with
lap-lapping along her hull, and Typhoon’s the idea of hoisting himself to the bunk for eyes grew hard as flint in his drawn face.
comfort’s sake, when a dark shadow appeared
A fine end it would be all right, a fine
in the open port and there came a sibilant hiss.
end for Typhoon Bradley who had dominated
Bradley grew rigid.
the South for over a decade now. His friends
“Who is it?” he said cautiously. The
would revenge him, of course. Shark Gotch
shadow in the port, it was a man’s head, spoke
would scour the seas. Cassidy of Apia would
rapidly in a combination of beche-de-mer
set in motion all his vast interests. Jack Barrett English and Samoan.
would oil up his guns and lurk around
“Ai, this is the man who was whipped
Singapore.
today. I learned you had fought for me. I
Sometime, somehow, Gentleman learned also you were here and I came as soon Harry would drop before hot lead to pay for
as I was able.”
this night’s work. He might of course fly to
Bradley suppressed an exclamation.
Europe with his winnings, but it was not He remembered the half-caste Tench had
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12
flogged over the theft of a cheap belt. He had
and Tench come below and take a drink. The
completely forgotten the man was a member
Gentleman came to the cabin door and
of the Wanderer’s crew.
hammered on it, obviously in a jovial mood.
“How’d you get out there?” he
“Think of the open boat, Bradley! It’ll
demanded swiftly. “What are you on board?”
be a long, thirsty time before you croak.”
“I am the steward,” the other
He laughed and returned to the bottle.
whispered. “Be still. If you turn your back to
After a few minutes the two men went on deck
me I will cut the ropes.”
again. Bradley breathed hard and pressed his
Typhoon heaved himself to the bunk
ear to the door. He heard a faint foot pad on
with a tremendous effort, rolled over and the companion, and then a key slid into the inched toward the bulkhead. He felt a hand
lock, turned and was withdrawn. The door
touch him, searchingly, and then a keen knife
opened the merest crack.
sawed through his bonds. His wrists fell apart
“I was ordered not to come below
and he was free. A few moments he spent
while you were prisoner here,” muttered the
bringing some life back to his numbed fingers
half-caste. “And I am afraid. I go now.”
and then seizing the proffered knife he cut his
Bradley opened the door swiftly and
legs clear. That done he took a deep breath
grasped the man’s arm as he was about to
and wiped sweat from his forehead.
make for the companion and get away. He
“I am grateful, my friend,” he said
gripped his hand.
simply. “You have given me a chance to die
“You’re not quitting on me now,” he
like a man . . . and perhaps to do even more.”
said shortly but quietly. “You have been a
The other gave a little grating laugh.
man tonight.”
“Keep the knife, master. I will unlock
The half-caste struggled for a moment,
the door for I have stolen a key. And then you
fearful that one of those above would come
will kill Captain Tench for me.”
below, and then something about the white
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” said Bradley
man’s steady gray eyes and strong jaw gave
grimly and the head vanished. He hefted the
him courage. He drew himself up.
keen knife for a moment, grinned and thrust it
“I will fight with you,” he agreed
in his belt. He wasn’t a knife man but if no
reluctantly and Typhoon nodded. The man’s
other weapon came to hand this blade would
spirit was almost broken but some trace of his
serve.
fighting Samoan ancestors remained in him.
He thrust his head out of the port and
There was the sound of someone at the
discovered how the half-caste had reached scuttle above and the half-caste gave a gasp him. Along the hull of the Wanderer ran a and almost wilted. Bradley gripped him by the
narrow beading about four feet below the shoulder and dragged him back into the cabin.
scupper edge. By holding on to the scupper
They waited, crouched by the door. It was the
edge and resting the toes on the beading an
pockmarked mate coming down and they
active man could inch along and go right
could hear him discussing something with
around the ship if he chose. Had the Wanderer another man Bradley presently identified as
been at sea, or heeling much to leeward the
Limpy Smith who had evidently engineered
feat would have been impossible. As it was,
the shoreward end of the raid. They had
however, she was on an almost level keel and
several drinks before going on deck again but
there was little pitch or roll to her.
made no attempt to approach the cabin.
It was evident those on the poop were
BRADLEY waited. He heard the Gentleman
taking it in turns to hit the bottle. Limpy Smith
Trial by Typhoon
13
and the mate went up at last and the main
better make a big swing to clear it.”
cabin was still save for the creakings of the
“I guess west b’ north ought to do it,”
observed the Gentleman. “We’ll wait until
out of hiding and listened. Up above they were
we’re abeam of Becke’s point before
idly walking the weather deck. Bradley swinging.”
slipped toward the companion and went up,
They turned and paced for’ard.
silent as a ghost, the trembling half-caste at his Bradley heard them halt to speak with the
heels.
pock-marked mate and Limpy Smith.
The poop was in darkness, and as the
“We’re going below for a snort,”
scuttle faced for’ard it was no task for Tench growled. “Give us a shout when you’re Typhoon to crawl to the lee rail and then aft
abreast of Becke’s point.”
along the scupper. The main cabin scuttle, the
“Aye, aye,” said the mate gruffly.
skylights and a long locker that reached
The Gentleman and Tench went
almost to the binnacle shielded him from below. Limpy Smith and the mate came possible discovery by those across the deck.
slowly aft. Bradley waited. They turned and
The half-caste came fearfully with him, his
went for’ard again and then Bradley leaped,
teeth chattering but by now more afraid to go
silent as a panther making its kill. His iron fist back than to go on.
took the astonished helmsman on the jaw and
Bradley hesitated when he could see
the man fell on the wheel with a grunt.
the loom of the helmsman against the stars
Bradley lowered him to the deck, searched
and the glow of the binnacle against the man’s
him and cursed. While steering the man had
white shirt. He could slip overside and swim