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    Trial by Typhoon by Albert Richard Wetjen

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      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

      Action Stories

      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,”
    r />   hull and muffled water noises. Bradley came

      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

     

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