Trial by Typhoon by Albert Richard Wetjen Read online

  Action Stories, September, 1932

  Here they come! Thirteen brigands in a sleek black bark, scenting pearl plunder ripe for snatching in Typhoon Bradley’s bailiwick. The captain of the crew? Gentleman Harry, corsair out of Singapore.

  YPHOON BRADLEY broke one of half-caste from the look of him, came hurtling the unwritten laws of the Islands when

  out of the bar door. He fell heavily on the sand

  T he interfered. It was at Funafuti, toward and the next moment there was standing over the close of the pearling season. A score of

  him a burly, tall man with a ragged black

  ships were anchored in the lagoon. Half a

  beard and thick hairy arms. He seemed drunk

  hundred canoes and whaleboats dotted the and he wielded a short stock-whip.

  surface of the limpid water. On the beach was

  “I’ll teach you, you nigger swine!” he

  a small city of tents, shacks, huts and lean-tos, roared, and the whip rose and fell. The half-such as always sprang up when a lagoon was

  caste writhed, tried to crawl away, was kicked

  being worked. Native women and children

  back and at last resigned himself to

  were scattered along the sand. White men

  whimpering and crying out, his head buried in

  sprawled here and there on the hastily built

  his arms.

  verandas. Pearl buyers from all the world

  A small crowd gathered. No one said

  rested in the shade and sipped their drinks.

  anything. A man had a right to punish his own

  Typhoon Bradley was sitting with Chang, the

  natives. The Islands were not being tamed by

  Chinese pearl buyer, when it began.

  prayers and good wishes. The South was raw

  First of all a slender native, or rather a

  and a man’s crew might at any time turn and

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  2

  rip him to shreds if they thought him soft

  There was a silence that could almost be felt.

  enough.

  Men stared. Captain Tench choked with

  Typhoon Bradley drew on his cheroot

  wrath. The veins corded in his bull neck and

  and frowned a little.

  the blood ran red in his face.

  “Who is he?” he asked quietly. Chang

  “You! . . . damn you!” he choked.

  shrugged.

  Someone caught his arm.

  “The bearded one? A Captain Tench.

  “Careful there. That’s Typhoon

  Came in two days ago with that rakish bark

  Bradley!”

  over there. No one seems to know much about

  Captain Tench hurled the cautioning

  him. The thin, pockmarked man standing by

  hand aside.

  him is his mate, I believe.”

  “I don’t give a damn who he is! He

  The whip rose and fell, the bearded

  can’t tell me what to do!”

  man swore viciously. The half-caste’s back

  “Listen . . .”

  was cut and raw, beginning to bleed. Soon his

  “Get out of my blasted way!” roared

  writhing and screaming ceased. He had Tench, and he charged, his great fists flailing fainted. Still no one said anything and no one

  and his head lowered. Someone laughed.

  moved. But the whip lifted and fell with Typhoon Bradley was reputed to be the sickening soft sounds and blood spattered the

  strongest man in the South and no one but a

  crowd.

  stranger would have been as big a fool as

  Tench.

  TYPHOON BRADLEY got up, shook off

  There was a hard smacking noise and

  Chang’s detaining arm and tossed away his

  the bearded captain went sidewise and to the

  cheroot.

  sand, sprawling a good six feet before he

  “Don’t you think that’s enough?” he

  lighted. Typhoon Bradley rubbed his knuckles

  asked mildly. Captain Tench paused for a and waited.

  moment and glared at him.

  Tench got up, shaking his head,

  “You mind your own damned undoubtedly surprised and sobered. He business!” he grated. “The damned swine

  whipped ’round, cooler now, his eyes slits.

  stole a belt out of my cargo!”

  “Tough, eh?” he sneered and came in

  Bradley looked and saw the with the weaving gait of a practiced fighter.

  unconscious half-caste was still clutching a

  Bradley was no boxing man but he knew the

  cheap, patent leather belt such as was used for

  rough and ready fighting of the outlands as

  trade in the outer islands, a thing worth, few other men did. Even first-rate boxers are perhaps, two cents.

  not always good fighters outside the ring, and

  “Stealing’s

  bad

  when it gets started in

  champions have been known to be knocked

  a crew,” Bradley agreed, “but you don’t need

  out in a rough-house by men they could cut to

  to kill the man.”

  pieces in a squared circle and under rules. But

  “Shut up!” snarled the other and Tench was good. There could be no mistake brought the whip down again with a vicious

  about that.

  swish upon the unconscious man’s back.

  He ducked Typhoon’s right hook and

  Typhoon’s gray eyes hardened and his six feet

  landed with a stinging left jab that would have

  of lean muscle tightened a little.

  sent most men to their knees. Typhoon took

  “I said that’s enough!” he snapped. He

  half a step back and smack! Tench staggered,

  caught the arm that held the whip, wrenched

  almost fell and covered up by instinct. He

  the weapon away and flung the owner aside.

  made the mistake then of going into a clinch

  Trial by Typhoon

  3

  and Bradley got him under the heart with a

  “No?”

  right hook that nearly broke Tench’s ribs.

  “That’s what I said.”

  Tench was game. He came back,

  “And what would you do, big guy?

  landed a right jab, crossed with a hard left and

  Board our packet?”

  left himself open. Typhoon laughed and put

  “I don’t know just what I’d do but it

  his body behind his blow. Tench’s feet left the

  wouldn’t be pleasant.”

  sand and he was hurled twice his own length

  “You’re not the damned magistrate

  before crashing into the crowd and falling. He

  here!”

  was out before his body hit the sand and his

  Someone snickered and Typhoon

  left ear was all but torn off.

  smiled grimly.

  “That happens to be exactly what I am.

  “WELL,” someone drawled, “he’s pretty Appointed for the duration of the season.”

  good. He hit Typhoon three times. That’s one

  above the record.”

  THE other’s jaw dropped. He mumbled

  Someone else laughed. Typhoon stared

  something, backed off, then, calling sharply to

&nbs
p; at his inert foe for a moment and thoughtfully

  several of his crew he saw standing about, he

  rubbed his knuckles.

  had the half-caste and Captain Tench carried

  “You ain’t heard the last of this,” a

  down to the water’s edge and taken on board

  voice said beside him and he turned sharply to

  the bark.

  see the thin, pock-marked man who was The

  crowd

  broke

  up, some few men

  Tench’s mate. The man was snarling and congratulating Typhoon. He merely shrugged obviously savage and his right hand kept and returned to his seat beside Chang. It had clawing at his gun butt, as if he had a hard

  been the first time that season he had ever had

  time to control himself. But you can’t shoot

  to interfere as a magistrate and then he had

  another man on Funafuti beach without giving

  handled the matter outside of officialdom.

  him an even draw, and Typhoon’s gun-belt

  When Typhoon Bradley held authority no one

  hung over the back of his chair near Chang.

  cared to cause trouble. And anyone who

  “Are you proposing to fight too?” knows the wild, roaring days and nights on a inquired Typhoon mildly. The other licked his

  pearling beach understands just how much

  lips, breathed hard and then shook his head.

  that means.

  “Not now, Bradley. But I’m Tench’s

  “He’s bad, that Captain Tench,” said

  mate and I know him. He’ll get back at you

  Chang quietly. Typhoon nodded.

  some way. We’ve heard of you! Big guy in

  “Damned bad. I wonder what his game

  the Islands, eh? You won’t be for long.”

  is?”

  Bradley

  shrugged.

  “I have been wondering too,” said

  “You’d better pick up the wreck,” he

  Chang drily. “I heard a short while ago that he

  said indifferently, jerking his head toward has Gentleman Harry on board.”

  Tench who was still unconscious. The other

  “What?” Bradley ripped out, turning to

  glared at him, cooling off.

  stare at the Chinaman. “Gentleman Harry?”

  “I suppose you don’t object if I take

  For a moment he was tense and

  our man along too?” he asked sarcastically.

  motionless. If there was one name that could

  Bradley glanced down at the now groaning

  jar the habitual calm of the man it was that of

  half-caste and shook his head.

  his old enemy Gentleman Harry of Singapore.

  “If he’s your man he’s yours. But I

  They had clashed a dozen times. They had

  wouldn’t beat him up any more.”

  wounded and all but killed each other. It had

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  4

  been a blow of Typhoon’s fist one night on

  come ashore. That meant he wanted to keep

  Balata Beach that had ruined the Gentleman’s

  under cover. No one else in the lagoon seemed

  then handsome features. He had, before that

  to know the Gentleman was present, and how

  night, been called Gentleman as a term of

  Chang had found out Typhoon couldn’t guess.

  admiration for his looks as well as his The Chinaman, however, usually knew a good immaculate clothing. But after that night the

  many things others didn’t. When Typhoon had

  term of Gentleman was used as a jest, and for

  bluntly asked him how he was aware of the

  that Gentleman Harry hated Typhoon Bradley

  Gentleman’s presence on Tench’s ship, Chang

  with an intenseness that at times sent him

  had merely shrugged, smiled inscrutably and

  almost insane. If Gentleman Harry was at said:

  Funafuti that meant trouble.

  “It is my business to know everything.

  “I’ll look into this,” promised Typhoon

  That is why I buy pearls for Cartier’s and

  grimly. “I’m responsible for the beach this

  Tiffany. That is why I; have been in the

  season and no one’s going to pull anything if I

  Islands twenty years and am still alive.”

  can help it. ... Come on in and let’s feed.”

  Bradley shook his head. He knew

  They both got up and went into Boston

  Chang too well to doubt that his information

  Charlie’s for a drink and some food. Outside

  was correct. Then what did the Gentleman

  the night fell swiftly over the vast expanse of

  plan on doing? The season was closing in two

  the great lagoon and the lights began to days. Most of the pearls had been bought or twinkle out on the ships. Bonfires flickered on

  were contracted for; so had the shell.

  the beach. The Kanakas shouted and boasted

  Tench hadn’t brought any supplies to

  and strutted up and down telling of their day’s

  sell. . . . Typhoon had ascertained that. Nor

  diving. A tinny piano began to play in Boston

  had he claimed to be in need of supplies or

  Charlie’s, and native women slipped quietly in

  water. He appeared to be some sea bully from

  and out while the rattle of dice and the harsh

  northern waters who offered neither

  voices of the game dealers cut across the

  explanations nor courtesy. Typhoon suspected

  smoke-filled air.

  something was going to break and it had

  worried him so much he had not been able to

  CHAPTER II

  attend to his poker. He was magistrate for the

  TRAPPED

  season and he intended it should close with a

  clean slate for him.

  He picked out a dinghy when he

  IT must have been two or three hours after

  reached the water’s edge—as magistrate he

  sunset when Typhoon finally left the poker

  could commandeer any boat he felt like,

  game he had been sitting in, and after a few

  though for that matter no one would have

  words to Chang went outside into the cool

  argued with him—and getting in he pushed off

  night air. He paused for a moment to stare up

  and rowed himself out to Tench’s bark, the

  and down the line of shacks and then hitching

  Wanderer. There seemed to him to be a

  up his cartridge belt he pushed his way curious air of tension hanging over the night, a through the throng and made for the water’s

  sense of something going to happen. He swore

  edge.

  to himself and put his weight on the oars. He

  He was frankly puzzled at learning that

  must be getting old to let such feelings bother

  Gentleman Harry was at Funafuti, and more

  him.

  than puzzled that though the man had been

  He reached the Wanderer at last and

  there two days he had made no attempt to

  was surprised by several things. In the first

  Trial by Typhoon

  5

  place he could see in the starlight that she was

  common seaman.

  riding to a short cable, almost up and down in

  “You gotta get out!” snarled the man,

  fact, which was a curious thing for a vessel at

  jerking out his weapon. “Orders is ‘no one

&n
bsp; anchor in a lagoon twenty miles long and with

  boards’. . . .”

  plenty of room to swing in. Second, her sails,

  He gave a yelp of pain as a hard fist

  which he would have sworn that afternoon

  smacked him under the jaw. Bradley took his

  were harbor stowed, were now loosened. gun from, him as he fell and contemptuously Thirdly, there seemed to be an unusual tossed it overside. He was immediately number of men on board . . . and she carried a

  surrounded by a half dozen armed men,

  white crew Chang had said.

  threatening and surly.

  At night at Funafuti most of not all of

  “I’m the magistrate for Funafuti,” he

  the shipping save the anchor watches went

  said coldly. “Do you all want me to arrest

  ashore for a brawl. Typhoon hesitated. The

  you?”

  Wanderer had all the earmarks of a ship set Someone

  laughed.

  for a quick getaway. Should he go back and

  “What a chance.”

  gather a crowd to help him investigate or

  Another voice spoke up and a man in a

  shouldn’t he? But investigate what? Nothing

  peaked cap, evidently the second mate, pushed

  had happened so far. And apart from that he,

  forward.

  Typhoon, had a reputation to consider. He

  “Never mind the guff, fellers. This is

  wasn’t accustomed to going back for help.

  Typhoon Bradley, ain’t it?”

  The strongest man in the South and the best

  “Correct!” said Typhoon stiffly. The

  shot in the Islands . . . excepting only Shark

  other gave a mocking bow.

  Gotch . . . did not rely on other men. Bradley

  “An’ you want to see Cap’n Tench,