Flyers of Fortune by Frederick Lewis Nebel Read online

  through his nostrils.

  prevented Gales from bringing his gun into

  A few minutes later there was a rush

  action. Halsey was upon him with the agility

  Air Stories

  10

  of a cat, catching his gun-hand and swinging it passing close at hand, and then diminishing. A aloft and bearing Gales back across the room

  few minutes later it grew again, then ceased

  in a mad rush.

  suddenly. The engines of the yacht reduced

  Gales stopped short against the speed.

  forward bulkhead, gritted his teeth and swung Five minutes later there were footsteps

  away. In close grips, they spun across the

  in the corridor. Then the captain’s voice:

  room, fell over a chair and crashed down to

  “There’s a French naval flyer here, a Cap’n de the floor. Gales’ gun flew from his hand and

  Armand, with orders from the Saigon base t’

  slid across the floor. The girl, still seeming on take off William Gales. They shot down his

  the verge of a collapse, tottered toward it and partner, McGill, off Cape St. Jacques.”

  picked it up.

  “Poor old Mike!” muttered Gales

  The two men scrambled to their feet

  grimly. Then he stiffened, and his hand

  and began lambasting each other at close tightened on his automatic. “Miss Warren,” he quarters. Gales was the quicker at this game, said, “you’ll walk out and go aboard the

  and in short time he had Halsey staggering

  French plane. No argument, please. Get

  blindly. The owner of the yacht fell away,

  ready.” He turned to Halsey. “I’ll keep my

  breathing thickly, running perspiration. His gun on you for three minutes and then walk hand closed over a whisky bottle on the table, out to give myself up.”

  and in desperation he hurled it. Gales ducked, He gave the keys to the girl, and with a

  but it caught him a glancing blow over the left catch in her throat she went to the door and

  ear and staggered him. Halsey cackled opened it. Halsey was standing now, and gloatingly and started for him, but the girl

  Gales was directly behind him with his gun

  flashed:

  against the man’s back. The captain of the

  “Don’t!

  I’ll

  shoot!”

  yacht started to enter, but Gales said:

  He sagged to a standstill, his face

  “Not yet! Stay where you are!”

  twisted in chagrin.

  The girl passed out unmolested.

  Gales swung toward the girl and

  Three minutes later Gales lowered his

  hastily relieved her of the gun.

  gun.

  “If there’s any killing,” he said, “let

  “All right, Halsey. Perhaps you’d care

  me.” Then to Halsey: “Now sit down, you

  to see me go aboard the Frenchman.”

  swine!”

  With that he strode out on deck, and

  Halsey dropped limply into a chair and

  Halsey followed.

  Gales sat down on the settee. The girl brought In the lee of the yacht a big French

  him a drink and said:

  seaplane was rising and falling with the gentle

  “It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have

  motion of the calm sea. A machine gun

  staggered like that, but I was a little faint—

  bristled under the white moonlight.

  from the—strain.”

  “Ah!” called a voice. “You have heem,

  “I understand,” Gales smiled.

  oui? Be sure he have no gun, so! And ze Night wore on. Gales snapped on a

  ma’mzelle. I am as-toneesh!”

  single electric light and then returned to the Gales strode to the rail and with a hard

  settee.

  little chuckle dropped his gun overside.

  It must have been about eight o’clock

  “Well, Halsey, the game’s up. Without

  when the three in the room heard a low drone

  my partner, no use.”

  from somewhere in the darkness. Then there

  He went down the companion ladder,

  was a roar increasing with the seconds, stepped to the wing of the big seaplane and

  Flyers of Fortune

  11

  crossed to the front cockpit. He dropped in it Say, they were after us strong. Well, I got in a beside the girl.

  tussle with him. It was him or me, and I did

  Then the plane was off into the night,

  him in. He had orders to get us. Started from skimming along the moonlit water and finally

  Saigon on a wireless tip that you were aboard lifting its nose and rising into the air. The big the Bangkok Belle. Had the wire on him.” He motor roared and the plane zoomed and was fairly roaring the information. “Smith climbed up toward the pale clouds. Then it

  went down with our poor old boat. I’m

  was suddenly throttled down.

  heading for British North Borneo. All right?”

  “Say, Bill,” sounded a voice in Gales’

  “Good as any,” shouted back Gales.

  ear, “didn’t I act like a Frenchman all right?”

  “We’ll see the lady aboard a ship at

  Gales spun around and looked into the

  Saudakan.”

  grinning face of McGill.

  “And then what?” bellowed McGill.

  “Mike!” he exclaimed. “What the devil

  “Who knows?” shouted Gales,

  are you doing in this official plane?”

  grinning.

  “I was shot down off Cape St. Jacques

  And

  McGill

  boomed:

  by this same plane. I started swimming, and

  “What the hell!”

  the Frenchman—de Armand—picked me up.