Flyers of Fortune by Frederick Lewis Nebel

by Monte Herridge

  more Gales flew low to peer at outward-bound

  “What

  the

  hell!”

  he exclaimed under

  ships, but neither of them was the Bangkok his breath.

  Belle.

  He bent a puzzled, quizzical glance on

  It was off Obi Island that he sighted a

  McGill, and McGill shrugged his own small vessel belching forth black clouds of puzzlement and spat disconsolately overside.

  smoke from a single funnel and heading

  Gales shook the controls, and McGill handled

  northward on a heaving, foam-mottled sea. He

  Air Stories

  6

  indicated it to his partner, who was at the

  McGill on the head, motioning that he was

  controls, and McGill swooped down and ready to make the drop.

  roared by in the lee of the rakish yacht, while McGill nodded, took a look at the

  Gales peered hard through his binoculars. yacht and then shot off to the eastward so that Then McGill zoomed for altitude and throttled Gales, when he jumped, would get the wind

  down at five thousand feet to shoot Gales an

  drift and be carried toward the lee of the

  inquiring glance.

  yacht.

  “It’s it!” shouted Gales.

  Gales climbed out of the cockpit and

  “But, hell, Bill,” roared back McGill,

  crawled out over the left wing. McGill was

  “we can’t land in a sea like that!”

  watching him out of the corner of his eye.

  “Know we can’t. Say, Mike, search

  Gales turned, the wind drumming in his ears

  Smith’s pockets and see what you can find.”

  and clattering his clothes. He waved a hand

  McGill nodded, and Gales took over

  and grinned recklessly. McGill waved back

  the flying, circling high above the Bangkok and grinned too. These men had long ago

  Belle. In a few minutes McGill thrust a learned to cover their inner emotions with a handful of odds and ends back to Gales and

  brazen, hard-boiled grin.

  indicated that he would handle the plane.

  Then—suddenly—Gales was off,

  Gales released the controls and examined dropping plummet-like. A small bit of white Smith’s belongings. For one thing he ballooned out and an instant later the big discovered that Smith’s real name was John T.

  parachute sprang open with a boom.

  Warren, a member of a Singapore club. Also

  McGill was circling the yacht again

  there was a packet of blank checks bearing the and watching the descent of his partner. He

  crest of a Singapore bank. There were a few

  grinned and spat sharply and climbed high up

  personal letters from friends in Yokohama,

  into the cloudy, windy sky.

  and some baggage stubs, but nothing that

  Gales swung pendulum-like as he

  might reveal the man’s business or mission.

  drifted down toward the creaming water. He

  Gales leaned forward and McGill, kept up this motion, swinging his body back looking around, quieted the engine.

  and forth so that when he landed the spread of

  “Mike,” yelled Gales, “I’m going to

  the parachute would not envelope him. He

  jump with the parachute and have that yacht

  struck well off the lee bow of the yacht and

  pick me up. Meet me in Saigon.”

  fought clear of the parachute, unfastening the

  “What’s the idea, Bill?”

  straps with one hand while he swam with the

  “Can’t explain all now,” trumpeted other.

  Gales.

  Free, he began swimming in a world of

  That was all the explanation necessary

  flying sea-spray and vaguely was aware that

  between these two birdmen.

  the yacht had altered her course and was

  Gales began stuffing Warren’s papers

  bearing down to pick him up. Two seaman

  into an oiled, waterproof pouch along with an were standing in the lee bow—Malays, they

  automatic pistol, some money and the were, scantily clad. The yacht drew closer, photograph. His parachute, of course, was and one of the Malays braced himself to heave already strapped on, but he removed it a line. Then the line snaked out and Gales temporarily so that he might wriggle out of his grabbed at it, caught it in one hand and hung flying suit. Also, he removed his leather boots.

  on grimly.

  Then he replaced the parachute, fastened the

  The first thing he did when he was

  waterproof pouch to his belt and touched hauled on deck was to look up and wave

  Flyers of Fortune

  7

  toward McGill who was still circling the craft.

  The man’s lips tightened.

  Then the plane spiraled downward, well astern

  “I’ve heard of you, and your partner,

  of the yacht, straightened out and roared by.

  McGill. Well, Gales, I don’t like your story.

  McGill flung up an arm as he passed and then

  My name is Halsey, and this is my yacht, as

  zoomed away, heading north.

  you know. You will have to undergo a search.

  A moment later Gales was confronted

  Captain, please,” he said to the blowzy-faced by a short, stocky, blowzy-faced man who

  man. “You know there are two gunboats

  wore the braid of rank.

  hunting this man.”

  “Well,” droned the captain, “what’s

  Gales stepped back, his hands

  the bloomin’ idea of leavin’ a perfectly good knotting. The captain advanced toward him

  plane an’ makin’ us pick you up?”

  and two seamen closed in behind him.

  “Just got tired of the air, captain,” Recklessness was ingrained in Gales. No grinned Gales, wringing out his wet shirt. conservative man would have dropped from a

  “Sorry if I’ve taken you out of your way, but plane in order to be picked up by a yacht on

  I’11 pay my passage to wherever you’re the supposition that he might find thereon going.”

  some clue concerning the photograph of a

  “This, mister,” replied the captain, “is

  strange girl.

  not a passenger ship. It’s a private yacht.”

  Even now he made a reckless move.

  At this point a tall, beady-eyed man

  He dodged sidewise, leaped across the deck

  dressed in spotless whites and smoking a long, and sped aft on the weather side, tearing open mellow cigar, strolled down the deck and the waterproof pouch as he ran. From it he joined the skipper.

  yanked his pistol, spun sharply hard by the

  “Hello,” he said without smiling. “You

  saloon wall and faced the two Malay seamen

  fellows will try stunts in the most unseemly

  who had chased him from forward. The

  places. What do you want?”

  captain came lumbering after them, and

  “Just passage to wherever you’re Halsey was close behind the captain. All of going,” replied Gales. “I’ll pay you.”

  them brought up short when they saw the

  “I’ve been intending to drop in at pistol in Gales’ hand.

  Saigon.”

  “You put away that damned gun!”

  “Suits me,” nodded Gales. “I’d like to

  snapped Halsey, dark with rage.

  go into the engine room, if you don’t mind,

  “You come forward!” flung back

  and dry up.”

  Gales. “Snappy, mister!”

  T
he owner of the Bangkok Belle eyed

  Halsey advanced, biting his lips.

  him stonily. He said:

  “Now,” clipped Gales, “move fast!

  “You puzzle me. Really, now, why did

  Lead to your room! My gun will be in your

  you drop from that plane and have us pick you back. The first man makes a move I’ll riddle

  up?”

  you! Move, with your hands up!”

  Gales

  chuckled.

  Halsey muttered an oath behind

  “I just couldn’t get along with the clenched teeth and entered the saloon with pilot. He insisted on heading for the Gales close beside him. Quickly gales turned Philippines, and I wanted to hit the coast. I the lock in the saloon door. He prodded

  took a chance and dropped, thinking you Halsey, and the latter led the way through a might be able to land me.”

  carpeted corridor and paused before a door at

  “What’s your name?”

  the end. Here he half-turned, black anger in

  “Gales.”

  his eyes.

  Air Stories

  8

  “You’ll regret this,” he choked.

  and I were to fly him over the Gulf and put

  “Open that door—fast!” clipped Gales

  him aboard this yacht. That is all the

  and jabbed the muzzle of his gun so sharply

  information he gave us.” He paused, steeling

  into Halsey’s ribs that the man grunted.

  himself. “When we were two hours in the air

  But he drew some keys from his your father died—possibly of heart failure.”

  pocket, inserted one in the lock, turned it and A low moan escaped her lips and she

  pushed open the door. Gales shoved him in

  wilted, covering her face with her hands.

  not too gently, pulled the keys from the lock,

  “Brace up,” Gales told her. “It’s hard,

  entered quickly and, kicking shut the door,

  but you’ve got to brace up. Before he died

  snapped the lock from the inside.

  your father pressed a photograph of you in my Then he saw a girl crouching in one

  partner’s hand. It was the only clue. I had a corner of the elaborately appointed room, and hunch that he and the yacht and you were

  he was instantly aware that she was the somehow related. I carried on where he left original of the one on the photograph. To her off. Now what can I do?”

  he said:

  She uncovered her face and sat erect

  “Draw the curtains on the ports—

  with a brave effort.

  quick!”

  “I—I don’t see how you can do

  For a moment she stood petrified, anything. I’ve been literally a prisoner aboard surprise and anguish storming in her eyes.

  this yacht since it left Saigon. Just before

  Then with a catch in her breath she hurried to sailing time I know my father was on board

  draw the curtains on the ports of the three

  and in his stateroom. That night he was

  rooms that constituted the quarters.

  drugged and put off on the Menam River in a

  “Now,” went on Gales, “run through

  sampan. Both of us had considered this

  his pockets and see if there’s a gun.”

  man”—she nodded toward Halsey—“a friend

  She did this, nervously, but found no

  and had accepted his offer of a passage to

  weapon.

  Saigon. But—“she broke off in a sob.

  “All right,” nodded Gales; then to

  “I see,” nodded Gales, a little bitterly.

  Halsey: “You sit down and see if we can get

  He turned to Halsey. “So that’s your game,

  this straight.”

  eh?”

  Halsey dropped into a wicker easy Halsey

  scowled.

  chair, the girl sat down on a plush settee built

  “What about it? What can you do?”

  in against the starboard bulkhead, and Gales, Gales heard feet tramping about the

  his clothes still dripping, stood in the center of deck, and excited voices, and hands knocking

  the room. He bent his gaze on the girl and

  at the ports. True, what could he do? The

  asked:

  outlook was, indeed, anything but cheerful.

  “What relation are you to John T. Here he was playing a lone hand against Warren?”

  overwhelming odds. His first move had been

  She started forward, her eyes dilating.

  successful, but luck had been with him. Still,

  “I—I am his daughter,” she whispered

  there was a chance ....

  hoarsely.

  He remembered that Halsey had said

  Gales bit his lip. What he had to say

  two gunboats were scouring the coast for him.

  would hurt, but this was no time to beat about Probably French gunboats. Indeed, as McGill

  the bush.

  had said in Bangkok, the country was getting

  “Miss Warren,” he went on, “your hot for them—too hot. If the French got their father hired my plane in Bangkok. My partner

  hands on him, Gales realized that they would

  Flyers of Fortune

  9

  frame up something and no doubt give him a

  outside the door. But it suddenly calmed

  taste of a colonial prison.

  down, and a moment later Gales heard

  He was in a tight predicament. Here

  receding footsteps. They had no doubt found

  was a girl in danger. She meant nothing to him the message.

  in a personal way. He had no amorous designs

  “You are doing this for me,” came the

  on her, nor intended to have any. Yet she was girl’s voice, tenderly.

  a woman in jeopardy, and the old protective

  The old sparkle came back to Gales’

  instinct was strong within the reckless, devil-eyes. His weather-bronzed face crinkled in a

  may-care heart of Gales. He would try his best broad, boyish grin.

  to save her. As for himself, he’d take a long

  “It’s the only way,” he said lightly,

  chance and face a prison sentence.

  rocking on his feet.

  “Halsey,” he said, “I’m in a pinch and

  The girl fell to sobbing again, and half-

  it isn’t going to take much for me to blow

  reclined on the settee. Her own predicament,

  your brains out if you don’t move the way I

  the death of her father, was certainly enough tell you to. Get that! And listen. You write out to wilt anybody.

  a message to your wireless operator and

  Gales sat down facing Halsey.

  explain that you wrote it by degrees while I

  “We’ll both wait new till the French

  wasn’t looking. All right. Now tell him to get navy arrives,” he chuckled. “Your men on

  in communication with one or the other of

  deck are probably having a great laugh over

  these gunboats and tell him to make it plain in the fact that my doom is impending.”

  the communication that you’ve got on board

  “You damned meddler,” ground out

  Bill Gales, the well-known cut-throat of the

  Halsey, “I’ll try my best to see you stuffed in China coast. Watch how fast they’ll get here.”

  the lousiest prison imaginable!”

  Halsey frowned and shook his head.

  “Pretty sore, aren’t you? We both lose,

  “Get started,” warned Gales, and there

  Halsey. We’ve both played games, though

  was
an edge on his voice now. “Write that

  you’ll have to admit that my game calls for

  message or as sure I’m headed for jail I’ll kill guts, while yours ... Ho!” he ended derisively.

  you!”

  Thus they sat facing each other while

  The girl shrank back in awe. Possibly

  the hours dragged by. The sea grew calm in

  she too had heard of Gales and McGill and

  late afternoon, as they could determine by the was a little frightened.

  even motion of the yacht, and needles of

  Slowly Halsey rose and crossed to the

  sunlight pierced the curtains over the ports. It bamboo table. He sat down, picked up a pen

  was hot and stuffy in the rooms, but Gales

  reluctantly wrote on a wireless blank as Gates refused to open a single port.

  directed.

  Presently the girl rose from the settee,

  “And add,” pursued Gales, “that your

  brushing a hand across her forehead, and

  men aboard should quiet down and stop started for the water-cooler which stood in the breaking up the doors.”

  opposite corner. She reeled, however, before

  When the entire message was written

  she reached it, and Gales instinctively started Gales picked it up, scanned it quickly, and slid to catch her.

  it under the door leading into the corridor.

  Halsey, every nerve tense, saw his

  Then he helped himself to a cigarette from a

  opportunity and catapulted from his chair. The humidor on the table and blew smoke streams

  girl caught her balance but her position