Arthur Upfield - Man of Two Tribes

“Be damned if we will,” whispered the younger man, and took four paces forward. “You wouldn’t shoot. You’re a mighty big bluff. Inspectorbe damned!”

Thefrench windows were rattled against their bolts, and one of the women cried out. The men spun about to see their head stockman flanked either side by reincarnations of the first bushrangers. Then the elder Weatherby turned again to Bony.

“They’re all loose?” he asked, tightly.

“All but Doctor Havant. Why hesitate? They are dangerous men. Raise Kalgoorlie for me, at once.”

“No!” shouted the other man. “We have guns, too.”

“Dead men never aim straight,” Bony reminded him, adding: “I always do.”

“Charles!” called his wife. “Do what he says. He’s right. RaiseKal .”

The elder Weatherby slumped into the operator’s chair and pushed down a switch and turned dials. Again the windows rattled against bolts. The women faced the threat from without. The younger man shrugged and withdrew to his chair, resignation in his dark eyes.

“Mount Singular calling! Come in Lancefold. Come in Kalgoorlie. Mount Singular calling. Urgently calling Kalgoorlie. Over.”

He switched over, and a voice deeply resonant spoke.

“Kalgoorlie Base, Mount Singular. I am getting you clearly.”

“Inspector Bonaparte speaking from Mount Singular, Kalgoorlie. Hold it a moment. Mrs. Weatherby! Admit those persons before they break through. Just another moment, Kalgoorlie.”

Those outside surged into the room, pushing the head stockman before them. Bony signalled silence with his hand, palm outward. “Brennan, come here. You others remain inactive for one minute. Now, Mark, watch theseWeatherbys while I report to Kalgoorlie. Take a message, Kalgoorlie. Over.”

Bony motioned to the elder Weatherby, and then the speaker announced that Kalgoorlie was ready, adding:

“We have been alerted for you to contact us, Inspector.”

Weatherby worked on switch and dials, and Bony replied:

“Thank you, Kalgoorlie. A message for Superintendent Wyeth-per phone. Inspector Bonaparte reports he is at Mount Singular, together with Mrs. Myra Thomas, and the following men who failed the conditions of their parole: Mark Brennan, Joseph Riddell, Clifford Maddoch and Edward Jenks. Despite extreme provocation, these men are behaving with commendable restraint, but the situation could be explosive and I need assistance with all speed. Got that, Kalgoorlie? Over.”

“Every word, Inspector. Keep on the air.”

Silence, and during the silence reaction hit them hard. Bony’s hopes to skate over this emotional ice were frustrated by Maddoch who pointed to the junior Weatherby and shouted:

“I know you. You’re the man I met on the train going to my brother’s place, the man who coshed me on the station platform. You’re the man who kidnapped me. You vile creature!”

“He! He!” sniggered Jenks from somewhere amid whiskers like a circular chimney broom. He mimicked “Vile creature! So now we know where we are, and now we know why you keep that helicopter in the cave at the foot of the cliff outside. I beenwaitin ’ a longlong time for this.”

“Jenks!”Bony said sharply.

Jenks remained tense, ready to go into action. He glared at Bony, downward to the automatic. Riddell spoke up:

“Caw! Stop the how-doin’ and get us some grub and a bottle or two of whisky. Plenty of time to argue.”

“Of course there is,” supported the girl. “We’re not standing for any rough-house, Jenks. Not now when the bright lights are only just round the corner. Smashing up these people and this place won’t get us anywhere but back to jail. Be your age, idiot.”

“Gimmethe gun, Inspector,” pleaded Brennan. “You’re too much of a gent to handle this. I’ll stop Ted while you arethinkin ’ about doing something. No more ruddy jail for me. I’ve had a bitmore’n I can take.”

“You guard that transceiver, Mark,” Bony ordered.“Ladies! Food, and coffee or tea. Please. Here.”

The older woman nodded and made for the door. Myra Thomas lurched after her, crying:

“I want a bath, and clean clothes. I want…”

The speaker said, stentorianly:

“Superintendent Wyeth calling Inspector Bonaparte. Over to you, Mount Singular.”

Bony stepped backward towards the receiver, had to turn to the elder Weatherby for a second, and this gave Jenks his chance. The ex-sailor leaped for Edgar Weatherby, evading Riddell’s grasp. Then Jenks had his hands about the throat of the seated Edgar, and was pressing him down into the back of the chair. The speaker continued to announce that Superintendent Wyeth was calling Inspector Bonaparte. Credit must be given to Riddell for acting promptly, but he was slower than the aborigine head stockman, who, sweeping up another chair, brought the front edge of the seat down upon Jenks’s cannon-ball head.

This outraged loyalties. Brennan jumped past Bony and waded in with Riddell, to subdue the head stockman. Maddoch hovered on the outskirts. He grabbed another chair, then collapsed on the floor, turned on his chest, and began to cry with rage. The younger Mrs. Weatherby screamed and ran from the room. Her husband was nursing his lacerated throat, and Superintendent Wyeth still called for Inspector Bonaparte. Because of the poor physical condition of the white men, there was considerable damage done to the room’s furnishings before the black man was finally put to sleep.

“Over to Mount Singular,” ordered Bony.“Right! Inspector Bonaparte calling, Superintendent. I was delayed in answering your call by a slight diversion. Send relief as quickly as it can be managed. Please note. The persons listed in my first message were incarcerated by theseWeatherbys, in underground caverns on the northern extremity of the Plain. Motive-out of this world, but acceptable. I am happy to report that they have behaved well and are continuing to do so. They deserve every consideration. Over.”

“Quite a tale, Bonaparte. Quite a tale. There’s a man named Fiddler, another named Mitski, and Doctor Havant. Do they enter into it? Over.”

“Yes. Fiddler and Mitski are dead. Havant we left in the caverns as he wasn’t fit to tramp two hundred miles over the Plain.”

“Big thing, Bonaparte. Organised conspiracy?”

“Well organised. It would be wise to keep all this from the Press until you choose to release it. Security doesn’t count. It’s all ours. Over.”

“Good! Well, the man at Rawlinna is on his way, and Easter is being contacted to leave at once. I’ll charter a plane and the pilot will arrange to arrive out there when it’s light enough to see a landing. Tell those people with you that your report on them will be noted, and they’ll have nothing to worry about. Perth is waiting for me. Stay on the air.”

Brennan smiled into Bony’s cold blue eyes.

“Thanks for making it a bit sweet for us, Inspector.”

“We have several hours ahead of us, Mark. Is Jenks dead? And that aborigine?”

“Theabo could be. No chair ever made could kill Jenks. What a man!”

“Joe! Where is Riddell?”

“Gone looking for grub, I think. Couldn’t wait.”

“Call him.”

Brennan went to the door and shouted. Riddell came in. He was chewing on a leg of mutton. Bony sighed.

“Joe, sit there and eat, and watch these two men. Mark, hunt for something to tie Jenks up with, and make it snappy. I’ll have to look-see Clifford. He seems to be all in.”

With thankfulness he was careful not to betray, Bony sat at ease eating sandwiches and sipping hot coffee. He was feeling that at last he was indeed master of the situation, and that he had strategically placed all these people toawait the hour help arrived.

Maddoch slept in utter exhaustion on the settee. Riddell was still gnawing into his leg of mutton. Brennan was the life of the party. He was feeding sandwiches to Jenks who sat on the floor, his arms lashed to his sides and his feet tied, and with his back to the wall. The head stockman was just tied hands and feet. He continued to dwell in another place. The two women and their husbands sat and glowered. Only Myra Thomas was absent. Presently the younger Mrs. Weatherby rose and dragged her chair, to sit almost knee to knee before Bony. Her husband attempted to rise, waved his hands in resignation, and absently loaded a pipe.