Trackers of the Fog Pack; Or, Jack Ralston Flying Blind
by Ambrose Newcomb · English · Gutenberg #45973 · 307,072 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: Trackers of the Fog Pack; Or, Jack Ralston Flying Blind
Author: Ambrose Newcomb
Release date: June 14, 2014 [eBook #45973]
Most recently updated: October 24, 2024
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45973
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TRACKERS OF THE FOG PACK; OR, JACK RALSTON FLYING BLIND ***
Transcriber's note:
Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).
TRACKERS OF THE FOG PACK
or Jack Ralston Flying Blind
by
AMBROSE NEWCOMB
Author of
The Sky Detectives
Eagles of the Sky
Wings over the Rockies
Sky Pilots' Great Chase
New York
The Goldsmith Publishing Co.
Publishers
Copyright 1931
The Goldsmith Publishing Co.
Made in U. S. A.
CONTENTS
_Chapter_ _Page_
I PERK SIGHS FOR ACTION 7
II HE GETS HIS WISH 15
III ECHOES OF THE PAST 24
IV BY SPECIAL DELIVERY 31
V THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG 38
VI LAYING PLANS 45
VII READY FOR ANYTHING 54
VIII THE WINGED MESSENGER 65
IX HEADED FOR TROUBLE 72
X BATTLING WITH THE FOG 79
XI THE MYSTERY AIRSHIP 86
XII WHEN THE DAWN BROKE 96
XIII ALL THANKS TO SIMEON 104
XIV CLOSING THE GAP 111
XV A CLEVER LANDING 118
XVI UP AGAINST A SILVER-TIP 125
XVII PERK SHOWS HIS HAND 134
XVIII THE CIRCLING BUZZARDS 143
XIX TAKING GREAT CHANCES 150
XX ON THE ENCIRCLING CLIFF 157
XXI ALL ON A DIET 164
XXII THE MAN WITH THE COOK'S CAP 173
XXIII PERK CARRIES ON 182
XXIV IN THE TOM SAWYER CAVERN 189
XXV SQUATTERS' RIGHTS 197
XXVI A BACK DOOR TO THE VALLEY 208
XXVII PIKE'S PEAK, OR----BUST! 216
XXVIII INVADING THE TIGERS' LAIR 223
XXIX ALL READY FOR THE GRAND BLOWOUT 230
XXX THE END OF ROBBERS' ROOST----CONCLUSION 234
Trackers of the Fog Pack
CHAPTER I
PERK SIGHS FOR ACTION
San Diego, in sunny Southern California, was looking its prettiest, with
balmy breezes blowing softly; cloudless blue skies overhead; the usual
throngs on the streets, and a general atmosphere of contentment resting
over the entire place.
Already tourist pilgrims were beginning their annual migration from the
cold lands of the north and northeast, seeking the more congenial
climate along the picturesque Coast, where flowers bloomed throughout
every month of the year; and outdoor sports of all descriptions tempted
those inclined that way to participate.
But, just the same, there appeared to be _one_ individual sauntering
along Main Street, in a certain San Diego suburb, who did not seem to
share in the general joyous spirit--this grumbler amidst such perfect
surroundings was really an old friend of the reader, no other than Gabe
Perkiser, familiarly known among his fellows of the flying fields by the
shorter name of "Perk."
At his side stalked his bosom pal, Jack Ralston, in whose company
latterly the said Perk had participated in a number of thrilling flying
stunts, all of which have been narrated in the earlier books of this
series of aviation stories.
Those who have enjoyed a previous recital of their adventures in the
precarious vocation they followed, as policemen of the skies, need no
further introduction to the pair of cronies. For the benefit of new
readers, less fortunate, it may be said right here, before embarking on
the latest and most thrilling of their recent exploits, that Jack and
Perk were trusted members of Uncle Sam's wide-flung Secret Service
organization; and on account of their clever and conscientious work,
often entrusted with some of the most dangerous and difficult missions
engaging the attention of the high "muck-a-muck" (Perk's definition)
authorities at Washington Headquarters.
"What puts you in the dumps so, Perk?" Jack was asking, after noticing
for the tenth time what a frown had settled on his chum's usually
smiling phiz. "Dinner knocking harder than customary; or did you get a
letter from your best girl, breaking off the engagement? Strikes me
you're fast becoming a chronic crêpe-hanger these days."
"That's all hot air--boloney I'd call it, as yeou know right well,
Jack!" Perk flung back. "Chow was all to the good--ain't got nary a best
gal, an' never did have, neither--they're all rank pizen to me. Guess
again, Mister."
"Then what _does_ ail you, boy--something gone wrong with your
plans--can I do anything to ease the strain? I'd go a long way to get
you out of that black look, partner; you're worrying me a heap I allow."
The other stopped short on Main Street's pavement, and looked his
companion straight in the face, actually smiling a bit in the bargain.
"Yeou _would_ do jest that, ole pal, wouldn't yeou? I know I'm a tarnel
fool to get stewed like this," he burst out; "an' orter be ashamed--I'm
meanin' to kick outen it right away. Fact is, it's the same ole story,
Jack--I'm gettin' fed up by things goin' too smooth. Guess it's in the
blood--my Yankee ancestors they was all men o' action, doers o' things
that called fur courage an' double risk. They set their seal on me,
seems like; fur ever since I was a kid I've been on the hunt fur
adventure by land an' sea; yeah, an' o' late years, in the air besides.
That's all I gotter say; but blood'll tell ev'ry time."
"Well," remarked Jack, looking much relieved it could be seen. "I more
than half suspected this, Perk; but cheer up--the longest lane must have
its turning. Meanwhile we're getting our regular pay from our Uncle
Samuel, remember!"
"But not earnin' a red cent, jest the same, which is what upsets me
most," continued the complaining one. "Makes me feel like I'm sorter
pensioned off, an' ain't worth the snap o' my fingers to the Service.
Huh!"
"Nonsense, boy, that's a silly way of looking at things. We're just
resting up after that difficult job we pulled off, with the help of the
Mounted Police, far away up in Northwest Canada.[1] That successful
flight, and arrest, earned us a vacation, our superiors believe; which I
for one have enjoyed immensely. Now I'm feeling fine, and fit for the
next commission the Big Boss decides to hand out to us."
"Hot-diggetty-dig! then I sure hopes it drifts this way right quick,"
Perk eagerly observed. "I kinder guess them racketeers an' their crowd
o' bootleggers must a got things mighty near sewed up, when the
Department lets us loaf away our time out here on the Gold Coast. If it
keeps on we'll be apt to forget heow to handle a ship, an' get air
shy--neow _wouldn't_ that same be a tough joke on us poor guys?"
"Little danger of such a thing coming to pass, Perk--it's a whole bit
like swimming--once you learn how to keep afloat it's good for a
life-time."
"Mebbe so, Jack--I got a hunch it's the same way with ridin' a bike used
to be--first few days yeou felt stiff in all yeour joints, ev'rything
out o' kelter; but when a chump got used to guidin' the skittish wheel
along it came as easy as fallin' off a log. Honest Injun, neow, Jack,
ain't yeou any idea when we're apt to grab an order to get goin' again?"
"Any old day I'm looking for the same, Perk."
"Gosh! that don't strike me as givin' much encouragement, partner," Perk
told his mate, aggrievedly.
"I wrote in ten days ago," Jack went on to say, quietly, "to say our
ship was in first-class condition, while we were on deck, waiting for
orders."
"Bully for yeou!" snapped Perk, brightening up visibly, as though, like
a war horse at the scent of burnt powder making his nostrils quiver with
anticipation. "I'm right neow yearnin' to set eyes on a different
landscape than sleepy ol' San Diego, an' slow towns borderin' on the
same."
Perk only stated a truth when he referred to his adventurous life. He
was considerably older than his running mate, having been over in France
when only eighteen years of age, handling a sausage balloon on the
fighting line, and running into numerous close corners, having been shot
down at least twice.
After the war was over he came home, and started learning the ropes of
the new craze--flying; becoming a very good pilot in time, though a bit
reckless, it must be admitted.
Then he drifted into the lumber camps, and played logger for a few
seasons. After that Perk, who was proud of having a strain of Canadian
blood along with his Yankee heritage, turned up among the Mounties in
the Far Northwest regions and spent some years doing service with those
dashing officers enforcing the Law of the wilderness.
Meeting up with Jack Ralston--after being coaxed to throw his fortunes
in with the Secret Service at Washington, he took a strong liking for
the bright-witted youngster, and they had been boon comrades ever since,
sharing their blankets, meeting all manner of peril in company, and
becoming what might be called real "blood brothers."
So, too, had Jack been through some interesting experiences, although
not of the same thrilling character as those Perk could look back to,
when musing of the past.
He had had a run of circus training, being a natural athlete; and on the
bills had been advertised as a famous trapeze performer. Then naturally
the lure of the air gripped Jack, and forsaking the sawdust ring he
began making parachute drops with one of those barnstorming aviators
possessing a dilapidated crate with which he was wont to give
exhibitions at Harvest Home festivals, and County Fairs all over the
West--just as Lindbergh did in his school days.
It was in this fashion that young Ralston learned to be a clever pilot;
and possibly his skill at the controls was one leading factor bringing
about an earnest invitation for him to join up with the Secret
Service--about that time it became evident that a new branch of the Law
organization must be built up, in order to compete with the lawless
smuggling gangs that were already using airplanes with which to fetch
contraband of every description into the country.
So well did the pair co-operate that they worked as two parts of the
whole machine--as one hand knows what the other hand requires to make a
finished product so their brains often worked in unison, thus adding
additional strength to their united efforts.
As they continued their walk, meaning to return to the city in time for
lunch, Perk continued to ramble on with observations covering much
ground; for he had a decided opinion on every variety of subject, and
could be depended on to exploit his ideas at the slightest invitation.
"No use talkin,' Jack," he was saying, as he tapped his pocket
significantly, "that same Jerry Slocum's a crackin' good locksmith an'
gunsmith. I took up with his offer, yeou know, to put my ol'
six-shooter, used in France with my work in the sausage balloon corps,
in apple-pie condition; an' he done a smart job. He happened to have
some ammunition to fit the gun, so I laid in a bunch o' cartridges,
meanin' to shoot at a target when time hung heavy on my hands. But
listen, will yeou, ol' pard, what's all that whoopin' mean 'round the
corner jest ahead--sounds like a reg'lar _stampede_ was takin' place,
I'd say if yeou asked me?"
-----
Footnote 1:
See "_Sky Pilots' Great Chase_."
CHAPTER II
HE GETS HIS WISH
"Some excitement, I own up, Perk," agreed Jack, exchanging a look of
inquiry with his companion. "Dog fight, like as not, since I thought I
heard a yowling just then, as if one mutt'd got his in the neck."
"Jest hear the people a shoutin' will yeou?" snapped Perk.
"But that doesn't sound like they were enjoying themselves a heap, I'd
say, boy--such screaming and yelling--they're badly rattled over
whatever's going on. What could it all mean, I wonder?"
"Hot-diggetty-dig! we'll know right soon, ole hoss; 'cause it's headin'
this way--gettin' a heap louder ev'ry second, I vow! Guess yeou struck
it right when yeou sez they must be skeered into a near panic. Don't
hear no guns agoin' off, so it cain't be a brawl 'tween drunken
bootleggers an' town constables. Well, I swan, it gets me--look at the
folks a beatin' it to the houses, like they reckoned they'd be safer
there. Mebbe we better shin up a telegraph pole like that youngster's a
doin' over yonder--he means to git high an' dry, so's to see the circus,
but not take chances with the runaway animal's flyin' heels. Wow! what's
this I lamp a comin' 'reound that corner, waggin' his ole head from side
to side--a big yeller _dog_, Jack, with foam a drippin' from his open
red mouth! Great guns!"
"That beast is as mad as a hatter!" boomed Jack, thrilled by the
frightful sight. "He's bound to own the whole street, no matter if a
battalion of cops try to sheer him off!"
"Mebbe, mate," Perk was shouting "we'd better be steppin' to one side in
a hurry; I ain't lost nary dog; an' I'm not fool enough to want to stand
up 'fore one that's rabid--not Gabe Perkiser! Get a move on, Jack, an'
vamose!"
"Wait up!" cried the other, for so great was the clamor no one could
expect to be heard unless he fairly shouted.
"Excuse me, boy--I got a date!" Perk bellowed back, grinning as he
spoke.
"Look ahead, Perk--that child--little boy he is--fell down in his
fright, and must've sprained his ankle--see him try to scramble up
again; but he can't manage it, what with his fright and twisted ankle.
The dog--it's making straight for the youngster--we can't stand by, and
see him tackle such a mere baby--we've just _got_ to do something,
Perk!"
"Sure do, partner--let's go!"
Others were running in every direction save toward the great ugly beast,
thinking in their panicky state of nerves only of their own safety. All
the while the shouts continued to go booming along the length of Main
Street:
"Mad dog! mad dog! everybody run--get the children indoors! He's rabid
and ready to snap at anybody in his way! Run for it!"
But the poor little baby directly in the path of the oncoming demon
could not heed the shouts--vainly he tried to crawl to one side, his
terrified eyes fixed on that dreadful vision of fury and rabies
confronting him, and drawing closer with every passing second.
Jack and Perk were galloping forward with all their might, intending to
throw themselves between the child and that stumbling terror with the
lolling head and dripping jaws.
It could be seen that Perk was gripped by a sudden inspiration--he had
dragged some sort of object from his pocket, and was working feverishly
with the same. Jack understood, and inwardly blessed the lucky chance
that had caused his pal to fetch his old war weapon out to his friend
the town gunsmith, so as to have it put in first-class condition. It
must have been the hand of a kind fate that brought about this wonderful
coincidence, Jack was telling himself, when guessing that the running
airman must be trying with all his cleverness to insert a cartridge or
two into the chambers of the small, antiquated six-shooter.
Fortune favored them, for they were enabled to pass beyond the writhing
and shrieking child, thus facing the danger themselves as a shield to
buck up against the charge of the mad dog.
Perk dropped down on one knee--it was the natural position for one to
assume under such conditions, bringing him more on a level with the
beast. Jack, too, knew he had a part in the scheme to save the tiny
lad--lacking a weapon of any kind he could not stand by Perk; but one
thing was left to him, which was to snatch up the imperiled child, and
leap to safety before the crisis crashed upon them.
Even as he was thus bearing the lad out of the danger zone, he caught a
sudden explosion that told him Perk had sent in a shot. It was his bosom
pal crouched back there with that shaggy beast almost upon him; for he
knew full well Perk had waited until he could make doubly certain of his
aim.
Somehow Jack could not keep from turning his head, so as to know the
worst--he had a cold feeling in the region of his heart, undoubtedly
fearing he would discover Perk engaged in a furious struggle at close
quarters with the animal, one bite from whose jaws would contaminate the
flesh his cruel fangs thus mangled.
But that fear was instantly put to flight--Perk still knelt there, while
the furious beast writhed on the ground, making frightful efforts to get
up on its four feet again.
This he no sooner succeeded in doing than Perk let him have a second
leaden pill, working his keepsake weapon of the great war with
mechanical precision. How lucky then he must have succeeded in thrusting
_two_ cartridges into the maw of his gun, since there proved to be such
great need of an _encore_.
It was "all over but the shouting," as Perk himself would have put it.
He rose to his feet, and coolly stepped forward, to bend over and see
that there no longer remained a single breath in the carcase of the
terrible brute he had stayed in his mad passage through the town.
The tenor of the wild shouts changed like magic--joy and triumph, not to
say relief, began to be heard, as if reassuring the frightened populace
there was no longer anything to be feared--the ogre Jabberwock had been
laid low, and once again the length of Main Street could be traversed
without peril to life and limb.
And the one who had performed this valorous deed seemed only anxious to
make himself scarce before the worshiping citizens could lay hands on
him--shower him with thanks, perhaps _kisses_ as well from the gentler
sex, who knew a hero in the flesh as well as on the Hollywood screen.
Jack was trying the best he knew how to allay the terror of the child he
still held in his arms, speaking to him with assurance in his tones, and
squeezing the white-faced little chap close to his heart.
"It's all right, buddy," he kept saying, with a comforting smile on his
face, that was bound to stop the trembling sobs of the other, if
anything could. "The ugly dog can't hurt you, for he's been killed, and
can never bite anybody. You must have hurt your ankle, little brother;
I'm going to carry you to where you live, so they can take care of you,
and get the kind doctor to take the pain away. Put your arms around my
neck, and I'll be able to hold you better--that's the way, kiddie; you
know I'm a good friend of yours, don't you?"
The crowd was all around them by this time, milling so as to get as
close as possible--it reminded Jack of cattle being rounded up by expert
punchers, so as to be shipped to market, or it might be, branded.
"Stand back, please, and give us air!" Jack called out, to add: "Perk,
see that they don't crowd in any further. I'm not going to be satisfied
until I've seen this little lad safe in his home. Who knows where he
lives?"
There were a dozen voices raised in explanations; but Jack lifted a hand
to stop the confused racket.
"Hold up on that!" he told them, sharply; "I want just one person to
tell me--here, you boy, you seem to know him okay--tell me his name,
will you, and where he lives--nobody else break in now, get that? Go on,
George, speak up!"
"My name's Jimmy--his'n is Laddy Boy--he lives with his granny Mrs.
Fergussan right 'round that next corner, in a little shack."
"Fine for you Jimmy--lead us to it; and please everybody stop
pushing--that shouting must be dropped, or you'll have the old lady
frightened half to death before we get there. Now start along,
Jimmy--you're a good pal to tie to, I'll say."
So they made a start, with scores following after them, all talking; but
in more subdued tones. Possibly they realized that this young chap with
the capable look, and firm voice, was one accustomed to having his
orders obeyed without any questions being asked, and that he would brook
no interference.
As they turned into the side street the young pilot hastened to point in
the direction of a small old, but respectable looking cottage of some
three rooms, that was surrounded by masses of flowers in full bloom.
Jack could see the door of the small house was wide open, and that an
elderly woman stood there, shading her eyes with a hand, as she watched
the approach of the crowd. Undoubtedly she must have heard what had been
so loudly shouted, when the mad dog was causing such a panic on Main
Street--she may even have started toward the nearby corner, with a great
fear tugging at her heart, knowing her Laddie Boy was going about on the
little errand she had entrusted to him; but if so fear had driven her
back to the home, where she could slam the door shut in case personal
peril threatened her.
Seeing Jack in the lead of the procession, carrying some object in his
arms, she came flying down to meet him, looking aghast.
"Don't be so alarmed Mrs. Ferguson," Jack said, sympathizing with her
new fears; "he wasn't bitten by the dog; but had the bad luck to sprain
his ankle. It's nothing serious, I'm telling you straight--lead the way,
and I'll put him on a bed, when you can send for the doctor to look him
over; but don't worry--he's safe enough, I promise you."
Presently Jack joined his partner.
"Let's go, matey," Perk hastened to say, uneasily, as though he feared
those admiring good folks outside were actually conspiring to pick him
up on their shoulders, and march around town with the hero of the mad
dog scare; something like that, but to which he was very must averse.
"Wait a few minutes," Jack told his nervous comrade, "I promised the old
lady I'd stay out here until the doctor had looked the child over; she
wants to get the story out of us, I imagine, guessing something queer
must have happened, from the way those folks kept pawing at us."
Perk drew a long breath, and muttered something under his breath that
sounded like "drat the tough luck;" but he did settle down on a chair,
and amused himself looking around the room, on the walls of which were a
number of cheap pictures, also several portraits.
"Come over here, Perk," Jack was saying, as he stood in front of the
picture of a man, "here's a queer happening--look at that face--have you
ever seen it before?"
CHAPTER III
ECHOES OF THE PAST
Looking rather surprised, as well as duly curious after his nature, Perk
accordingly stepped blithely up, took one good stare, and immediately
burst out with his characteristic and pet "swear-word" phrase:
"Hot-diggetty-dig! hard to b'lieve my eyes, for a fact, partner--course
I seen that phiz afore neow, an' same stirs up some mighty warm session
we passed through a while back."
"Then you say it's a portrait of Slim Garrabrant?" asked Jack, in a
lower key, and with a quick glance toward the connecting door that was a
bit ajar it happened.
"None other, buddy--the slickest flim-flam artist that ever fooled the
banks of every state west o' the Mississip--fair good job that crayon
artist made o' his work--mebbe copied from a reg'lar photo. Ain't this
this the limit though--to think o' runnin' acrost _his_ mug out here
clost to San Diego. Huh! I allers heard the world seemed mighty small
sometimes, an neow I b'lieves it."
Jack put a finger up to his lips warningly.
"Softly, Perk. That old lady must be some close connection of Slim's,
I'd say; it may be his own mother--yes, the fact of finding his picture
hanging on this wall in an honored place makes that plain; she evidently
doesn't know what a rogue her boy is--they must have kept things from
reaching her ears after we gobbled him up, and he was sent to
Leavenworth--or was it Atlanta?"
"Yeou got me there, 'cause I never did know," observed Perk, taking yet
another look at the face within the gold frame. "Aint sech a tough
looker as we know he is, eh, ole pal?"
"Yes, that's a fact; but then this was evidently taken years ago, most
likely, before he became so hardened. I wonder--"
"What neow, Jack?"
"That handsome little boy must be some relative of Slim's," said Jack,
on a hazard; "if he was old enough I'd begin to believe the kid was his
own child--they call her Grandmammy Ferguson, remember--yes, that would
square things I'd reckon, Perk."
"Aint it won-der-ful?" the other was saying, half to himself apparently;
"jest to think o' us arunnin' smack into somebody connected with the man
we was responsible for sendin' to the pen years ago. 'Bout one chanct in
a million sech a thing could happen; but it shore has."
Jack also showed that he was feeling about the same as his comrade;
indeed it was one of the queerest episodes he had ever met up with.
"If that turns out to be a fact," he went on to comment, "I imagine
Garrabarnt behind the bars would give considerable for a glimpse of that
kid's sweet face."
"I wouldn't blame him any at that, Jack. How 'bout the kid--dye kinder
guess he'll have a bad time with that leg?"
"The doctor will be able to say after he's had a lookover," came the
confident answer. "My opinion is it'll prove to be a simple sprain, and
if such is the case the child will only have to keep quiet for a spell.
There's a car stopping at the gate, and the man getting out has the look
of a professional--yes, he's carrying a little satchel in the bargain,
so it must be the doctor she sent after."
This proved to be the case, for the young man spoke to them on entering,
and seemed very agreeable.
"What's happened here?" he asked, as though his hasty summons, and the
sight of that excited crowd outside, had aroused his curiosity greatly.
Jack thought the doctor should be told what necessity there was for his
services; as such knowledge would prepare him for what must follow.
Accordingly he very briefly explained, making light of what connection
he and Perk had with the matter.
Thus forewarned the doctor smiled his thanks, and hastened to pass into
the room where the old lady and the child were located. Some little time
afterwards the doctor came out again. Perk could see from the look on
his face it was not so very serious, nor was he mistaken in his
diagnosis.
"A simple sprain, just as you suspected," the physician assured them;
"and he'll be running around again inside of five days."
He shook hands with them very earnestly, which fact caused Perk to
remark, after the doctor had passed out of the door:
"Huh! it's mighty plain to be seen, Jack, he's smart enough to smell a
rat--the grip he gimme said as he kinder guessed _we_ had a finger in
the pie. Look for yeourself, partner--he's talkin' to some o' the folks
out there, an' I jest bet yeou they're a makin' out we done somethin'
grand. Rats! why caint a gink do a simple thing like we done without
people wantin' to gush over him? Makes me fair sick to see so much o'
the stuff wasted. Do we get a move on right away, mate?"
"Better wait up a bit until he starts back to his office," suggested
Jack, also peeping out of the window.
"Yeou said it, Jack--if we stepped eout right neow it'd look like we
wanted 'em to give us a cheer--as for me I'd be glad if we could slip
away by the back door, an' give 'em the laugh. There, he's gettin' into
his car, an' the coast's clear."
Jack stepped into the other room to say goodbye to the old lady--for she
did seem to be of a higher class than one would think from the humble
cottage she called home--truth to tell Jack wished to have another look
at that bright-faced little lad, whom he was apt to remember for a long
time.
The boy had come-to, and shook hands at Jack's request, also gave him a
sweet smile.
"If he owes either of us any thanks," Jack told Granny, as he turned to
leave, "it should go to my chum; who chanced to have a gun in his
pocket, having had it cleaned and repaired at a shop here--he threw
himself between the ugly dog and the child, and shot the mad brute dead.
The lad wasn't touched, I assure you, madam."
"Thank him for me a thousand times, please, young man--it was a brave
act, and his mother surely has cause to be grateful for having such a
son. Come and see us sometime later on; both of us will be very glad to
have you drop in."
Jack hurried out, with a strange thought racing through his brain; he
could not help wondering what that fine elderly woman would think if
only she knew how the two young men thus befriending her grandson (who
must have been so precious to her heart) had been the chief instrument
in shape of the outraged Law to run down and send her son-in-law Slim
Garrabarnt, up to the penitentiary for a long term of years, as a much
wanted criminal.
It was hardly a pleasant thought, but nothing to be ashamed of, since he
merely represented the Government in all he had done, and could not be
blamed any more than the judge who dealt out the grim sentence.
Perk was eager to be gone, and led the way outside. They pushed a
passage through the still jabbering crowd, and walked off, followed by
admiring looks from those gathered there.
On the way back to the city Perk seemed to be wrapped in his own
thoughts much of the time, which was such an unusual occurrence that
Jack marveled to take note of his silence.
"Still o' the opinion the kid might be his'n?" Perk asked his companion,
as they finally drew near the location of the building in which they had
a furnished room.
"Feel pretty sure of it," he was told, without the slightest hesitation.
"I explained to the old lady that it was you who kept the dog from
contact with the child, and she asked me to thank you with all her
heart."
"Shucks! why did yeou ever mention sech a thing, Pal Jack? 'Twan't
nawthin' 'tall--jest a soft snap for a chap what was yearnin' for
action. But it gives me a queer thrill to know heow we run up agin _his_
folks--'bout a hundred-an'-thirty million people in this here country,
an' to think we'd pick 'em aout o' all that mob--it sure has got me
buffaloed for keeps."
As Jack opened the locked door of their room he stooped to pick up some
object that had been thrust underneath. Perk saw it was a letter, with a
special delivery stamp on the same. Somehow its coming gave him a sudden
thrill around the region of his heart, as though he could sense
important news in the offing--apparently this was destined to be a
red-letter day in their experiences, with a decided break in the long
release from active duty.
CHAPTER IV
BY SPECIAL DELIVERY
Somewhat to the disappointment of Perk his comrade did not evince any
haste about opening his letter, thrusting the same into his pocket,
while he washed his hands, and brushed his hair.
"Somehow I seem to be as hungry as a wolf," Jack remarked; "and as it's
long past our usual time for lunch I move we drop around to our beanery,
and lay in some stores in the way of chow."
Of course such a proposition appealed strongly to Perk, who was seldom
able to resist a call to meals. For the moment he quite forgot his
recent curiosity to know what was in the letter, the receipt of which
had caused Jack to smile; and which moreover had certain familiar marks
about it to make Perk feel certain it came from Headquarters.
"Queer heow a feller c'n nigh 'bout forget certain stirrin' events in
his past," he observed with a shake of his head; "an' suddenly have the
same bob up in his mind, as clear as if they might a happened on'y
yesterday."
"I reckon you're referring to our old friend, Cool Slim Garrabrant, eh,
Perk?" queried the other, indifferently.
"None other," came the reply. "There was a man as might be called the
king o' the counterfeiters, who'd had his thumb to his nose ever so
long, alaughin' at Uncle Sam's slick boys, an' sendin' 'em all sorts o'
tauntin' notes; so in the end the Chief he come down off'n his high
perch, an' gave _us_ a chanct to knock down the persimmons with a long
pole; which we done as neat as any body'd choose."
"Bad taste to boast, Perk, you want to remember."
"Can't help sayin' a few things, Jack, an' pattin' us two flyin' cops on
the chest. Honest, I got an idea Slim's sun had begun to set jest as
soon as the job o' runnin' him in was placed in aour hands. Nobody but
them as knew haow to handle an airship could a fetched home the bacon in
that case; 'cause Slim he knowed how to get his long-green stuff clear
withaout leavin' any trace, usin' that ole crate to carry the coney
supplies east an' west o' his hidin' place, where he carried on the work
along a big scale."
"Of course what you say is all true enough," ventured Jack as they
walked along, heading for the nearest eatingplace, which they sometimes
patronized when close by; "but both of us would do well to try and
forget our share in that haul--it's old stuff by now. And besides,"
continued Jack, "somehow I feel bad when I remember that it was probably
that little kid's own daddy we sent up."
"Yeah!" mused Perk, unwilling to change the subject, it appeared, "an'
the judge socked it to Slim good an' heavy--give him a long sentence, so
'at he'll have to serve behind the walls o' that Atlanta pen 'til he's
an old, broken-down man, an' not marked dangerous to law-abidin' folks."
"There are a few others of his stripe yet outside prison walls,
remember, partner," Jack told him, as they entered the eatingplace,
walking over to a table somewhat aloof from all others, and on this
account usually chosen for such meals as they took there; as they
sometimes discussed their secret work while eating it was policy to keep
clear from other diners, and at the same time lower their voices, since
walls may have ears, and even hide dictaphones that record every spoken
word.
"Yeou never said truer words, ole top," Perk agreed in his odd fashion.
"Scofflaws aplenty to keep our crowd busy for years ahead. Say, d'ye
know I been readin' a heap 'bout a smart guy they say calls hisself King
Cole--seems like he got a hole in the wall 'way out in the wildest part
o' the Rockies, an' jest laughs at the boys from Washington to size him
up."
"I recollect you talking of him more than a few times, Perk; from which
fact I had a hunch you might be wishing the Chief'd turn over the
assignment for apprehending him to our hands--is that correct, partner?"
"Don't care if I do have to acknowledge the corn, matey; someheow that
dickey grabbed a stiff hold on my thinkin' box--why, onct I even dreamed
we'd cornered him with his gay crowd, an' was commencin' to exchange
shots with the bunch, when I woke up, an' felt too cheap for anything to
know it was on'y hot air."
Jack laughed as he seated himself.
"I remember how furious you were, and saying it was a shame to be
cheated that way, eh, Perk?"
They gave their orders, and were presently partaking of what the waiter
set before them; afterwards retiring, as though already knowing they
would call should they require further service. This afforded Perk
another opportunity to "use his tongue," a vocation that gave him the
utmost enjoyment.
"Jest occurred to me them paper accounts sez as haow his bees'-nest was
located in a stretch 'tween two o' the highest mountain ranges in the
hull country o' the Rockies--called the secret settlement Happy Valley;
which I opine sounds a right queer name for a den o' pizenous human
snakes, sech as the Law wants f'r 'bout ev'ry crime on the calendar."
"No accounting for tastes, buddy," Jack told him. "It might feel that
way to men against whom the hand of every honest person was raised. Most
of his crowd, I read, was believed to be reckoned the scum of the earth,
who were wanted for nearly every crime going--murderers, bank cashiers
who'd robbed the institutions of which they had been the head; and all
such black sheep, outlawed from decent society by their crimes and
misdemeanors."
Perk grinned amiably, as though what his companion had just said made no
difference to him--that he still wished from the bottom of his heart
they were commissioned to undertake the dangerous task of breaking up
the settlement in that so-called Paradise of fugitives.
"Don't faize me any when yeou talk that way, boy," he told his
companion, with one of his amused chuckles that seemed to come up from
his toes, "The more stuff yeou gotter bump up agin the better I like
it--cain't be too tough for a hill-billy like me--that's what they calls
the boys daown in the Ozarks, where I put in near a hull year huntin'
precious stones in the earth, an' never findin' enuff to git me my grub.
Another o' them memories as comes along withaout warnin', to ha'nt me."
"Perk, you promised me once that some fine day you'd make a start at
that memory book, covering all your activities since you were knee-high
to a duck--I'm going to press you to really start in doing the job,
Perk; it will make a book well worth reading, if only half of all the
adventures you've told me about are included. Now, don't forget your
promise, for I'll hold you to it the next layoff we have float our way."
"I sure hate to do it, partner; but seein' I did give yeou my solemn
word I s'pose I'll jest have to keep my promise; but it'll seem to me
like a heap o' blarney an' boastin'. My loose tongue sure gets me into a
nest o' scrapes, which ain't one bit pleasin' to sech a shy gink as me."
Ah! Perk's eyes opened wider as he saw the other make a quick movement
with his hand, as though suddenly remembering the mysterious letter
thrust under the door of their room, and bearing that long blue stamp
that signified special service, quick delivery to the person addressed.
Sure enough Jack drew the missive out, and proceeded to cut the end of
the envelope, using a table knife for the purpose.
Shooting a quick glance across the table in the direction of his chum,
he smiled slightly, as though very well knowing how Perk was eating his
heart up with curiosity.
Perk stopped feeding, as his abstraction was so intense he hardly knew
the way to his mouth--both eyes were glued on Jack's face, as if he
hoped to read the answer to the riddle there, a thing that had never as
yet come within the scope of his knowledge, since Jack could hide his
emotions under an assumed indifference that baffled interpretation.
It seemed that Jack had read every word of the letter, although there
were several enclosures yet to be gone over; however he appeared as if
he had picked up certain intelligence of such a drastic character as to
make him sit there mulling it all over, and possibly trying to dovetail
things together.
Perk, poor fellow, could stand the awful suspense no longer.
"Well, ole scout, ain't yeou thinkin' 'baout lettin' me into the game--I
somehaow take it fur granted there's news come 'long that's agoin' to
start us off agin follerin' the air trails on the heels o' some skunks
what got themselves outside the law. Lay off, partner, an' gimme a run
fur my money, won't yeou?"
CHAPTER V
THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG
Jack looked at Perk, and smiled.
"I certainly must ask your pardon, old chap," he hastened to say; "for
keeping you in the dark so long. Fact is, what came to me in this letter
gave me such food for thought I clean forgot you were my side partner,
and entitled to my full confidence. Forgive it, Perk, wont you?"
"Sure thing, Jack; then I kinder guess the letter must be from
Headquarters?"
"No other, Perk."
"What's in the wind this time?" demanded the other, eagerly; as though
his nostrils could already sniff the burnt powder that went with action.
"That's a fair question, and I'll try to answer you," said Jack. "It
isn't the mere fact that we're ordered to duty once more, that I was
thinking about just now, because such a thing comes along every once in
so often in the exercise of our duties--but strangely enough our meeting
up to-day with the family of a man we'd help put in jail doesn't seem to
bring our queer list of coincidences to a halt."
"Hot-diggetty-dig! naow yeou got me a guessin' good an' hard,
partner--go to it, an' explain what yeou mean."
"Well, it looks as if a wish you expressed only a short time ago was
going to be fulfilled," Jack told him.
"Haow come, buddy?" queried Perk.
"We were talking about a certain scoundrel who's name we've seen so
often of late in the papers--remember, Perk?"
An expression of sublime delight passed over the face of Gabe Perkiser;
showing how he understood, and what a sense of exhileration the
knowledge afforded him.
"Kinder guess naow, Jack, yeou might be meanin' that same Ole King Cole
like he goes to call hisself--the brazen guy that makes all kinds o' fun
o' Secret Service mokes--is _that_ the answer, brother?"
Jack nodded in a way that could have only one meaning.
"Okay, Perk; you're on.
"Shake on that, young feller--it's the most glorious news I ever did get
outen Washington. If half what they says turns aout to be true, we're in
fur the hot time o' aour life, seems like."
"You never can tell, partner, which way the cat will jump--sometimes
when you're expecting an easy windup things get mighty tough; then again
if you're looking for a hard battle it sometimes turns out to be just a
mere walkover--a flash in the pan. We have to take things as we find
them, and let it go at that."
"Ole King Cole sent aout his nasty defi to the hull Secret Service
crowd, an' so far he's been able to give the boys the nasty grand laugh;
but they say a pitcher may go to the well jest onct too many
times--mebbe we might be the lucky ones to smash the same, pronto."
"I've read that two different men of our staff have disappeared, after
getting hot on the trail of this band of scoundrels; which goes to tell
us they're a hard-boiled bunch, who wont stop at committing any crime so
as to keep out of the pen."
Perk only grinned, as though the tougher they came the more he liked
them.
"That's all right Jack, I'm best suited when they make 'em that way," he
hastened to assure his chum; although really there was no need of his
thus doing, since Jack knew him like a book, with all his good
qualities, and shortcomings as well.
"Are you through eating?" asked the other; and on receiving an
affirmative nod he continued: "all right, suppose we adjourn to our room
for a conference, where we can be dead certain of not being overheard.
There are a few other things to tell that may open your eyes still
further, as they did mine; besides, the Big Boss enclosed a few
clippings, and typed reports, for us to study, as he believes they will
give us some important clues that are going to be of considerable help
in tracking these outlaws to their den."
"Gee whiz! things _do_ seem to be headin' aour way, don't they though,
Jack? Yeou said there might be a sudden turn in the game, an' she sure
enough did come hoppin' 'long, to make me laugh, an' feel so like
singin'."
"Well, please don't start that racket here, partner; if ever they heard
you singing they'd certainly put the bars against us; and we both like
the chow in this same little restaurant, remember."
"Go easy on a feller whose education in music must a been neglected when
he was a kid. An' Jack, mebbe so yeou'll let me set my lamps on that ere
document, onct we get indoors at aour quarters."
"You're going to know everything that I do, Perk; that goes without
question; for how could we work together as a team if we pulled
contrarywise?"
Leaving the eatinghouse they were soon back in their comfortable room,
where they could take things easy while laying out plans for the near
future.
Perk started his favorite pipe going, as though getting ready to be
vastly entertained by what was in prospect; he always looked as though
at peace with the whole world, even counting those who defied the law to
keep them from doing whatever they pleased, however it might turn out
for other people--such was the beneficial effects of tobacco on his
system, for there were times when he could never be supremely happy
until he got his pipe going full blast.
"Naow fur it, partner;" he opened up with, "I'm settled, an' ready to
imbibe the hull kittin' story, with nawthin' bein' held back, like yeou
promised me."
"I'm meaning to read the letter to you first, and then later on you can
pore over it yourself, making a mental photograph of the contents, so
that every sentence can be recalled from memory upon occasion."
This was the way Jack generally arranged things, for he knew just how to
work so as to get Perk fully interested; and accustomed to the programme
the other had never been known to take exception to Jack's methods.
"I get yeou, partner," was Perk's comment; "it's part o' aour reg'lar
programme to learn the big points o' aour job, so we aint agoin' to be
rattled when we come to settle daown to work."
"Now fix your mind on what I'm going to read, and forget everything else
but the one business we're being given to carry through."
Accordingly Jack commenced, with Perk occasionally asking some pertinent
question, which was cheerfully answered by the reader.
"Now," observed Jack later on, "we've covered much that the Chief has
had taken down by his stenographer; but the windup of the whole matter
is the heart of the story; you want to hold your breath while I read it
out to you, because, unless I miss my guess, you're in for the biggest
shock of your life."
"Hot-diggetty-dig! that sounds right ser'us, partner, she shore do; but
I'll stiffen aout, grip the sides o' my chair, an' gulp it all in like a
thirsty broncho would fresh water after comin' in from the sandy desert.
Hit 'er up!"
"Listen then to what he writes here," Jack was saying, soberly, yet
keeping an eye on Perk's tell-tale face, which he never could wholly
control: "'The enclosed suggestions are clippings, and reports from some
of our agents who had started out to track this ugly gang to its secret
hideout. Taken collectively and individually they will convince you as
to the character of many of the knotty problems you will have to solve
before success can be your reward in smashing this new King Cole mob of
law breakers, cattle thieves, bank robbers, and what-not along the line
of up-to-date crime.
"'So you will understand the magnitude of this business when I tell you
it is not only suspected, but fully believed, this so-called King Cole
is an old offender, sailing under a new name--none other than a clever
convict whose escape from the Atlanta penitentiary some months ago has
been purposely kept a state secret, in hopes of its being helpful in
locating his whereabouts, and bringing him back to his empty cell, with
the penalty of having his sentence lengthened on account of his
flight--an arrangement that so far has not been in the least profitable
or successful.
"'You will understand what I mean when I tell you the name of this
rascal, whom I remember you and your comrade had the high honor of
bringing before the courts, and starting on the road to the Government
institution--it is'"--Jack paused to watch Perk's eager face, and then
added with considerable force: "'it is Slippery Slim Garrabrant!'"
CHAPTER VI
LAYING PLANS
"Oh! my gosh!"
So completely staggered did Perk seem to have become at the disclosure
made by Jack, that he sat there, incapable of motion, just staring at
his companion in the manner of a man who thinks he sees a hobgoblin.
"Slim--Slim Garrabrant!" he finally mustered up enough breath to almost
whisper, looking a bit awed, Jack thought.
"No other, partner," his pal assured him, cheerfully. "You know how we
were saying that sometimes this old world looked mighty small--well,
this happens to be one of those times. Take it as a matter of fact,
Perk--one of those quirks that roll around occasionally."
"Yeah--sure, that's right, Jack--jest so--nawthin' awful strange 'bout
him aturnin' aout to be the lucky dog as skipped aout o' the pen, giving
Uncle Sam the laugh. Go on an' tell me some more. Kinder looks like we'd
got to roll aour hoop up agin that Smart Aleck again, 'fore we get him
caged for keeps."
"Well, I don't know about that, matey," Jack told him, frowning as he
spoke; "but if they _do_ get him back alive in his cell they'll keep
closer tabs on Slim, you can wager. But the devil of it is, can he ever
be retaken? Both of us have good reason to remember what a big job we
had on our hands the other time; which isn't to be compared with what
we'll stack up against now."
Perk had by this time succeeded in getting back his customary self
reliance, when he would scoff at such a word as "can't." He screwed his
face up in what evidently was intended to be a sneer, as he went on to
say:
"Huh! that ere is the last thing to worry me, buddy. Yeou an' me, guess
we make a team not easy to beat. When we git started we'll jest give
that gink a knock fur a goal, an' clinch the game for keeps. But like as
not we orter be makin' up aour plans, hadn't we, Jack?"
"Certainly," responded the other, calmly; "but first of all let it be
distinctly understood in the beginning there's no need of any undue
hurry."
"Course not," agreed Perk, wagging his head in the affirmative, as was
his usual habit when Jack was laying down the law.
"While of course we'll not loiter on the way," continued the head man of
the combination; "just the same we must not do anything that's going to
interfere with our customary efficiency--no going off at half-cock, like
a gun that's in need of lock repairs."
Perk chuckled as if highly edified.
"Say, partner," he hastened to remark, "not much danger o' sech a thing
happenin' with _yeou_ runnin' the lead, I give yeou my affidavy on that
same."
"That's all blarney, Perk; and don't depend on my being free from
stumbling in the dark--I'm only human, and can make silly mistakes, like
every known pilot--even Lindbergh's had the misfortune to smash his
landing gear when making an ascent, and with the girl he afterwards
married, remember."
"Sure thing, Jack, but didn't he manage a wonderful landin', an' keep
from a bad smashup, on'y hurtin' his shoulder in the jam?"
"Yes, and Perk, some people attribute his escape to good luck; but I
know full well it was his skill in understanding just what to do in an
emergency."
"Well, what's aour programme agoin' to be?" demanded the other.
"First of all, then, we've got to study those enclosures the Chief sent
in his letter--they'll give us a good many important points, and it may
be locate this secret hideout of the crowd that's bothering Uncle Sam so
much. Get that, do you?"
"I'm on, boss--go to it some more," replied Perk, blithely.
"As we shall be scouring one of the wildest and most dreaded parts of
the whole Rockies," continued Jack, "of course it'll be necessary for us
to carry a big cargo of stuff along--plenty of supplies in the line of
grub, as well as gas and oil. Then, since we are bound to line up,
sooner or later, against the whole gang, we must tote tear-bombs, and
some of the destructive ones, such as we've been forced to make use of
before."
"Sounds okay to me, ole hoss," Perk assented, looking particularly well
pleased at the possibility of wild action, which these preliminary
remarks of his leader seemed to presage--doubtless his wonderful memory
carried him back to the previous occasion when they went out after Slim
Garrabrant, and dragged him before the bar of justice, a feat which
earned them the commendation of the Big Chief, as well as a nice step
upwards in the way of increased pay.
Although in many things Perk took no man's dust when it came to a
knowledge of flying activities, and air knowledge; just the same he felt
it no disgrace to "sit at the feet" of his best pal, and imbibe
information when the plan of campaign was being laid out--Perk freely
admitted he was "not so good," along such lines--ready to shift the
responsibility to Jack's shoulders, yet joyfully bear his share of all
subsequent action.
The papers were divided up, and both of them read steadily for some
time, occasionally exchanging observations, with Perk asking frequent
questions concerning matters that were not quite clear to his rather
slow mind.
In this fashion, just as wise Jack knew would be the case, both of them
gradually got "heated up," with the fervor of the case--indeed, this
view of matters was also taken by his companion, since Perk declared it
made him think of how they used to get a tracking hound to smell some
garment worn by the child that was lost, so he could take the trail, and
follow it to a successful finish.
"Which I vum will be aour way o' clappin' hands on this slippery kiote,
once we git agoin' strong," he went on to add, with supreme confidence,
it appeared.
"One thing we've got to remember," Jack mentioned; "which is about
keeping our light hidden under a bushel. Men who follow our dangerous
profession must never get themselves in the public prints if it can be
avoided; and as for standing up to be in the spotlight, so all people
can take note of their looks, it just isn't done, you know, Perk."
Possibly there may have been occasions in the past when, after they had
been unusually successful in landing their man, Perk had shown a
disposition to talk a bit too much--grant interviews to newspaper
reporters, who were apt to go into details covering some of the ways
such sleuths outwitted those whom they hunted; all of which was bad for
their being successful in forthcoming missions of like character, since
the lawbreakers would avidly seize upon all such printed matter, to size
up the methods that were utilized in bringing about the downfall of men
of their stamp.
"Yeah, course that's the right thing--we'll jest keep aour own counsel
an' do the gittin' o' aour stuff together withaout beating the gong an'
'tractin' the mob's attention. We wouldn't live up to aour reputation as
sleuth hounds if we didn't work undercover, Jack."
"Fine for you, brother," he was told; "I'm tickled pink to know you're
waking up to the necessity for Secret Service men keeping away from the
glare of publicity, even if they have to lose much credit; like editors
of the big newspapers, who never put even their initials to the strong
articles they write everyday."
In this fashion did Jack usually apply himself to eradicating certain
weaknesses that afflicted his best pal, knowing that in so doing he was
helping Perk to become more efficient; also more valuable in the service
of the Government.
After some hours spent in this fashion, they found themselves pretty
well inoculated with the most salient points connected with their latest
task; and both of them were glad when it began to grow dark, with supper
in prospect.
"I rather think we're pretty well fed up on this stuff," Jack finally
took occasion to remark, getting up from his easy-chair, and stretching
his cramped legs; "so how about dropping it all, and going out to feed
our complaining tummies?"
"I aint got any objections to that ere business, buddy," Perk quickly
observed, following suit in leaving his seat, and going through certain
motions such as office sitters carry out in accordance with radio
instructions each and every morning, before going forth to the daily
grind. "They c'n boast all they likes 'bout the belles o' the ballroom;
the sweet janglin' o' the bells in the Spanish Missions up 'long the
Coast here, an' even the never-to-be-forgotten schoolbell; but for _me_
they aint nawthin' to make my heart sing with joy like the good
ole-fashioned dinnerbell."
"You've got plenty of company in that same worship, Perk," the other
told him, "A few people eat to live; but the biggest bunch live to eat.
Let hard times come, and they'll do without a good many things, but must
have three meals a day--yes, and with men, their regular smoke as well."
After leaving their cozy room, to walk along the street, business was
tabooed; they must forget such personal affairs, and talk of anything
under the sun save what engrossed their minds chief of all.
Jack had stressed this point when laying down that rule for their
guidance, saying practically as follows:
"We don't understand as yet just what the ramifications or extent of
this combination of lawbreakers is; for all we know they may be
organized, and doing such a big business that they can employ spies in
certain cities, to pick up valuable pointers; informing them of
profitable strikes on Western trails, and along railroads where treasure
is being daily carried east and west; besides that, these spies would be
on the watch to learn of plans for bringing members of the gang to
justice--for all we know they have been keeping tabs on _our_ movements
right along; and may be in possession of considerable knowledge covering
our being the ones commissioned by Headquarters to proceed against them.
On this account it is up to us to play the innocent, and when in a
public eating place never talk shop, especially if the room is full, as
is always the case here at suppertime."
There was always so much common sense in what Jack advanced that Perk
could seldom grumble, no matter if he did not wholly agree with his
partner. Besides, there were so many interesting matters, as given out
in the daily prints, and along the line of aviation stunts, that they
need never lack for material to carry on their careless chatter as they
dined, and watched their neighbors, after the usual manner of detectives
on or off duty, seeking to further add to their information as to the
possible presence of eavesdroppers.
CHAPTER VII
READY FOR ANYTHING
The following day was a busy one for the two pals. Each had a regular
programme to follow, Jack having made out two lists of important things
absolutely essential to the carrying out of their plans.
As usually happened he left to Perk the task of seeing that the ship was
fully supplied with all the fuel and oil she was capable of carrying off
in making an ascent; some of which could be stored in the wings,
purposely provided with stowage room for such occasions.
Then when it came to taking aboard a stock of provisions, such as would
not require cooking, trust Perk for having a complete understanding as
to these requirements--he possessed such a vast knowledge of what was
good for a hungry man, not in a position to start a campfire, that when
he put the last of their stock away aboard the plane it looked as if
they might be getting ready to explore the Arctic regions, where nothing
but driftice was to be met, and no chance of having a fire either for
cooking or comfort.
Jack, meanwhile did his part, making carefully arranged plans, with
alternate makeshifts such as could be taken up in case unsurmountable
obstacles baffled them in the one chosen for the start--with Jack it was
always part of his strategy to have several "strings to his bow," and
never if possible "put all his eggs in one basket."
When wearied after all the tramping he had done in accumulating such a
vast pile of material, Perk dropped down into a chair alongside his
chum--who was still doing the finishing touch to his programme--he
heaved a sigh as of contentment--as a rule Perk was not a vigorous
walker, preferring to go by airplane, motorcar, or bus; perhaps even by
stage if necessary, so that such unusual exercise told heavily on his
muscles.
"Get through with your list, partner?" queried Jack, shoving aside his
papers, as though he too had had quite enough of work for one day.
"Sure did, matey," came the satisfied reply; "we're done loaded up to
the limit, an' then some. Hope the ole gal don't fight shy o' liftin'
sech a rummy cargo; but so far we aint never had her balk on us. How
yeou gittin' on with things, Jack?"
"Making good progress," came the steady answer. "I've learned that we've
shouldered a whopping big job this time; and still things keep cropping
up, that make it necessary to go back and change matters some. But I'll
be in fine shape by tomorrow noon, I figure."
"Kinder reckon on makin' the jump then, air yeou, boss?" demanded Perk.
Jack shook his head in the negative.
"Better wait up until night-time, buddy," he explained. "An ounce of
prevention's always a heap better than a pound of cure, you remember. We
can slip away a lot easier in the night, as we've proven more than a few
times in the past. Then besides, we'd like to profit by the latest
weather report. If a wide storm threatened it would be good policy to
hold back even for several days, rather than get caught in a hard blow;
such things are said to be doubly tough amidst the mountain gorges and
canyons, with their cranky air currents, and a continual danger of
running smack into some high peak."
"I leaves all that figgerin' to yeou, as usual, partner; when yeou gives
the word, that's goin' to be the right time for us to climb, an' not
afore. Golly! but I'm as hungry as seven wolves all in one--hopes as
haow they got steak an' fried onions on the bill o' fare tonight, 'cause
my innards air jest a yellin' fur a mess o' my fav'rite chow."
"I can't say I'm in the same box, because being shut up for hours, and
badgering my poor brain with a hundred puzzling questions, isn't
calculated to make a man ferociously hungry. You had outdoor exercise,
and in consequence have built up a glorious appetite. Queer what some
fellows _will_ do so as to cater to their thirst or hunger."
"Naow whatever kin yeou mean by that same remark, Jack, ole boy?"
They were on their way along the street at the time, keeping step as
they headed for the restaurant. Jack seemed agreeable so far as
explaining, for there was a little yarn back of his words, just as the
astute Perk had suspected, knowing his chum as well as he did.
"This story was told to me long years ago, but I never think of it that
I don't get a fresh laugh," Jack was saying, chuckling as he spoke. "It
seems a couple of artists who were fond of trout fishing were up in
Maine, stopping at a small hotel, while waiting for their guides to show
up.
"They noticed at breakfast several mornings that another party, small
and dried up, but a fisherman to the tips of his fingers nevertheless,
always ordered salt mackerel for his morning meal. This aroused their
curiosity, so one day, after having a good confab with him on the
prospect of sport ahead on the trip they had planned to take, one of the
pair had the audacity to refer to the singular liking for such a dish
evinced by the other. He grinned and looked wise, as he went on to say
in reply, not taking the least offense over the matter as a personal
one:
"'Oh! I aint carin' so much for the fish, gents, an' gets fed up on the
same sometimes; but let me tell you, folks 'long 'bout ten o'clock every
mornin' there comes the most delicious _thirst_ that pays up for my
eating them salt fish.' Think of him punishing himself so regularly,
just to create a tremendous yearning for his favorite tipple."
Perk saw the point, and of course laughed quite vigorously.
"Hot-diggetty-dig! boy, hope I aint jest as bad as that same gent," he
presently gurgled. "I c'n understand heow he felt though, an' she don't
seem so derned queer to me after all."
Jack often managed to get off some such yarn when the necessity arose
for keeping the talkative Perk from "spilling the beans," as the latter
himself would have explained it--Perk was a rather simple minded fellow,
taken in all, but a faithful and sincere chum, a ready worker, and as
brave as they make them, even if a bit incautious, often to recklessness
in his actions.
It seemed as though there were more people dining that evening in the
particular little restaurant than ever before: but Joe had upturned two
chairs at their favorite corner table, toward which Jack led the way; so
they were assured of comfort, even though late-comers were standing,
awaiting their turn.
Both of them always made it a point never to dress in any fashion such
as would be apt to give away the fact of their being airmen, or as
having some connection with the following of aviators. This was done
from a broad policy, founded on the fact that undoubtedly rumors of
their calling might long ere this have posted criminal circles; and Jack
for one had no fancy about having gunmen dogging his steps, with murder
in their hearts, because of the fact that this pair of "birds" had been
chiefly instrumental in sending some pal, or brother, to the "big house"
for a long stay, or it might be to the chair to atone for his crimes.
Jack always sat so he could look in careless fashion around the room.
His manner was that of a social fellow, taking an inventory of the
diners, as though wondering if he could single out some crony. There was
nothing of the "eagle eye that could look into a man's very soul, and
read his hidden thoughts," as usually connected with the mystery story,
or stage detective--not about Jack, or for that matter Perk either--so
far as outward appearances went they were only a couple of goodnatured
young men, smiling and agreeable, enjoying their meal, and chatting
about the latest stirring events of the day in the field of sports,
possibly also interested in political matters, as would be natural.
Perk always declared he felt as though he had put on a mask, when thus
debarred from "talking shop," with curious ears so close by; but he
realized the necessity for such extreme caution, when they were always
pitted against the desperadoes of the underworld in their daily work.
"Somethin' o' a mob here tonight, partner?" suggested Perk, after they
had been served by Joe, the waiter, and taken the edge off their
appetites; both having settled on the same aromatic dish, which Perk was
savagely attacking.
"Looks that way, Perk; if this keeps on we'll have to find another place
to feed, when we strike San Diego again; since neither of us is partial
to crowds. Remember the old frontiersman who complained that the
neighborhood was getting too thickly settled for him and his folks,
because a new family had started to build a log cabin less than _seven
miles away_? People look at what makes a crowd with different
viewpoints, we have to remember; what is flesh to one is just poison to
another man."
"Huh! never heard tell o' that idear 'fore," confessed the interested
Perk; "but it rings like there might be somethin' in the same. See
anybody yeou happens to know 'round here partner?"
"Not one that I would be apt to speak to," Jack told him; "of course we
see some of them each night; but they've paid no attention to us, for
which we're only too glad; doesn't pay to pick up chance acquaintances
at haphazard, when you happen to be engaged in a certain type of
business. If you reckon you've attended to that vacuum downstairs we
might as well be moving out, and give some of the standup people a
chance at this table."
"Let's get goin' then," agreed Perk, pushing back his chair; which
action caused several groups of impatient waiting persons to start
toward the spot, so as to preempt the vacant table.
"Show tonight, Jack?" queried the satisfied Perk, as they moved along.
"I ought to get busy once more on my stuff, as my programme isn't at all
complete; but just the same I don't want to overdo such brain fatiguing
work, and have to lay off a spell--nothing to be gained by such corrupt
practices, I imagine. So, since I know you feel as if you'd like to see
something, to take your mind off business for one night, decide on where
you want to go, and we'll be off."
"Course I'm not really dead set on seeing any picture," apologized Perk;
"but chances are we aint agoin' to have another whiff o' a screen drama
for days and days; an' it'll fill in time, as well as freshenin' up
yeour mind more'r less, buddy."
What they saw and heard does not concern us in following up this, their
latest exploit; but evidently Perk fully enjoyed the night's
entertainment, since he seemed to be in a jovial state of mind all the
way back to their sleeping quarters.
Their ship was quartered close to a well known aviation field, where air
mail was coming and going at all hours of the day and night; as well as
privately owned planes of the very latest design, some of them wonderful
craft in which daring adventurers could seek out the utmost parts of the
earth, backed of course, by an abundance of necessary funds.
They were not known under their real names to any of those who from time
to time they chanced to meet and chat with. It was generally understood
however, that Jack was the son of a wealthy family in the South--New
Orleans to be specific; and had come from Candler Field in Atlanta, with
his companion as assistant pilot. Moreover they were believed to be
waiting for certain things to transpire, after which they meant to take
an extended jaunt down through South America, over the Andes, and the
vast wilderness of the Amazon Valley, with its tributaries, engaged in
collecting myriads of wonderful orchids, said to have their _habitat_ in
that torrid region.
Thus no one had bothered them to any extent--at least not thus far;
realizing that the young explorer expressed a dislike about creeping
into print, and having his plans broadcast, so that perhaps some rival
plant hunter might "slip one over" and beat him to the much prized
field.
They came and went, as they pleased in their boat, making sure never to
leave the slightest evidence of their true calling lying around, which
would be apt to "lift the lid," and give them away. When Perk that very
day was so busily engaged loading up, it was all in line with their
pretended objective; entering into the spirit of the great game of
"pulling the wool over the eyes" of curious fellow aviators, Perk took
delight in concocting an extravagant yarn, depicting some of the
possible adventures he anticipated running across down in the countries
of South America--Brazil, the Orinoco River forest lands, Peru, Chili
and the Argentine--enough to make them envy his good fortune, when tough
Luck bound them in fetters along the line of their more prosaic jobs.
Jack was indeed through with the last item on his lists by noon of the
following day; but adhered to his expressed policy of holding back their
launching until night came on. Perk, however, made a last visit to the
hangar in which their beautiful ship lay quartered, to make doubly
certain he had omitted absolutely nothing that could add to their
comfort--and safety.
CHAPTER VIII
THE WINGED MESSENGER
"Coast seems to be clear, eh, Jack?"
Perk asked this question as they reentered their room, after having come
back from supper.
"Looks that way, as far as I can see," replied his shipmate, throwing
himself down in an easy-chair, that seemed to invite attention.
"No signs o' aour bein' spied on so far," asserted Perk, boldly.
"I saw nothing that looked suspicious, partner," continued the other.
"Kinder had an idee that lanky goof at the table 'gainst the wall kept
lookin' aour way, like he had a suspicion we'd bear watchin'--did yeou
happen to notice him, buddy--queer squint to one o' his lamps, an' a
turrible long nose that made me think it jest longed to stick itself in
other folks' business."
Jack laughed as if highly amused.
"So you reckoned he was some interested in us, did you, Perk? Well, he
had a right to be, I'd say, if you asked me."
"What's that, partner?" asked the stouter member of the crew of the
flying ship that was working for Uncle Sam's law and order department.
"Why, he knew just who we were, and why we chanced to be in old San
Diego right now--get that straight, Perk."
"Yeou're kiddin' me, Jack," whined Perk, looking hurt.
"I repeat what I said; and to make it plainer I'm adding further that
man you mention not only knew us for what we are, but also why we were
whispering across our table so much, when certain things came up that
had to be discussed, even against our general rule never to talk shop
when in public."
"The devil he did!" ejaculated the astounded Perk; "then why did yeou
jest say there didn't seem to be any spy a hangin' 'round on our tail,
to put them critters wise to our headin' thataways--tell me that,
Mister?"
"Ask me a hard one, brother," Jack flashed back, still amused it could
be easily seen. "I'll go a step further, and say that he was tempted to
speak to us, perhaps even join us at our table; but one thing kept him
from doing so, which was the iron-bound rule that one agent of Uncle Sam
must never thrust himself into any game that is being conducted by
another of the brotherhood."
Perk drew in a long breath, and stared at his comrade.
"Meanin', I kinder guess, as heow that party might be in the Secret
Service like we air--does that fill the bill, Jack?"
"Just what it does," he was told straight from the shoulder.
"Then--yeou _know_ him, I'm understandin' boy?"
"I most certainly do, Perk--you've heard of him many a time too, even if
you've probably never happened to run across him. That man's one of the
smartest detectives in the whole shooting match--his name, son, is
Josiah Harper, sometimes called The Hawk on account of his long beak,
and the fact that he possesses abnormal eyesight."
Perk grinned as if relieved.
"So, that's the wonderful Hawk, is it, partner?" he was saying, as if he
found it difficult to grasp the fact. "No, I never did run acrost him so
far's I know. What in tarnation kin _he_ be doin' out this way--yeou
don't figger he's goin' to butt in on aour job, do yeou?"
"Hardly that, Perk, I should say; if he was we'd have been piped off to
that effect. I reckon he had orders to run over to San Diego to catch us
before we took off."
"Does that mean he might be fetchin' a last hour message, Jack?"
"I figured that way," came the ready answer; "and following you across
the room I managed to rub up against Harper, to have a small slip of
paper pushed into my waiting hand. Here it is, and we'll see what it
carries--some last hour report, I fancy, that the Chief believes will
come in handy, sooner or later."
"Well, I swan!" gasped Perk, evidently considerably tickled over the
clever work carried through by his companion, without any diner in the
restaurant being the wiser, so far as they knew.
For several minutes Jack appeared to be studying the writing on the
crumpled piece of rice paper he had drawn from his vest pocket and
straightened out. No wonder, when the writing seemed just a crazy mess
of words, and figures--undoubtedly a secret cipher used by the agents in
their particular branch of the Government Service, when occasion arose
to communicate with each other.
Jack was so proficient in the cipher writing that he could read it
readily without applying the key; in this case he evidently was weighing
each terse paragraph as he translated the same.
"Some important, I takes it, buddy?" observed Perk, who had watched the
other nodding his head as he perused the message.
"Very, if we happen to be lucky enough to get close to the hideout of
the gang. This little scrap of paper has a history, Perk. It was carried
from the mountains where this crowd hold out, to Los Angeles by a
feathered post."
"I doan't jest get yeou, partner--what's a feathered post--I never yet
seen anything like that--yeou got me sunk, Jack, boy."
"You know what a carrier pigeon is, of course, Perk--well, one of the
two agents who were sent out on this case several months ago conceived
the bright idea of carrying a bird with him. Just as he feared might be
the case they were eventually discovered, and brought to bay in a rocky
canyon--the men wolves had them bottled up, so they must either
surrender and take the consequences, or perish of hunger and thirst. He
wrote this message in code on this thin tissue paper, fastened it under
the wing of his bird, and tossed the pigeon up in the air. It may have
been fired at, but since it showed up at its home cote in Angeles it
escaped being killed, or even crippled."
"Great work that, partner," snapped the intensely interested Perk; "I
shore takes off my hat to the lad who could think up sech a neat dodge.
An' right there clost to the tigers' den he could set daown an' write a
'portant message in code, so's to send off his little birdie. That's a
new trick on me, I own up--a stunt worth while."
Jack went on to interpret the contents of the little missive that had
been carried all the way from the heart of the mountains. Perk listened
as if bent on letting each and every word sink deeply into his receptive
mind for future use.
"Them ere directions for locatin' the place where they foregather, is
shore valuable stuff fur aour crowd, Jack, ole hoss," he finally
remarked, after his chum had read the writing on the thin paper twice,
putting due emphasis on certain words that had an apparently significant
meaning.
"Particularly Perk, that part describing a splendid landing-field some
miles distant, where we could drop down safely, and without getting
close enough to the haunt for sharp ears to catch the noise of a ship's
exhaust."
"Wust thing 'bout human bloodhounds huntin' their prey in a bus--never
will seem right to me 'til they fix things so's we kin creep up on aour
prey without tellin' the hull world a airplane is somewhere 'round.
Think that happy day ever will come, Jack?"
"Sure it will, Perk, and we'll see it to--if it so happens we haven't
already crashed, and gone west. Why not, when such wonderful advances
are being made in aviation circles every moon. Right now we're doing a
lot of amazing stunts with our ships that were never dreamed of five
years ago. Anything is possible, now they've got started taking to the
air."
"Huh! it was time all right," grunted Perk; "when yeou see haow all the
highways air gettin' glutted with autos, 'specially clost to big cities.
Even San Diego folks find it hard to git 'round on Sundays an' holidays.
But this fresh happenin' sorter gives me a hunch we're agoin' to make
the ripple, an' fetch home the bacon after all--things they air all
workin' thataways."
"I had the last word from the weather man," Jack went on to add; "and
I'm sorry to say it wasn't quite as fine as I'd like."
"Storm agoin' to hold us up, mebbe naow, partner?" suggested Perk, with
one of his impatient frowns, as he disliked very much being balked in
any plan.
"N--no, not quite that bad; but there are reports of a nasty field of
fog gathering in the direction of the mountains far back from the coast;
but we'll have to take our chances, now we're fixed for the jump--it may
not turn out as bad as they reckon on. Let's get ready to slip off,
Perk."
CHAPTER IX
HEADED FOR TROUBLE
An hour later the two adventurers arrived at the San Diego aviation
grounds, having taken a taxi to carry them and their limited luggage.
The night was a fine one, so far as the star-studded heavens could be
taken as an indication. If there was fog gathering some hundreds of
miles distant along the route of the air mail course, no indication of
such worry to the pilot's peace of mind had reached this coastal
station.
"Goin' to have a right decent start, looks like," Perk mentioned, after
they had dismissed the taxi close to the isolated hangar just outside
the aviation field limits.
"I expected we'd have it clear as a bell," Jack told him, as he unlocked
the doors of the hangar; "just as well that we don't have our troubles
strike us before we even hit our pace--time enough for all that when we
get well on our way."
As Jack had anticipated there was light aplenty for their purpose; ships
were coming and going at this early time in the evening, so that the
field lights were all on, making it easy to see.
Secrecy was such a part of their business that they did not even have
hostlers present to help push their bus out to the runway--it would not
be the first occasion when these two energetic fellows had managed all
such things by themselves.
They did not loiter, now that the final take-off was at hand; Jack was a
little afraid lest some mechanic, or pilot, hearing them working, and
being more or less curious concerning the pair who owned the trim
aircraft in which they had been taking trips for weeks past, (and about
whom a halo of mystery hovered) might come nosing around, offering to
lend a hand, but really hoping to pick up a few words that would explain
their leaving under cover of night--honest to goodness sportsmen, going
off for a hunt, or a fishing jaunt to the mountains, would not be apt to
time their departure while the world was smothered in darkness.
They were now poised on the short runway, and ready to start off. Perk
had followed his mate aboard, and was already busying himself with
certain preliminary duties that always fell to his charge.
"Ready, all?" called out Jack.
"Give her the gun, partner!" replied Perk.
There was a sudden roar as the engine took the spark, a quiver of the
entire craft, and then a quick jerk as Jack moved the throttle toward
his chest. Down the slight slope they started, gathering more headway
with every second until the ship was bumping rapidly over the ground,
her skid already beginning to scorn the soil as if eager to take to the
air.
Then her nose being pointed upwards she began to rise like a bird,
passing well over the trees that stood at the end of the course.
They were off on their momentous and perilous mission; only Fate knew
what the result would prove to be; whether success awaited them, or
failure, perhaps even death; for they were bound on an errand to a
country where the majesty of the Law was scorned, where might meant
right, and men did not place much value on a human life, more or less.
To see how joyous Perk seemed to be no one would imagine he gave much
heed to the prospect of thrilling episodes that would threaten them as
soon as they entered the danger zone. But then that was the way with
Perk, who loved adventure and close calls, and was never happier than
when defying the power of lawless men, badly wanted by those higher-ups
in charge of the famous Secret Service.
The lighted aviation field was quickly left far behind, as Jack headed
into the northeast, with the intention of holding to the beacon-lighted
trail of the air mail up to a certain point; when they must abandon
those welcome markers that flashed their intelligence every ten seconds,
and were so useful for keeping the mail carriers on their proper course.
Like most up-to-date pilots Jack and his mate had supplied themselves
with the handy ear-phones, by adjusting which to their heads they could
communicate in a satisfactory fashion when it became necessary. But for
this wise preparedness they would have had to shout at the top of their
lungs in order to pass a few words back and forth--a most unsatisfactory
way of doing, as every pilot has found out in times gone by, when there
was no other method known.
For a full hour they kept on their way persistently following the air
mail route. It was exceedingly refreshing to be able to note as many as
three flashing beacons at the same time, from the four thousand foot
ceiling at which Jack was flying, the further one rather dim, it is
true; but strong enough to catch the watchful eye of the pilot.
Perk had kept "bottled up" as long as he could stand it, and now broke
out as if eager to ask some sort of question that was on his mind. Under
such conditions it was his usual way to gradually approach the matter by
jerks.
"Huh! pretty soft I'd call it, partner, if yeou troubled to ask me," he
observed as an opener.
"As what?" demanded Jack, tersely.
"The job o' bein' an air mail runner--everything fixed for 'em so's they
kin keep on the right track--who'd lose his way with them friendly
flash-light beacons apoppin' up ev'ry ten miles'r so, I want to know?"
"You're away off your reckoning when you say that, Perk; remember how
they've got to meet up with tough storms; and pea soup fogs you could
cut with a knife, they're so thick. And in parts of their run the
country is treacherous, with slants of wind breaking out of deep
canyons; then, too, if anything goes wrong aboard their boat to make a
safe landing on such rocky ground is full of all kinds of difficulties.
No, the air mail pilot doesn't have such a sweet time of it as you seem
to think--a night like this he can consider a peach; only there are not
many built that way. You know they lots of times insist on starting out
when a wheen of pilots would stay safe on the ground, and not take
desperate chances."
"Partner, yeou'll have to excuse haste an' a bad pen, as the pig said
after breaking out, and skippin' off on a full run. That time I shore
didn't count ten 'fore I broke loose. Guess naow all pilots git up agin
hard fixes onct in a while, where the finest flash beacons in the hull
world caint help 'em any. I kin understand haow it aint possible to lamp
them lights atall through a thick fog--on'y by the altitude marker kin
yeou tell if youre aflying sky high, or near scraping the ground. But
did yeou happen to hear a ship takin' off jest after we slid aout,
boss?"
"Yes, but that didn't give me any concern, Perk. No danger of it's being
any spy interested in following _us_."
"But jest the same, Jack, she's been keepin' on aour tail right along,"
protested the watchful one, as if he might have been worried a bit.
"Why not, when like as not the pilot is carrying the U. S. mail, and on
his reg'lar night run north. We happen to be making use of his lights,
that's all; and he's attending to his usual business. When we sheer off
to the east soon now, leaving these flashlights behind, _then_ if you
discover a ship following after us it'll be time to do something, not
before."
"Thanks, partner; jest thought I had orter tell yeou, that's all," and
with that Perk lapsed into silence again, having worked his mind clear
once more.
Further time passed.
They had covered some hundreds of miles since leaving San Diego, and
Jack, watching his map understood the time was close at hand for him to
alter his course, and turn sharply toward the east, while the lighted
mail line of travel continued northward.
Ten minutes afterwards and Perk again broke out.
"I kin see the fust wisps o' that ere fog yeou was a tellin' 'baout,
boss," he announced grimly, as though appreciating the flashing beacons
more than before, now that they were about at the end of their string,
with the whole world of mountainous ground facing them, so full of
hidden snares and pitfalls, not to mention human tigers with a fierce
vendetta against all those busybodies of their particular breed.
"That's interesting news, but not so delightful, Perk, since I'm just
going to switch, and head into the east."
CHAPTER X
BATTLING WITH THE FOG
Thanks to his carefully studied chart Jack knew just about when he must
head into the east, and make for the disputed land, where fugitives from
justice had long kept away from the long arm of the Law. In former days
there had been just such a safe hiding-place further to the north,
locally known as the "Hole in the wall;" but it was of the past, and for
some years had been thrown open to settlers and tourists.
The die was cast, and for better or worse they had made their decision;
but neither of them had any disposition to turn back. Danger and these
men of the Force were accustomed to being familiar campmates; since
there was no mission on which they could be sent but had its share of
peril; if such expeditions were but picnics it would not be so necessary
to dispatch the prize men of the Service on the track, where others had
failed after shooting their bolt.
Speedily were they swallowed up in the night. Far distant, and in the
east a mellow light low-down announced the rising of the moon, now far
advanced in its last quarter. Jack did not count for any assistance in
the rising of the uncrowned queen of the night, since already he could
see the gathering fog was growing thicker every passing minute.
Several times he lost the remnant of moon entirely, to have it creep
into view again, as though the thick vapor had temporarily opened up;
but only to close in again worse than ever, until the glimpse of the
climbing orb came no more.
Thus began their fight with the fog--its insidious influence seemed to
shut them in like an opaque curtain, growing more and more dense as the
minutes moved along.
Realizing that they were now heading into that stretch where they might
expect to meet with lofty mountain peaks, and crags, Jack began a steady
upward climb, being most desirous of taking no unnecessary chances of
crashing against a rock cliff that was hidden from their view by the
creeping fog.
It seemed to be a most extraordinary fog, all told, Perk explained to
his own satisfaction. Usually when thus compassed around about by a
dense sea of vapor, and unable to take any sort of reckoning by means of
the heavens above, or the earth beneath, this trouble could be remedied
by climbing still further into the region of the clouds, and thus
finding an altitude where the air was sweet and pure, even if a bit
shivery.
Apparently that was not going to answer in the present case. Jack had
ascended until they were already some eight thousand feet from the
earth; but if anything their enemy the fog appeared to be more dense
than ever.
In fact, it did not seem worth while to pursue this system of tactics
any further, in order to beat the enshrouding blanket of sticky
wetness--why, if they kept on much longer, the cold increasing the
higher they lifted their ship, that same dripping moisture would be
turning into _ice_, and the additional weight was apt to play havoc all
around.
"Don't seem to be any let-up to the derned stuff, Jack," Perk at this
time observed in the ear of his running mate.
"Bad medicine, all right--don't like it one bit, partner," came just the
answer Perk would have sworn his pal would make.
"Seems like there aint nawthin' we kin do to make things easier, eh,
buddy?"
"Must peg away, keeping our nose pointed east, and ready to drop down
lower if given half a show," was how the head pilot answered him.
"Yeah! don't 'pear to be anythin' else in sight, an' its sure gettin'
mighty cold 'raound these diggin's, boy. I'm agoin' to drag aout my
heavy fleece-lined coat, an' climb into the same jest for fun."
"Go to it, old chap; and after you're settled give me a chance to follow
through, since I'm beginning to shiver as if I had the ague. This cold
of the upper air currents is a heap worse than any we run into on the
ground--seems to go all through you like a knife. Phew!"
Apparently Jack was not yet satisfied to drop lower; he would give their
present altitude a little more chance to show what it could do in
pressing the beastly fog down in the direction of the earth.
"Thunder an' Mars! aint it awful thick, though?" Perk was telling
himself, as he rubbed the glass, and did his best to pierce the
miserable stuff by which they were thus bound, so they had no power to
break loose. "Don't b'lieve I ever did see such a mess in all my days.
Talk 'bout flyin' blind, if we aint adoin' that same right naow I'll eat
my hat!"
Flying blind--yes, that name seemed most appropriate. Perk could look
away back to his childhood, and see the boys and girls playing--himself
with a handkerchief over his eyes, and trying to grope his way around so
as to lay hold of the active dodgers who slipped out of his grip so
adroitly. But he also remembered, with a chuckle, how as a rule it was
always possible for the bandage to be lifted just a little, allowing the
chaser slight glimpses of those whom he was supposed to trap, and catch
hold of.
"Huh! no sech luck in this here game up 'bove the clouds," Perk
grumbled, as if much provoked because there was no chance to
"peep"--that pea-soup sea covering so many miles in every direction was
absolutely impenetrable; and their only resource would be to depend on
their reliable instruments; keep their wits about them, so as to know
how far they were going in a certain direction; and when relief came be
able to about pick their position on the map.
That was supposed to be Jack's affair, and Perk felt quite willing to
trust his side partner to the limit; whatever Jack decided on he was
ready to make unanimous, and let it go at that; so why worry his poor
brain when his pal was so much better equipped for handling things?
Still, he _did_ worry--it would not have been Perk otherwise; for he
found all manner of grewsome possibilities crowding into his mind such
as must give him what he called "the willies."
"Hot-diggetty-dig!" he grumbled to himself "but this _is_ a nasty mixup
we've tumbled into. Jack, he says to me the weather reports tell haow
there seems to be a bit of fog aformin' off to the mountings--say, if
they calls this a _bit_ I wonder what a real smashin' big fog'd seem
like. From the way she acts I'm commencin' to figger as haow she could
keep this way right along fur a hull day'nd night, withaout fazin' any;
an' that's no bunk either. S'pose it does that same, what's bound to
happen to us dicks runnin' wild up here, I want to know?"
That was always Perk's trouble--anticipating things long before they
were really due. He even figured out how, with gas and supplies running
low, in the end they might have to make a perilous forced landing,
taking most desperate chances of a calamitous smash.
It kept him on "needles and pins" to have such a dire threat loom up so
soon after their takeoff, with the work connected with their mission
entirely in the future, and unaccomplished.
How the minutes did seem to drag when they were pretty much in the dark
as to the progress their ship was making; or whether they had managed to
hold on to the course set by Jack in the beginning.
"Huh! it's like gropin' 'raound yeour bedroom in the pitch dark, when
wakin' up from a bad dream--kinder lose yeour head, an' get sorter nutty
in the bargain. Mebbe we're miles an' miles eouten the way, even gettin'
wuss rattled right along; but say, that aint like my partner, to lose
his head, an' run us into a blind sack. I jest _got_ to depend on Jack
to pull us through--aint I seen him come eout right-side up heaps o'
times when things they had an _aw_ful black look?"
Taking himself to task after this fashion Perk rose up out of his state
of despondency, and actually forced himself to chuckle, as if things
looked perfectly all right in his eyes; but there was something lacking
in the sound, something superficial, and his seeming hilarity did not
last long.
Thus it happened that once, when Jack, believing they were attaining too
great altitude, took a slide down, shutting off the power; Perk felt
positive he again caught a sound from somewhere that must certainly have
come from the exhaust of an airship motor, running at full speed!
The thought gave him a momentary thrill, it seemed so pregnant of
accumulating possibilities in the line of hazards; his old fear lest
they should have been surreptitiously followed by some secret enemy, in
the shape of an ally of the men they sought to run down, returned in
full force, to stab him most viciously.
CHAPTER XI
THE MYSTERY AIRSHIP
"I say, Jack!" Perk called, making use of the friendly ear-phones.
"What's eating you, buddy?" demanded the other, who must have known from
his comrade's shifting about so much there was something amiss.
"Did yeou hear it?" asked Perk, anxiously.
"You mean that sound in the fog pack, don't you?" Jack countered.
"Yeah, yeou said it, partner--I kinder guess naow it was a ship up here
in this same sea we're buzzin' through, don't yeou?"
"Couldn't be anything else, because we're thousands of feet away from
ground," Jack admitted; and somehow it gave his chum a feeling of relief
to notice how his voice showed no signs of sudden alarm.
"As haow would yeou make it eout to be--some bewildered air-mail pilot
loose in his bearin's, and shootin' ahead, thinkin' he could get
somewhere right speedy, so's to find his course agin?"
"Not any, Perk; and you'll realize that much if you figure things out in
a matter-of-fact way. They don't have greenhorns in the air-mail
service, or carrying passengers on the big lines--every applicant for a
job has got to have a thousand hours at least in the air, and even at
that he isn't reckoned to have won his spurs. If such an experienced
flier got balled up in this fog blanket he'd do just what we're carrying
out--depend utterly on his instruments. His compass would tell him he
could never regain his course by flying _due east_!"
"That's what he's adoin' then, yeou figger, eh, Jack?"
"Sure thing, boy--he's directly behind us, and getting closer right
along, for the sounds keep growing louder."
"Guess that's so, partner--I kinder had an idee he was on aour tail.
What's the answer, Jack?"
"Another dive, maybe two in fact, so as to leave him this ceiling to
himself. We can climb again, buddy, after he's passed us, and pushes
further on his way. That's the only sensible thing to do."
Perk had been allowing his mind to picture a battle royal up there in
cloudland, amidst the fog mists, where machine-guns might rattle just as
years ago they always did when bitter foes over on the French border
came in contact, while bent on forays that took them on long air
voyages, to bomb forbidding ammunition dumps, and thickly manned
trenches back of No Man's Land.
In imagination he had already heard the terrible long roll being sounded
by the chattering quick-firing guns; with a hail of missiles sweeping
all around them, like a swarm of enraged hornets as experienced in his
own boyhood days.
But Jack, who kept his imagination under better control, did not look at
things in the same way--his idea was not to accept the gage of battle
when diplomacy and clever tactics could shift it on to some future date,
when the chances might be more in their favor.
What a partner to have at your side when things looked more or less
dubious--Perk drew a long breath as of relief, and inwardly blessed the
day he paired up with Jack Ralston.
There, once more they were shooting almost straight down into that
bewildering sea of fog. It could not but give even seasoned Perk the
thrill of his life, as he contemplated what would happen should they
dash against some isolated mountain crag or peak, while rushing along at
this tremendous speed.
He held his breath during the score of seconds they occupied in thus
seeking another ceiling. Then the quivering ship, under Jack's skillful
guidance, glided into a level course, and Perk breathed naturally once
more.
While the swift descent continued he had listened intently, and was
overjoyed to note how the distinct clamor of the other plane's motor
gradually grew fainter, thus proving that they must be increasing the
distance separating the two hidden airships.
Jack, one eye on his altitude instrument, even brought about another
dip, during which Perk failed to catch even the faintest mutter of a
working motor; which fact seemed to prove beyond dispute their object
had been achieved--the unseen flying craft had been given all rights to
that upper ceiling, and all danger of a chance collision in the sky
lanes was avoided, at least for the time being.
They were still heading into the east, with a shade running toward
northeast, as though Jack continued to hold fast to his belief they were
following the proper course. It required the most wonderful grasp upon
the situation, as Perk well knew, to keep going so confidently through
such an ocean of dense fog, utterly unable to see any obstacle
threatening them ahead.
Perk, absolutely content to leave all matters of this sort in the hands
of the partner who had never as yet failed him in a pinch, found himself
wondering what that decision, given so assuredly by his companion, might
signify--if not a lost air-mail pilot, then who could the unknown
voyager, shooting so recklessly through the pea-soup sea, be?
They were again ascending, proving that Jack understood what additional
chances for a mishap they were tempting at the lower level, and wished
to play safe as soon as he could do so with the unknown ship having
passed on into the unseen vacuum ahead.
Again did the temperature approach close to the freezing point, and no
wonder, with their ship soaring at such a height; but in that part of
the mountainous country they must expect to find lofty uplifts mounting
to the clouds, many thousands of feet above all comfortable atmosphere.
Perk busied himself in moving around, following such duties as devolved
on his shoulders while his partner handled the stick. His chief concern
lay in the direction of finding out just when the dense vapor began to
form a thin coating of ice on the wings.
With the coming of such an insidious enemy their danger increased
ten-fold, since by degrees it would add enough weight to the already
heavily laden ship as to force it down all too speedily, with what
hidden perils lying in wait below as only a lively imagination could
vision.
Still that question remained unanswered--try as he might Perk seemed
unable to successfully grapple with so puzzling and knotty a problem--if
not a mail pilot off his course, nor yet some enemy trying to overtake,
and run them down in midair, then who could it be?
With Perk bewildered the matter must inevitably settle down to one well
practiced means for finding the answer to the enigma--"ask Jack--he
knows"--a formula as simple as anything could be, also shifting all
responsibility to other shoulders.
Perk went at it again, and asked for light.
"Mebbe naow, partner," he called out, "it might be yeou guessed this
crazy flier up yonder was some madcap pilot atryin' to beat the record
goin' east from coast to coast; or else a locoed lad carryin' a
passenger who'd lose his hull fortune if so be he didn't land in Wall
Street inside so many hours."
Jack laughed, as though amused at these vague stabs--he knew what the
other had in his mind by going on in this fashion.
"Just fishing again, eh, Perk--want to know what I think covering the
game, isn't that so? Well, listen, and I'll put a flea in your ear."
"Go to it, partner--I'm agreeable, an' wantin' to be informed," Perk
hastened to say.
"Among those documents I examined there was one fact I laid some stress
on, which consisted of a statement that the Secret Service man who sent
his report in, and then seemed to disappear utterly from the knowledge
of all men, declared it to be his opinion these hideout big guns in the
criminal world, working under our old friend Slippery Slim Garrabrant,
had some sort of an _airship_, with which they were doing a rattling
good business--perhaps you slipped up on that particular fact; but I
figured we might run across that plane, sooner or later, and have
considerable bother with the same."
"Hot-diggetty-dig! then Jack, you mean it could a been that crate we
heard abeatin' time on aour tail; an' mebbe chasin' us like hot
beans--tell me, is that what hits you so hard, matey?"
"I have a pretty strong idea it was their ship, covering a well-known
course from the coast to this valley in the rocky unknown territory too
rough even to have been explored, as it was believed to be worthless for
even mining purposes. As to whether those aboard were trying to strike
us in the fog, that's still a mystery, and must remain such for the
present."
"Then do yeou guess they knowed we was ahead on the same track, eh,
Jack, ole hoss?"
"Remember Perk, that as far as we know they didn't change their ceiling
at any time--just kept booming away at the same level. That being the
case they couldn't have heard the sound of our own motor working, as
their exhaust would deafen them completely; for we only caught the
racket behind us when we were shooting the shoot, with our engine
shut-off."
"Good enough for us, buddy--then we got a clear field ahead, an' c'n
foller aour own plans right along."
"For the time being; but don't forget we've got rough sledding ahead. It
all depends on how long we'll be held fast in the grip of this accursed
fog pack. Running blind isn't a very satisfactory way of getting along,
especially when you only know the country through rude charts that may
be all right, and then again sprinkled with errors that are bound to be
full of danger to us."
"Hit an' miss, Jack, we're used to takin' the chances--it's all a part
o' the followin' we're rappin' in. We jest got to do aour best, an'
leave the rest--aint I been adoin' that same mighty near all my whole
life? an' seems like little ole Perk he's still on deck, able to eat his
three good meals a day--whenever he c'n git the same."
"It's after midnight, Perk."
"So it be, partner; an' we muster gone a good many hundred miles since
jumpin' off--strikes me we orter be clost to the goal we had in aour
minds; if so be we been keepin' on a di-reck course, with no wabblin' to
check us aout."
"I figure that way myself," replied Jack; "but nothing can be done to
make certain until conditions change for the better."
"Which would mean we got some hours to kill, 'fore mornin' comes along
to give us a show fur aour money, eh, Jack, ole boy?"
"There's only one way to do that," snapped the other; "which is by
circling around, keeping our altitude, and within a range of say fifty
miles; and that's what I'm aiming to start doing right now."
CHAPTER XII
WHEN THE DAWN BROKE
When Jack thus decided it good policy to start riding that gigantic
circle, reducing their speed at the same time, he knew it was really the
only course left to them in order to kill time, until there arose a
change in weather conditions, and the coming of daylight.
It would require the utmost skill and vigilance combined, thus to keep
going over about the same line of travel, with naught to depend upon
save his reliable instruments, aided by the deductions he must be
continually making, with his eyes on the compass, the speed indicator,
altimeter, and kindred apparatus by means of which, in conjunction, a
clever pilot may cut circles around an objective at will.
All this when he has daylight to assist him, and can see the distant
ground beneath; but when blinded by both fog and intense darkness it is
"a horse of another color" entirely, and if successfully carried out may
be considered on a par with a near-miracle.
"He c'n do it, if anybody's able," faithful Perk was assuring himself,
as he sat and watched the other go through with motion after motion,
doubtless mentally figuring up knotty little problems in arithmetic that
would either prove the accuracy of his general plan of campaign, or
cause him to correct any faulty upsets.
"Gee whiz! if on'y we could a climbed on that gink's tail, an' follered
him to where he was agoin', what a soft snap it'd been," Perk was
telling himself, as he imagined them climbing back to the level followed
by the "mystery ship," and keeping on at just a certain distance, where
their presence would not be betrayed by the commotion they caused; "but
it's a hull lot too late neow to think o' tryin' that ere stunt aout; so
what's the use figgerin' any more? 'Sides, they aint no chanct for even
a pilot what knows his beans 'raound this pesky country, to drop daown,
so long's this soup hangs over aour heads, under aour feet, an' plays
the devil with things gen'rally. Jack's got it all laid aout, an' we're
on aour way to Pike's Peak--er bust--mebbe so its jest plain _bust_!"
As the time drew on Perk found himself engaged in a peculiar game of
guessing as to what the character of the ground below would turn out to
be when they were given a blessed chance to view the same by the
dispersal of the fog, and the coming of broad daylight.
He knew what it meant to be hovering over mountainous country, where all
manner of weird canyons and dry water courses could be traced on the
rough landscape--secluded haunt of the Rocky Mountain sheep, or
big-horn; the savage silver-tip bear known also as the grizzly, most
dreaded wild beast of the entire Americas, the claws of whom the Indians
of the West always prized as mementos of their individual valor, when
slain at close quarters, with the warrior living to tell the story of
his triumph.
Then, too, he could imagine vast herds of the now almost extinct
buffalo, seeking shelter and grazing during the winter in some sheltered
valley among these same mountain ranges, where green grass might be
found in abundance even during blizzard weather conditions.
Once he gave full play to his fertile imagination, and Perk would even
forget the passage of time; and this was just as well, since nothing he
could do would alter their situation in the slightest degree; besides,
it prevented him from worrying, as he so often did.
Along about three o'clock--as he knew by consulting his wrist watch for
the twentieth time since their start--Perk had another little bright
thought--what was to hinder them from having a nice snack, just to kill
time, and cause them to feel stronger for whatever might come along
later on?
Accordingly he got out a certain small packet which he knew contained
some sandwiches he had paid their waiter to have made up for them, as a
souvenir of the much esteemed little restaurant in San Diego, city of
the Dons.
Sitting there, and still keeping an observing eye first on Jack, and
then sweeping it around the array of instruments fastened to the black
dashboard in front of the working pilot, Perk enjoyed his little nightly
repast as only a fellow with his splendid appetite might.
When he nudged Jack in the side, and offered him a tempting ham sandwich
the other shook his head in the negative, as though he was quite too
busy to take advantage of the offer.
Following this up he made gestures which Perk interpreting understood
him to signify he might alter his mind later on, when the conditions had
changed a bit for the better. That was just like Jack--he liked to eat,
it was true, when hungry; but never allowed a mutinous stomach to cause
him to take the slightest chance of neglecting his duty.
So Perk had to dine all by himself; but he generously kept one
fair-sized sandwich for the time when his chum would feel like having a
few bites; which might not be until he wished Perk to take his place at
the controls.
It was a dreary round they were making now--like keeping time in the
awkward squad in the training camp--going through all the motions
without advancing the spark an atom--round and round in that big circle,
as the hours dragged along on leaden feet, with Perk growing fairly wild
to end it all, even by accepting unusual risks.
Five o'clock came at last, and Perk more than once strained his eyes in
staring hard toward the east, hoping to be able to glimpse a faint sign
of approaching dawn--just a peep that would make him feel better; but
thus far all in vain.
Nor was he able to detect any let-up in the floating sea of murky
fog--it hung about them most persistently, almost dense enough to be
felt; indeed most of the time their faces were wet despite the fact that
they were shut up in the closed cabin of their ship.
"Ev'rything must have an end," Perk told himself about this time; "an' I
kinder guess naow that ole snap sayin' must be so; anyway, here's hopin'
afore long naow I'll be squintin' at the sun apeepin' above the rim o'
the world over yonder in the--yeah, it's east, okay, the compass she
tells it. Gettin' sorter sleepy in the bargain; but shucks! nothin'
doin' 'long that ere line till we're outen the woods, an' on ground
safe'n sound agin."
Half-past five brought a little but welcome change in the monotonous
situation. Perk was duly thrilled to discover what he believed to be a
dim gleam of light piercing the shrouded east, which he fondly hoped was
caused by the near approach of the early dawn.
He did not mention the welcome news to his ally, fearing lest it prove
to be a mere stretch of that wonderful imagination of his, such as in
times past had so frequently played him the saddest of tricks--no, it
would really be wiser for him to bide his time, and make sure he was not
turning out to be what he would call a "false alarm."
Despite his eager wish the faint light did not appear to increase to any
extent; although Perk knew it must surely be about time for the dawn to
break, if it ever meant to dispel the miserable pall of wet fog that had
been like a blanket during the whole night--saving the hour or so they
spent on the way before it gathered around them.
"If the tarnation thing gives me the merry ha! ha! neow, after I've
shook hands with myself, I'll feel like jumpin' off, and tryin' aout my
'chute, that aint been aired for many a blue moon. But it stands to
reason there _must_ be some sorter end to ev'ry night; an' I'll hold on
a bit longer. Gosh amighty! what wouldn't I give to feel jest a whiff o'
wind caressin' my cheek when I pokes my nose outadoors--but no sech good
fortune--we're still in the soup for keeps, Jack 'nd me, wuss luck!"
Still it seemed as though his heart was set on seeing that dim line grow
wider, and bringing with it fresh hopes of a change in the dull
programme; judging from the way Perk continued to stare toward where he
knew from the compass lay the eastern heavens.
Jack flew on, apparently quite oblivious to the wild yearnings that kept
gnawing at the heart of his comrade. Thus far he had reason to believe
they had continued on that circle, where fifty miles of running would
fetch them back again to about where they had started to make a ring. He
would fight it out on that line if it kept them going all the next day;
but until they could see the ground, so as to find their bearings from
certain landmarks expressly emphasized in the rude chart inherited from
the missing brother of the Service, it was utterly useless to expect to
get anywhere.
Some little time afterwards Perk, thinking to find out whether there
could be a "whiff of fresh air" stirring outside, thrust his head from
the partly open door, and sniffed eagerly.
The result was highly satisfactory, for he instantly discovered a most
delightful thing--there was not only the fresh cold air to be expected
at such a high altitude, possibly ten thousand feet at the time; but, in
addition there came across his feverish face the sensation of a genuine
_breeze_, blowing, as he quickly found out, directly from the south.
He could not resist keeping his head protruding, so as to make assurance
doubly certain; and while thus engaged he chanced to turn and look
toward the east again.
Something caught his eyes, and held him riveted, as if turned into a
pillar of salt like Lot's unfortunate, disobedient wife.
"Hot-diggetty-dig! if that ere aint the mornin' star I'll eat my hat!"
Perk told himself in great excitement.
It was most thrilling news he carried back with him when he ducked
inside the cabin once more--news he felt absolutely positive would break
down that icy reserve of his companion; and cause Jack to join him in
giving vent to expressions of jubilation.
"Hey! c'n yeou beat it, partner?" he cried, as soon as he could get to
the ear of his boon companion; and for the time being disdaining the
help of the ear-phones; then he paused for breath, having in his
excitement lost his grip, it appeared.
"Beat what?" roared the other, understanding from Perk's actions,
together with the exultant tone of his raised voice, that something out
of the common must have come about.
"Breeze started up!" whooped Perk, gulping in a supply of wind.
"Bully boy!" Jack sent back at him, managing to make himself understood
above all the racket of motor and propeller, which was some triumph,
since he did not possess the lung power that Perk boasted.
"And--yeou c'n see the ole mornin' star off in the east, showin' the
dratted fog pack she's a liftin' by hunks; so, as the dawn's at hand
we'll be okay!"
CHAPTER XIII
ALL THANKS TO SIMEON
"Bully again!" Perk faintly heard his cool pal call out, against the row
their motor exhaust was keeping up.
There was considerable excitement in camp just about that time, although
to be sure Perk was showing most of the same.
The fog was in retreat after all those tantalizing hours of holding the
fort--there could no longer be any doubt concerning this fact. He could
even see how it was being blown off toward the north by increasing puffs
of agitated air; and meanwhile that line of pearly hue in the east was
widening by spasms, until faint touches of rosy light painted the
skyline as with the brush of a magician artist.
Perk had adjusted their useful ear-phones, for he felt confident they
would want to exchange congratulations, in that the long and tedious
night had finally come to an end, with what promised to become a "dandy"
day opening up before them.
Jack laughed to himself when he actually caught his relieved brother
pilot humming a fragment of a little popular love-song they had been
hearing several times of late in the "talkies" they patronized when in
old San Diego; and which evidently had been echoing in Perk's brain ever
since; though if accused of "getting soft" the other would most
certainly have indignantly denied the fact, and vowed he had never had a
best girl--or any species of girl--in his whole natural life.
So things continued to brighten more and more, with Perk straining his
vision from time to time in order to be the first to discover "land
ahead,"--in other words sight the far-distant earth below them.
It came at last, after he had thus stared as much as half a dozen times;
and he had the proud satisfaction of informing his comrade of the
interesting fact. There was a vein of triumph in Perk's voice; one would
easily think he must be a modern Columbus announcing the discovery of a
new world; and yet it had only been one solitary night since last they
were in touch with their old friend _terra firma_--solid ground.
Just the same that had proven to be such a memorable night, so filled
with thrills, and accumulated anxieties, so gloomy in the midst of the
greatest fog pack in history, that really Perk might be excused for
showing undue jubilation over this, their ultimate deliverance.
"Hully gee! partner!" he called out suddenly; "I kin see it, that's
right; an' say, she sure _does_ look good to me."
"Meaning the earth, I reckon, eh, Perk?"
"Nawthin' less, buddy--fog's a climbin' aout like hot cakes--soon wont
be a single wisp left, I take it. But gee! what a pictur' it
makes--never did set my lamps on sech _turrible_ stuff afore--looks like
Ole Nature had busted loose in tryin' to pile up rocks as big as
skyscrapers in little Ole New York, some o' 'em as big as the highest
hill in the Catskills. What a place--what a place, I'd say agin."
"Does look a bit rough," admitted the noncommittal Jack, after himself
taking a swift survey.
"A bit rough--huh! yeou jest can't ekal it if yeou trips all over this
Rocky Mountain country fur weeks, that's a fact, Jack Ralston. Seems
like we was abeatin' the record right along on this here jaunt--the
thickest fog--the longest night--an' neow the beatenist country ever! If
it keeps agoin' like that we're bound to run up against the wust gang o'
holdup men that was ever heard of."
"Had that idea in my mind from the start, so it isn't going to surprise
me much if it comes true," Jack calmly informed him.
About this time Perk discovered that the last retreating phalanx of the
late fog belt had passed from his sight, dissolving in thin air as it
seemed. The early morning, as viewed from that great altitude, was most
charming indeed, with those fleecy white cloudlets all around them.
The speeding plane ducked in and out of the groups as though playing the
old childrens' game of tag, or else hide-and-seek. Perk himself likened
the picture to the gridiron, being especially fond of football games as
practiced along the Coastal Slope around Thanksgiving time, and later
on, when the East was battling with its chilly blizzards--in imagination
he could readily picture their ship to be the man who had the pigskin
bag held tightly under his arm, and kept darting this way and that,
eluding the outstretched hands of would-be tacklers, and dodging all
interference, on his wild dash to make a much needed goal.
It gave him a delightful thrill to thus compare their passage with the
one hero whom he most admired--the prodigy to whom his favorite college
was indebted for their greatest victory, when defeat had seemed so
perilously near.
"Take over the stick, Perk; I reckon I'd feel better if I stretched my
arms and legs a bit," the wearied pilot now announced; to which the
other only too gladly acquiesced; for many times during the last few
hours he had hung over his mate, as if trying to influence Jack to
change places.
"Yeah, an' Jack, while yeou're 'bout it jest sample the grub--coffee's
fine an' dandy, as well's steamin' hot. Goes through yeou like
'lectricity in this cold atmosphere."
"After I've had a good look through the glasses, to see if there's any
sign of the targets Brother Simeon marked down on his rough pigeon
carrier chart we're depending on to see us through."
That was just like Jack--duty always before pleasure. His empty
stomach--the lovely view Perk had been drinking in so eagerly--all such
trivial matters must wait until he had attended to much more important
ones.
Perk might have expected to hear him say what he did, since from long
experience he was fully acquainted with his pal's methods of carrying
out his business calls. Perk also knew quite well that he could never
claim to be such a Spartan, since the "fleshpots of Egypt" usually
tempted him to take precedence, when it became a matter of choice
between them.
Long and earnestly did Jack examine the ground below. He had given Perk
instructions to make several long dips, each time flattening out again
on a level keel; and during all this time he was engaged in staring
through the magical lens that brought far distant objects so close he
could even distinguish the character of the bark on such trees as came
under his observation.
At such times as they were moving on the level Perk managed to also scan
the scene below them. They had by now greatly reduced their distance
from the rugged landscape, being not more than something like five
thousand feet aloft; but stare as he might Perk, even with his keen
vision, was unable to discover a single moving object--it was as if they
owned the whole world for the time being--a weird sensation that rather
awed imaginative Perk.
About this time the one at the controls saw his companion keeping the
glasses focussed on a certain point, as though he might have discovered
something encouraging there--possibly an upstanding object such as had
been noted on that invaluable if crude penciled map.
"Hot-diggetty-dig!" Perk muttered to himself, as he felt his pulses
quicken once more, "don't I jest hope he's struck ile--run acrost some
piled-up crags that might a served Simeon as a good marker. But great
snakes! heow air we agoin' to drop daown anywhere when there aint nary a
sign o' level ground as big as my red neckerchief; an' us a wantin' a
stretch a hundred feet, long--as much more as we kin find?"
So he tried to keep still while waiting to hear anything of interest
Jack might have to report. Most certainly the other must have made some
sort of discovery, or believed he had at least; for he continued to
scrutinize that particular section of the rocky ground just ahead in a
way that looked promising to his anxious partner.
Finally Jack lowered the binoculars, with Perk watching his face as if
hoping to read good news reflected there.
"No doubt about it, I'm glad to tell you, Perk," Jack was saying; and if
there was a trifling vein of relief in his voice one could hardly wonder
at such a thing, after their just passing such a wretched night, and
flying blind through the long hours, with but faint prospects of
striking their goal when the coming of dawn allowed of an observation.
"Hey! does that mean yeou got a squint o' somethin' worth while,
partner?" cried Perk, solicitously.
"Just what it does," the other assured him. "Swing around in a circle,
and I'll let you have a look for yourself, buddy."
CHAPTER XIV
CLOSING THE GAP
Accordingly Perk swung off to the left, and banked sharply, thus
starting on a turn that if pursued long enough would once more fetch
them to the point from whence they had started the maneuver.
"Now I'll take hold again for a time, until you've had your look,"
announced Jack, suiting the action to the word.
While his mate manipulated the glasses Jack coached him word by word,
until Perk finally uttered a cry of triumph.
"I got it, partner, sure I have!" he was saying in great gladness.
"Can't hardly b'lieve my eyes, it sure seems like a reg'lar miracle--to
think o' all we plugged through, an' was able to hit straight to the
bullseye o' aour target--it dazes me to strike sech a wonderful
happenin', that's right."
"Then you recognize it from the brief description he gave on the side of
his tissue-paper chart, do you, Perk?"
"It caint be anythin' else, for a fack, buddy--there couldn't run two
queer heaps o' rocks that look so much like a reg'lar ole-time castle on
the Rhine! Yep, we done aourselves proud this time--meanin' _yeou_ did,
Jack, ahandling the stick so smartly. Naow, what's next on the
programme, tell me?"
"You're to take hold once more, and keep circling that target, while I
stow away a little chow; afterwards I'll run things while you stoke up.
We must keep in mind that there's no occasion for any undue haste--we're
out to get results, no matter how long we've got to hang around this
part of the country. Caution, and slow progress--those are to be our
watchwords, Perk."
"I get yeou, partner," was all that the other remarked, as he once more
laid down the binoculars, and proceeded to take over the controls.
Just the same Perk knew full well Jack was intending to warn him against
one of his faults, that of starting off on some important mission
without due regard for precautions--a failing that had cost Perk dear
more than a few times in the past, and which had never been fully
eradicated from his system, no matter how gallantly he tried.
Now that the coast was clear, and he had made the discovery calculated
to prove so fortunate, as well as useful, Jack could think of other
matters less important and yet really necessary.
He got out their "bait-box,"--as Perk always called the receptacle of
their food supplies--and proceeded to enjoy a ham-sandwich, washed down
with the hot coffee already sweetened, and with genuine cream added;
thanks to Perk's "pull" with that favorite waiter in the San Diego
restaurant, and whom he had mentally promised to reward some fine day,
in a way commensurate with the service rendered.
Jack took his time.
He always did when eating, and consequently never knew those qualms
along the line of indigestion, which occasionally doubled poor, hasty
Perk up with such violence. Moreover, he seemed to be enjoying his novel
breakfast vastly, a fact that tickled the other more or less, for Perk
certainly did enjoy seeing others happy.
From time to time they exchanged words. Of course their talk was wholly
connected with the serious business on which Uncle Sam had dispatched
them, and which they were now following out as best they could.
So early in the game it was of course wholly impossible to lay their
plans save vaguely; as they picked up further information they could, as
Perk was fond of saying, "advance the spark," and build some sort of a
structure calculated to bring down the enemy's fort in ruins, unless
indeed, they managed to turn the tables on the two sleuths.
As they thus chatted at their ease while swinging around in a succession
of short circles, the centre of which was always that conical heap of
jagged rocks Perk humorously called Castle Thunder, the name of Simeon
Balderson naturally came up.
Perk had himself been doing more or less pondering upon the unknown fate
of the Secret Service man, who was, so Jack had informed him, a most
valued agent of the Government.
"I jest caint help awonderin' what made him fall daown on his job that a
ways," he mentioned to his comrade; which of course was Perk's method of
trying to draw the other out, so as to imbibe Jack's way of reasoning.
"That must, as I said before," came the reply, "remain a dead mystery to
us unless we happen to run across the answer while poking around. He was
up against a tough bunch, and if they discovered what he was doing the
chances are they'd put him out of their way in the easiest possible
fashion--throwing him over some precipice, or shooting him full of
holes. That'll come to us in the bargain, I reckon, if we're unlucky
enough to slip-up, and fall into their hands."
"Huh! I cal'late these kiotes jest hate all Government men like a cat
does agettin' its feet wet," hazarded Perk, shrugging his shoulders.
"Oh worse, far worse than that, buddy," Jack assured him amiably; "they
know how their lives are at stake, and to them a Secret Service man
takes on the shape of a noose, or the electric chair. Whenever it comes
to a fight between the two of us, and that crowd, it's got to be to the
death, with no mercy shown."
"I savvy, partner," Perk told him, firmly; "knowed that much right
along. Doant skeer me any, either, 'cause my life's been made up o'
takin' chances--over in France in that ole sausage balloon company--then
in circus stunts in a ricketty airship that _was_ always agoin' to blow
up with us--after that servin' with the Canadian Mounties up in the
Northwest Territory, like yeou know 'bout; and last but not least, the
times I been with yeou ascootin' raound the hull country, ahaulin' in
smugglers, bootleggers, flim-flam artists, bogus money-makers, check
raisers, an' sech nasty fry. I jest dote on runnin' close chances--it's
sure the life that suits Gabe Perkiser."
"The first job we're going to tackle is along the line of making a safe
and sane landing--you get that of course, Perk?" continued practical
Jack.
"Nawthin' else, partner," answered the other, without hesitation; "seems
like ever'thing depends on that same. But aint it like lookin' fur a
needle in a haystack to reckon on findin' that ere one little patch o'
level ground he wrote was the on'y place where a ship could come daown,
an' not crash?"
"I'm going to correct you there, brother," Jack was saying; "there is
yet another landing field, and even a much better one; but out of our
reach, for according to Simeon it lies _inside_ the Hole-in-the-Wall
valley where these fugitives from the Law have their hangout. He even so
much as hinted that they had some kind of a plane themselves, which was
in frequent use between this section of country, and certain cities
where they had secret connections, and started much of their counterfeit
stuff into circulation, to the mystification of the authorities, who
could never seem to pick up their trail."
"Jest so, Jack, ole hoss, the air doant ever leave a trail, which makes
it right hard fur such fellers as us to get agoin' straight. Ready to
start on aour way, be yeou, partner?"
"Yes, but I want you to keep on using the glasses right along," Jack
told him. "If we had the misfortune to overlap that single open patch of
ground, we'd be all at sea, and must double back, so as to go over the
ground again, which would increase the chances of our being discovered,
or heard by some of the outlaws possibly out hunting, or going to and
fro."
"I'll do my level best to hit on the mark, Jack; jest go as slow as yeou
kin, so's to gimme every chance to count. Haow far 'bout do yeou figger
goin' on this tack, I want to know?"
"Well, this target we've struck he said on his paper map was something
like twenty miles away from the entrance to the hidden valley--you
remember that of course, Perk? The landing field, as we've got to call
it from now on, would be some six or seven miles away from their Haunt;
and consequently I expect to cover twelve miles, more or less, before
I'm looking to have you tell me you've sighted our goal. If ever you
used those sharp eyes of yours to advantage, now's the time for an extra
effort, partner."
"Leave it to me, boy; I aint agoin' to fail yeou, not if I have to stare
my ole peepers aout o' focus for keeps. Drop daown some ways, Jack--less
chance o' aour bein' seen; an' it's goin' to help me a heap in hittin'
that bit o' level stretch. Cuckoo! that's the ticket--we're droppin'
like a rocket-stick after she's shot her bolt. Naow for to get my eagle
eyes daown to business."
CHAPTER XV
A CLEVER LANDING
A brief time passed, and then Perk called out excitedly:
"Say, I kinder b'lieve I kin glimpse thet same pesky hangaout--looks
like some sorter mounting pass, sech as he drawed in his map, where they
went in an' kim aout; but they's a kinder haze ahangin' over yonder that
makes it hard to be dead sure. If we get it araoun' here it'll hide us
from bein' seen. The wind up here's hittin' us in the face, too, which
helps some in the bargain."
"Never mind about the hideout--that'll all come later on. Just now it's
that landing-field we need most of all--keep your glass on the ground
just ahead, Perk."
Ten seconds later the observer uttered a sudden exclamation.
"Get a bite?" demanded Jack, just about ready to swing around, as it
seemed taking too hazardous chances to continue their advance any
further.
"Kinder guess I sure have," Perk told him; and then proceeded to direct
the eyes of the pilot on a certain spot over which the ship was then
passing.
"You struck it that time, buddy!" exclaimed Jack, evidently mightily
relieved in his mind; for a crisis was upon them, with a change in their
movements absolutely essential, unless they meant to give the whole
scheme away, and wreck their plan of campaign, which was not to be
considered at all.
"Yeah," Perk went on to add, more confidently than before; "that's it,
for a certain_tee_--the on'y place where a ship kin drop with a ghost o'
a show to keep from bein' smashed to flinders. Goin' doawn, are yeou,
Jack?"
There was no need for the other to make answer, since already the big
Fokker tri-motored ship was dropping steadily. How fortunate for them
that just at that critical moment Nature herself was working overtime in
their favor--the wind veering until it came directly in their faces;
while that little haze acted as a veil to conceal them from the hidden
valley lookout--if indeed any such happened to be posted, to give
warning should danger menace the fugitive gangsters.
Perk waited, and watched, his tense face betraying the natural anxiety
he must just then be enduring. It was indeed no small danger that faced
them, for only a most skillful pilot would be able to successfully land
a great airship on such a precarious and scanty stretch of fairly level
ground.
A very small thing that could hardly be avoided, save through a near
miracle, would suffice to throw the heavy plane off balance, and bring
about a wreck that must interfere greatly with their mission, if not
utterly ruin every hope of success.
Yes, Perk could easily be excused for feeling a tenseness around the
region of his staunch heart--a tightening of the nerves and sinews--a
halt in his free breathing, all of them occurring simultaneously; for
the most sanguine of watchers would have easily said the feat was beyond
human capacity.
Yet there was Jack going about the job with apparently the same _sang
froid_ that it was his custom to show when coming down from the clouds,
to settle upon the almost perfect landing green of the big San Diego
airport.
"Say, what _wouldn't_ I give right naow if on'y I could ketch that
confident spirit my best pal's got mixed up in his mind an' heart?" So
Perk was telling himself as he saw the deftness of the touch shown by
the hand at the controls, as well as the wonderful response the perfect
mechanism aboard the Fokker displayed.
Now Jack held her head on, with the ground almost within reach--beyond,
the narrow stretch extended just about a hundred feet; and in this space
he must bring his charge up with a round turn; for should the ship keep
on she would assuredly be wrecked beyond repair.
The tail came in contact, and bounded up again, to immediately repeat
the manoeuvre; the wheels gliding roughly along, with the body of the
ship bouncing from side to side, after the usual custom when the landing
is at all inclined to be a bit off-color.
The motors had ceased working, and the spinning propeller had in
consequence commenced to whirl less violently. Perk allowed himself to
suck in his first good breath in a score of seconds.
"Glory be!" he was saying to himself, lost in admiration and sheer
wonder--"dang my hide if he ain't agoin' to make it, I do declare--did
yeou ever in yeour born days see the like o' that--bet there
aint another pilot west o' the Mississip could a done it that
qsmart--hot-diggetty-dig! we're astoppin', as sure as anything we air.
Wow!"
As the big plane ceased to move forward and came to a stand less than
five feet from the terminus of the smooth ground, Perk, utterly
overcome, lay back inert, "weak as a cat," as he himself afterwards
described his condition.
"And that's that!" was all Jack allowed himself to comment; just as he
might have said in the days when he was a barnstormer, and 'chute leaper
at County Fair gatherings--after sailing down from a five-thousand foot
ceiling, clinging to his decrepit parachute, and making a soft landing
in some ploughed field.
They both sat there as if to recover their breath.
No longer did the roar of the exhaust break upon their hearing--all was
marvelously still round about them--the rocks reared their crests high
above their heads, and looking more cruel and pitiless than when seen at
a distance. Perk shuddered as he noted the innumerable projections that
stuck out almost like giant needles in a cushion, any one of which, had
its point come in contact with the now stranded ship, must have played
havoc with its structure.
"Huh! wake me up somebody, wont yeou kindly?" Perk finally broke out, as
if possessed by the idea he must have been dreaming such a descent could
be put through successfully. "There sure never was sech a crackin' good
drop as the one yeou jest made, Pal Jack--I hand yeou the palm for luck
an' skill combined; an' I hopes as heow I have yeou fur my side kick as
long as I'm in this here flyin' trick!"
Jack turned a beaming face on him at hearing this fulsome compliment.
"Nice of you to say what you did, Perk, old chum;" he remarked, with a
nod of his head; "but you greatly overrate the landing--all any one had
to do was to pick out the safest way, and stick to it through thick and
thin. Easy as falling off a log, let me tell you, buddy."
"Oh! yeah; _but yeou stuck_!" Perk thrust back, as though after all that
clinched the whole matter, which it undoubtedly did.
"Next thing we've got to do, Perk, is to check up, so as to find out
whether the ship was injured any by contact with rocks."
"Right yeou are there, partner," the other chimed in, quickly; "but I
kinder guess as haow we aint got much to worry over that-a-ways, 'cause
she kim daown so easy like, it wouldn't hardly abroken an egg."
"The proof of the pudding is always in the eating," wary Jack told him;
"and we know one of the weakest parts of a ship lies in the undergear.
Let's get a move on, and find out what's what."
Accordingly they both started to look things over, backed by a host of
past similar checkings. It could be only a superficial examination; but
just the same the result pleased them immeasurably, for never the least
damage could they hit upon.
Perk was almost delirious with joy, and wonder as well.
"I never would a b'lieved that stunt could be pulled off if I hadn't
seen the miracle carried aout with my own lamps," he kept saying half to
himself, as he finished his part of the survey. "Jest won-der-ful, I'd
call it, an' let her go at that, which doant tell half the story."
Jack, having had the severe strain removed from his mind, now consented
to finish his breakfast, the natural hunger of a healthy young chap
asserting its prerogative. Accordingly, since Perk also confessed to
feeling a "bit peckish" they sat down on the ground, with the coffee
container between them, and a heap of the "ham-an' sandwiches" which had
come from their favorite restaurant.
"As soon as we get through this necessary business, Perk, we'll stow
some of the grub that's left over in our pockets for an emergency. After
that we'll pick out such traps as we may need in our game, and trot
along--though judging from the looks of this same ravine it'll be only a
figure of speech, because we'll find it necessary to crawl like a couple
of snails most of the way."
"Yeah! that sounds more like it, buddy," agreed Perk, eying the
depression with a scowl, as though he hardly liked the nature of the job
ahead.
CHAPTER XVI
UP AGAINST A SILVER-TIP
There was some difficulty when it came to selecting such things as might
prove most handy in their difficult task. Several had to be laid aside
as being too bulky and cumbersome; for weight would count heavily
against them in forcing a passage through the thick growth in the
ravine; as well as later when they struck the mighty upheaval of rocks
on the side of the mountain, below the natural pass into the
Hole-in-the-Wall valley.
Those things they had selected were divided up, and made into two
packages of about equal weight. When Jack did not happen to be looking
Perk managed to slip several articles into his pack, evidently
begrudging their lack; which he considered only right and proper, since
his shoulders and back must stand for the extra strain.
"An' if we do need 'em, which is like enough," he told himself, as if in
apology for his deceit; "they might jest prove _life-savers_--yeou never
kin tell haow the cat's agoin' to jump; an' they do say as a stitch in
time saves yeour whole bacon."
Having attached these bundles securely to their backs the pair were
ready to start forth on their perilous errand--matching their wits and
courage against the lawless spirits who had defied the power of Uncle
Sam, believing it would take the whole U. S. army to dislodge them from
such an isolated and natural fortress.
"First thing we've got to remember, partner," said Jack, softly, as they
began to plunge into the wild growth that filled the deep ravine from
one side to the other, "is to get our bearings as we advance."
"Gosh amighty! Jack, is that a go, when all we got to 'member is haow we
kept aheadin' 'long this ere coulie. I doant see haow anybody could go
astray in sech a canyon as this same."
"To be sure," Jack assured him, "that's true as long as this is the only
old waterbed we'll have to follow; which it isn't, if you remember those
directions Simeon sent in. Once we became a bit rattled as to which
channel to follow, and it'd ruin all our calculations--the element of
uncertainty has wrecked more clever plans than anything agoing. More
than that, we must turn around and stare at the way things look from the
other direction; because we'll be heading back to our camp when we need
to follow our trail. You know lots of landmarks may seem okay in going,
which you'd never recognize when coming from the opposite quarter."
"Yeah! I knowed that too, buddy," affirmed Perk, with a grin; "read
'baout the same lots o' times as a kid, when I used to soak in stories
o' them old days in Kentucky, that they called the Dark an' Bloody
Ground----Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton, Harrod an' them forest rangers
picked that trick up from the Shawnee Injuns they used to fight. We'll
face the other way heaps o' times, an' make picters o' the scenery on
aour minds; that's okay with me, Jack."
For some little time they had all they could do to push their way along,
so matted were the vines and the underbrush, so extremely rough the
footing.
Twice Perk had stumbled, and come near having an ugly fall; he even
managed to skin his right knee painfully by coming in contact with a
rock; but never a grunt did he emit, accustomed as he was to taking such
things as part of the game.
"Mebbe naow this is what I get fur loadin' me daown so heavy," he told
himself, under his breath; "but jest the same I aint ameanin' to throw a
single thing away; 'cause that'd sure turn aout to be jest what we
needed most to save our skins."
Later on, as they stood still and rested a bit, Perk again confided in
his companion; he always did seem to suck more or less consolation out
of these frequent "chinnings," as they afforded him opportunities to see
things through Jack's eyes, an advantage Perk greatly appreciated.
"More I get thinkin' 'baout the slick way that same Simeon took a
carrier pigeon 'long with him, so he could be sure o' gettin' valuable
information into the hands o' his boss, the more I admire the ole gink.
I knowed as haow the French used them birds over across the water, when
we was afightin' the Heinies; but say, tryin' sech a game aout in the
Secret Service was a new dodge on me."
"Both clever, and original, Perk," assented the other, fastening on his
pack once more; "but then, as I remember Simeon Balderson he was always
different from the common truck of the Force. I'll be right sorry if
anything has happened to him--wiped out by these devils up here, just
because they naturally hate all Service men."
Thus they continued to stumble along, sometimes one in the lead, and
then later on the other would forge ahead, just as circumstances brought
things about.
There was no attempt to make any kind of speed, since time did not count
in what they were trying to accomplish--far better to spend a week, even
two, than to ruin everything by some incautious move.
From time to time sounds would come to their ears, mostly ahead; but in
every case these could be set down as proceeding from birds, or small
animals that may have discovered their approach, and were showing signs
of restlessness.
Once, however, a faint report drifted to their ears through some slant
in the breeze, being possibly a mile or more distant, which both
recognized as a gunshot--the only evidence of human beings that thus far
they had discovered.
It acted as a spur, making them remember what they were up against; but
Perk only smiled, as though he cared very little how soon they ran into
the jaws of trouble, and matched their talents against those they
sought.
Then they had a severe shock--it came almost without the least warning
too, which made it more stunning.
A rustling in the underbrush--what sounded like a snarl or a grunt; and
as they flashed a startled look in that direction, a huge shaggy figure
uprose to betray the presence of a genuine Rocky Mountain grizzly of
un-heard-of proportions, standing erect.
To make the matter all the more serious the frightful beast was almost
directly in their way, blocking any further movement along the ravine.
Besides, while they carried arms, it was highly imprudent on several
accounts for them to dream of using the same.
In the first place their automatics would seem but trivial instruments
when used against such a monster, said to have the nine lives of a cat;
and often known to still be in fighting trim after receiving a volley of
lead from powerful modern sporting rifles.
Then again if they were forced to fire, even though lucky enough to down
their hairy enemy, the sound of the discharges was certain to be heard
by those in hiding, and would serve to turn the entire settlement out
searching for the cause of the rattling sounds.
"Hot-diggetty-dig! did yeou _ever_ see sech a buster o' a bar?" Perk was
gasping, as he stared aghast; "an' the tarnel beast's startin' to move
this way, as sure as shootin', Jack!"
"We've just got to clear out!" came the ultimatum from Jack.
That was easy to say, but what chance would they have against such a
powerful beast, evidently with some reason to hate all two-legged
bipeds, having possibly at some time in the past been severely wounded
by such a creature, and holding a vendetta against all the clan. He
could break through the worst tangle with ease, while they must be held
up, and their progress impeded frightfully.
Jack hit a brilliant idea almost on the instant.
"Follow me, Perk!" he shrilled, tersely; "we've got to climb a tree!
Let's go, partner!"
"Which tree?" Perk demanded, as he kept close at the other's heels.
"Over this way--got limbs low down--silver-tips can't climb a tree, I've
heard. Hurry--hurry!"
There was indeed need of haste, for they could distinctly hear the
smashing advance of the big brute; also catch the growling as he pursued
the fleeing pair who had dared invade his private hunting patch.
Neither of them dared cast a single look back, lest they stumble over an
outcropping rock, or get entangled in some running vine, such as fairly
covered the ground in certain places, to serve as traps to incautious
feet.
Jack managed to arrive at the selected tree ahead of his mate, and
swinging around to the further side, so as to keep out of the other's
way, commenced to lift himself into the lower branches.
This was no slight task, seeing how heavily they were both loaded down
with those bundles fastened to their backs; but it is wonderful what
fright can accomplish under similar conditions; and Perk was already
pawing at the other side of the friendly tree, wild with eagerness to
hoist himself far enough from the ground so as to avoid contact with
those cruel claws of the monster, of which he had doubtless heard
thrilling stories concerning their length, and sharpness.
Nearer came the crashing sounds, and the growls; but by great good luck
the angry beast arrived just too late to attain his end; for while he
reached up all of ten feet Perk believed, he could not more than barely
touch the lower foot of the climber, which was instantly drawn beyond
his reach.
For a full minute, more or less, neither of them could spare the breath
to make any sort of comment over their narrow escape--it was enough for
them to know they had nothing to fear immediately from the irate
silver-tip, still standing erect, and emitting those hoarse growls, as
if to tell them what he would do if only they ventured within his reach.
Then Perk made a slight move, and Jack feared he might be about to kick
at the beast's elevated snout, which would only irritate Bruin a great
deal more.
"Keep quiet, and don't do anything to stir him up more than he is
already," was the way Jack cautioned his running mate, knowing the
impulsive nature of Perk only too well. "He may fade away when he sees
he can't touch us. Just get your breath back, Pal Perk, and wait up."
"Okay, brother," replied the other, as though recognizing the soundness
of his comrade's doctrine.
But somehow or other the big beast showed no signs of intending to break
the siege by "fading out," as Jack had termed it; he continued to move
around the base of the tree, now on all fours, and again raising up to
his full height with ferocious growls if either of them so much as made
a slight move.
"Gee whiz! he sure is some wheeze, I'd say, Jack," Perk remarked, after
some little time had passed, with no change whatever taking place. "What
if the ole geezer takes a notion to tent aout here at aour tree--say,
that'd be the limit, bet yeour boots it would!"
Then he fell silent for a spell, as though mentally calculating the
extent of such a calamity on their fortunes.
CHAPTER XVII
PERK SHOWS HIS HAND
"Let me tell yeou, partner, that same bar he's some stickin'-plaster all
right!"
A full half hour must have passed without any noticeable change in the
conditions. The obstinate beast stayed close to the foot of the tree,
never making any attempt at climbing the same; just as though he might
be well aware of his own shortcomings.
A number of times, when one of the prisoners among the branches chanced
to make some sort of movement, in order to relieve the numbness that had
gripped his legs, the bear would exhibit the same ferocity he had shown
all through the siege.
"The old chap certainly must have a long debt to pay toward somebody,
and is taking it out on us, Perk," ventured Jack, breaking the silence
once more.
"But it doant seem so much like a joke as at first," grumbled Perk,
disconsolately. "What in thunder'd we do if he camped aout on us, mebbe
fur a hull day'nd night--gorry! wouldn't we be in a pickle,
though--nawthin' to eat'r drink it might be, an' so sore in aour bodies
we'd feel like howlin'."
"Oh! let's hope it doesn't turn out so serious as all that," Jack
soothed him somewhat by saying confidently. "What bothers me most is how
we're going to do any sort of business, with that chap hanging out in
this neighborhood, and likely to drop in on us any old minute."
"Drat the luck, any way!" growled the greatly annoyed Perk, aghast at
the very idea of slow starvation; with that fat old husky camped at the
foot of their tree refuge, daring them to set a foot on the ground.
The morning was wearing away by degrees, with the sun already peeping
down into the deep ravine, from its more lofty position in the heavens.
Perk was now busily engaged cudgeling his brains in the endeavor to
conjure up some species of scheme by which they might have a chance to
rid themselves of their four-footed jailor.
All at once Jack saw the other start to feeling of his person eagerly as
though some dazzling idea had burst upon his mind. As a rule these
occasions were few and far between, and yet Perk had been actually known
to originate some amazing schemes, that perhaps did not always turn out
as successfully as he himself might have fancied would be the case.
"I could a sworn I fetched it along, thinkin' there might be some pesky
rattlers in this here coulie," Jack heard him muttering; and then an
exclamation of delight announced that whatever he had in mind it had
eventually turned up in one of his numerous pockets.
"Hey! what's in the wind now, I want to know?" Jack demanded, in idle
curiosity, since he hardly anticipated that his chum would be able to
offer any plausable plan for ridding themselves of that intolerable
nuisance encamped below decks.
Perk was holding something up exultantly, and Jack could see it appeared
to be a small _flask_--such things were very common nowadays, with
prohibition in the land; but as he had never known his mate to use
strong spirits Jack naturally felt more or less surprise to see such a
bottle stowed away on Perk's person. But the word "rattlers" may have
given Jack a slight inkling of what it all meant.
"Fetched this here stuff 'long, Jack, in case either o' us ran afoul o'
a pizen snake," came the explanation; "kinder do hate to waste the same
on sech a wretched beast; but seems like it might get us outen this
nasty scrape."
Jack was forced to laugh.
"Quite an original joke you'd play on Old Eph, I take it, partner--get
the poor stick drunk, you mean, of course; but what makes you reckon
he'd take to the bottle; for of course you couldn't lean down far enough
to pour the stuff into his open mouth--that'd be a heap too dangerous,
I'd think."
Perk gave him a reproachful look as he hastened to explain.
"Say, I aint _quite_ that silly, I hopes, Jack ole hoss, as to give that
critter half a chanct to nab me. I got another idee, it happens, such as
ought to pan aout too, if I kin do what I want without spillin' the
beans, or in this case the bootleg stuff."
"Sounds good to me, Perk," Jack told him as if to encourage further
explanations. "If you don't expect him to swallow it what then,
partner?"
"Jest yeou watch yeour Uncle Perk get busy, boy, that's all."
Long before this both of them had relieved their aching shoulders of the
weighty packs they were carrying, attaching the same safely to certain
broken limbs of the tree that came in conveniently enough. This allowed
of a certain amount of freedom; and so Perk was able to wriggle down
several feet, his movements as usual attracting the observation of the
jealous guardian, for the great shaggy beast stood upright, with his
snout elevated menacingly.
"Be careful now, and don't give him half an opening to nab your foot,
brother," warned Jack.
"Shucks! he aint got a Chinaman's chanct to do that same, Jack. Hey! ole
boy, do yeou smell it a'ready, to be makin' sech faces at me? Well, here
goes to wet yeou daown nice an' easy like."
With that Perk leaned over still more--his hand holding the pocket flask
was just a foot or so above the extended snout of the bear, when the
first trickle of the liquor started to fall, striking the animal's nose,
and running down on the heavy hair covering his neck and back.
"Glory be! look at the scamp openin' his mouth and puttin' aout his red
tongue to ketch some o' the drops!" cried the excited Perk. "Hey! don't
be so het up an' greedy, Mister; I sure aint atryin' to get yeou
soaked--seems like he's quite took to the bottle, don't it, Jack?"
"Like an old toper, for a fact, brother," the other assured him,
laughing as he spoke. "I've heard how the young black bears over in
Yellowstone Park come up to tourists, and beg for some spirits, to which
their taste turns; but I didn't know a big old tramp like this had a
leaning that way. I see you're trying to keep him from swilling it down,
Perk; must have some object in letting the stuff run all over his back
as you're doing?"
"Kinder think I have got sech a neat little scheme, partner; on'y yeou
wait up till I put the finishin' touch to the game--proof o' the
puddin's in the eatin' o' the same, yeou know."
"I'm waiting to be shown, buddy--you know your hand, and can play it
best. Go to it then, and I'll be the judge to say if it pans out okay or
not."
Perk was now draining the flask of the last drop; for when he made up
his mind to do a thing he always went the limit.
"There, that finishes my snake-bite cure, more the pity," he kept
telling his fellow prisoner, with a vein of keen regret in his voice.
"No, yeou jest caint have another drop yeou greedy rascal. Seems like
yeou made things warm enuff for two ginks what never did any harm to
yeou or the fambly; an' now suh, the tables got to turn--I'm figgerin'
on makin' the likes o' yeou as hot as Tophet, that's right, Old Eph."
Still holding out the empty flask as though to keep the bear from
dropping down on all-fours, Perk carefully took out a match, and held it
poised between fingers and thumb. Then it was that what he really meant
to do clicked in the mind of Jack; it rather staggered him in the
bargain, so that he uttered an exclamation that told the other he had
divined his secret.
"Kinder guess yeou're on to my curves, buddy," observed Perk; "well,
here she goes, an' hopin' luck comes aour way."
He thereupon scraped the head of the match along a certain part of the
tree trunk--several times was this repeated, but all to no avail, as the
friction did not appear to be brisk enough to start things going.
Then Perk went back to first principles, and gave a quick scrape down
the seat of his trousers; whereupon there followed a tiny flash, and the
match began to burn brightly.
Waving the bottle, and letting a drop or two ooze from its mouth Perk,
watching his opportunity cast the burning match directly on top of the
bear's shaggy neck. He must have held his breath with suspense while so
doing, for he felt as though he were casting the die, with everything at
stake.
"Wow! it's a go, Perk, you wonderful schemer!" burst from Jack, as he
saw a blue flame start up, where the booze had fallen on the thick,
rusty looking coat of the astonished animal, instantly increasing as the
liquor caught.
Both of them watched with staring eyes to see what followed; but they
did not have long to wait. The bear dropped down on all four feet, and
twisting his head around commenced snapping viciously at the spot where
he already began to feel uncomfortably warm. This caused him to burn his
tongue, and from that moment it took on all the aspect of a _circus_ to
the two spectators lodged there amidst the branches of that friendly
tree; although to be sure it was an altogether different kind of
situation to the astonished bear.
The animal developed a surprising amount of agility, twisting and
turning in a frantic endeavor to bite at the object that was giving him
such a queer sensation as of pain. But all his antics had no effect on
the fire in his coat, which was continually extending its circulation by
streaks and bounds.
"Go to it, buddy--call aout the hull fire department an' smother the
blaze, or yeou're sure a goner. Lookit him arollin' on the ground to
beat the band--aint that cute though, partner--jest like sensible human
bein's would do if they had their heads 'bout 'em when on fire. But it
aint agoin' to help the pore ole dick any, either. There, he's a runnin'
off like fun, headin' fur some sorter water-hole he knows 'bout, I
kinder guess. What a sight that is, Jack ole geezer; but jest the same
I'm sorry 'bout that snake pizen stuff, I sure am--didn't canc'late to
have to use it on sech game."
"That's all right, Perk; it'd saved the cause, and possibly our lives in
the bargain. I'd call it well spent, if you asked me," Jack told him.
"Say, look at him goin' licketty split, like the Ole Nick was after him,
blazin', an' with spurts o' smoke bustin' outen his singed hide. He sure
enough played outen his class that time, I figger. Mebbe, naow, he'll
cut an' run next time he meets gentlemen o' aour stripe."
The spectacle was so extremely ludicrous to Perk that he writhed and
twisted about as if seized with a fit; so, too, did he threaten to burst
out into loud laughter only that Jack gave him due warning of what dire
consequences would be apt to follow any indiscretion along those lines,
which sobered the hilarious one, and brought him back to sanity.
"Kin we climb daown outen this tree naow, partner?" asked Perk, after he
could no longer discern any further sign of the badly singed king of the
mountain valleys; "I'll be tickled pink to be able to stretch my legs a
bit, seein' they're so stiff an' sore; but it shore was too bad 'bout
losin' my precious snake pizen cure--hopes we aint a goin' to need it
any time, that's all."
CHAPTER XVIII
THE CIRCLING BUZZARDS
Jack seemed nothing loth to carry out his chum's suggestion. Truth to
tell he himself felt considerably "cramped" in the lower part of his
anatomy--any one who has been compelled to camp amidst the branches of a
tree for a period of successive hours, knows the experience is anything
but a pleasant one.
So they slipped down, and once more stood on solid ground, with Perk
casting suspicious looks in the quarter where last they had glimpsed the
fleeing grizzly, with jets of mingled smoke and fire spitting this way
and that.
"Huh! here's hopin' he's went for good," he was saying, meaningly.
"Let's get a move on, partner, an' vacate these premises pronto--smells
too rank fur me jest naow--burnt hair allers _did_ get my goat, ever
since that barber coaxed me to have my crop singed--said as haow it'd
grow out agin a heap faster if the split ends they was scotched away;
but for a whole week afterwards folks used to look at me funny like, an'
move further away. Huh!"
"No hurry at all, buddy," Jack told him; "that live wire isn't going to
come back this way in a hurry, you can depend on that. Let's take a
look, and make sure nothing has been dropped from our packs, or pockets.
On the whole we've got a heap to congratulate ourselves on, coming out
of such a scrape as well as we did--thanks to that bright thought of
yours."
"Gee! it's real nice o' yeou to say that, Jack, ole bean; I'm not sorry
we had sech a queer experience; on'y I do begrudge him that real stuff,
which is gone for keeps--it wasn't moonshine, or bootleg either, boy;
but worth it's weight in solid silver--the man says as sold it to me."
"Well, it did come in handy, for a fact, Perk, and we mustn't grieve
over using it. Just try to imagine one of us _did_ get struck by the
fangs of a rattler, and the stuff saved a human life--in this case maybe
two. Cheer up--plenty more where that came from, if only you've got the
coin."
"Right yeou are, brother," Perk thereupon hastened to say, as he
adjusted his pack to conform with the angles of his body. "On'y I got to
be doubly keerful from neow on bout runnin' smack up again a pizenous
viper, since it'd be jest too bad to get struck, an' no cure handy."
When Perk had anything bothering him he was in the habit of keeping his
"misery" constantly on tap; but then Jack was used to such little
eccentricities on the part of his bosom chum--Perk's good qualities more
than compensated for his poor ones, a fact which those who knew him
realized.
They started on, following the devious windings of the former
watercourse, where ages back there must have been terrible floods rush
down toward the lowland, after every cloudburst at the top of the
mountains. Many years must have passed since those happenings ceased,
for the trees and heavy undergrowth rooted in cracks of the mighty rocks
told this story of change.
"I sure do hope we doant run into any other kind o' wild critter, while
makin' this grand sneak," Perk was telling himself, as he kept close
behind his leader, picking his steps as daintily as any high born
lady--since that was his method of keeping watch for suspicious moving
objects on the ground, such as might turn out to be reptiles waiting to
puncture his ankles. "If I was totin' my Winchester along, an' met up
with a snarlin' mounting lion, I'd think it a bit o' luck; but when
yeour hands are tied, so yeou dassent shoot a gun, things look kinder
different, that's right, an' not so good."
Whenever Jack paused for a brief stop, and stared back, Perk dutifully
copied his action, trying to impress certain local features of the
landscape upon his memory.
They had by this time come a considerable distance away from the spot
where the airship had been abandoned, partly screened by the overhanging
branches of several trees, and also a partial blanket of evergreens,
small ones they had been able to tear up, and use with rare judgment.
Part of the time it was possible for them to raise their eyes and see
the clear blue sky in places. Once Perk discovered a moving object pass
before his vision, which he speedily made out to be a buzzard. A second
followed close behind, and then numerous other of the carrion eaters,
all swinging in the same direction after the manner of their clan.
As his eyes followed the circle of soaring birds Perk had an unpleasant
thought strike in that gave him a chill around the region of his heart.
"Hot-diggetty-dig! I wonder neow could it be them gluttonus birds they
been pickin' the bones o' thet poor Simeon what disappeared 'raound this
section o' kentry? Jack hinted like he kinder guessed the plug uglies
had knocked him on the head, an' tossed his body over some big
precipice. Gee whiz! it shore does gimme a bad feelin' to think
thataways, 'specially since chances air we might be headin' straight
along that same road aourselves."
After that there seemed to be some sort of a horrible fascination about
the wheeling line of feathered scavengers, so that at every opportunity,
when an opening presented itself, Perk just stared, and stared,
frequently stumbling awkwardly over an unnoticed object, and almost
losing his balance.
Jack noticed this fact presently, and felt called upon to warn the
other.
"Keep your eyes more on the ground, partner, and do less sky gazing," he
told Perk in a low but distinct tone. "A tumble might give you a bad
hurt; and besides, we can't afford to make any sort of racket, you know.
Never mind those rotten buzzards--what do _we_ care about their
carrying-on."
Perk suspected that Jack had himself guessed what ailed him, from the
way he connected the sailing of the uncanny crew with his companion's
erratic actions. At any rate it rather abashed Perk to realize his
weakness could be so readily observed; so he braced himself up, and
tried to give a low laugh.
"That's okay, Jack; I'll be a heap more keerful. We got to do this grand
creep as slick as grease, with them pesky kiotes keepin' their ears to
the ground for s'picious noises."
As the subject of Simeon's possible raw deal had fastened itself on his
mind, Perk continued to speculate regarding the personality of the
missing Secret Service agent. The subject grew more interesting the
further he went, and in the end he even asked Jack a question that was
bothering him.
"Yeou says as haow yeou knowed this guy Simeon some, didn't yeou,
partner?"
"I only met him a few times about a year back while in Washington; but
at that took quite a shine to him," Jack explained, as Perk nudged up
against him, both having stopped to rest after negotiating an extra
difficult stretch on their climb.
"He must a been a fair good chap then, I guess, partner, eh, what?"
"I liked him," Jack added, concisely; "and they thought well of him in
the Big Chief's offices."
"Any fambly as yeou heard of?" Perk further wished to know.
"He told me he was a widower--I thought he must be up against some sort
of mind trouble--it just impressed me that way, though he never let out
a word of his personal affairs; but I never saw him smile, even when
others in the party were cracking jokes, and laughing their loudest."
"Huh! too bad sech a fine guy should a been sent out on a tough job like
this one," was all that Perk remarked, half under his breath, as though
what Jack had told satisfied his curiosity, and further increased his
respect for the brave brother officer whom he knew only by report.
These things were bound to crop up in his mind from time to time, and
give him reason for further thought; for whatever the sad fate of Simeon
might be it seemed to have some connection with their own fortunes.
Then Perk's roving fancy came back again to the adventure through which
they had so recently passed, with such wonderful success. Figuratively
he patted himself on the back, because it had been wholly his conceit,
that of setting their grim four-footed jailor on fire, and causing the
beast to break the siege in hot haste.
"Huh! not so bad--fur me," Perk told himself, with one of his queer
chuckles. "Ole Perk he kin wake things up once in a coon's age, if he
sets his mind on doin' the same. Kinder guess it'd pay me to sorter
cultivate that streak o' ingenuity--mebbe I'm movin' along to be some
sorter inventor like Tom Edison--yeou never kin tell 'til the time
comes. 'Twouldn't be so funny after all, come to think o' it--my ole man
had a gift thataway, even if he never did set the State o' Maine on
fire. Huh! if things keep on amovin' like this, little ole Perk mebbe'll
amount to some punkins after all!"
CHAPTER XIX
TAKING GREAT CHANCES
Jack could read his chum almost as easily as he might an open page.
Consequently he readily surmised what was making the other feel so
good--he saw Perk's chest swell up, and his whole person partake of the
joy that accompanied his secret thoughts. Not for worlds though would he
wish to let the other know how it amused him.
"Let him enjoy the thrill while it lasts, the dear old chap," he told
himself in a whisper. "It isn't often he plays the high hat role; and
after all's said and done his queer little game _did_ pan out just
fine--no shooting, or whooping things up; just making it hot for that
ill-tempered live wire of a silvertop bear."
What was causing Perk to feel so good was the thought of what would
happen should any one ever again try to coax that identical bear to
partake of the tempting fluid that had brought about his recent panic
and flight.
"Me, I'd shore hate to be in his shoes, if that big hulk broke loose an'
made things fly," was the way he wound up his soliloquy; when other more
vital matters began to engage his attention.
It was by now long after noon, and as usual Perk had begun to feel a bit
"queer" down in the pit of his stomach. For this feeling there was, as
he very well understood, but one sovereign remedy. Accordingly he gave a
little tug at his companion's arm, and hastened to suggest:
"Jack, haow 'bout holdin' up, an' having aour lit snack--aint no tellin'
when a better chanct'll come aour way, I kinder guess?"
"It wouldn't be a bad idea, Perk; and to tell the truth I'm feeling as
if I needed a bite or two so's to keep up this climbing. Hold on, here's
as good a spot as any--let's go!"
Two minutes afterwards and they were seated crosslegged on the ground,
amidst a generous growth of covert, which would likely screen them
effectually from any prying eyes.
Jack realized that by this time they must have climbed far enough up the
mountainside to bring them fairly close to the opening of the pass that
led into the valley of the giants.
If this were true then it behooved them to exercise a greater amount of
caution than ever, lest they betray themselves to some vidette who might
be posted near by.
With this idea in view he considered it the part of wisdom to take Perk
into his confidence, so that as they exchanged views they could tone
down their voices to the whispering stage.
Meanwhile Perk had produced the aforesaid "snack" in the shape of a
small package, neatly done up by that efficient waiter friend, and
containing, it turned out, another kind of sandwich, with a tasty brand
of cheese as the "filler."
"Jest didn't dare try to hitch that ere tank o' hot coffee along on this
tough hike, partner," explained Perk apologetically, after listening to
the need of caution mentioned by Jack. "So we'll have to munch this
spread dry; or else locate a spring so's to wet aour whistles."
"That isn't much of a hardship," he was told; "but we may be lucky
enough to run across fresh water; and you could fill that empty flask of
yours if you wanted."
"By gum! not a bad idee that, Pal Jack; shore I'll do that same right
willin'ly, if the chanct comes aour way. Haow 'bout the next move, sense
it seems we've got this far okay?"
"I've been trying to figure that out," Jack told him, reflectively it
could be seen. "I've studied the conformation of the ground, which is
something out of the general run; Simeon's rude chart helped me a lot in
the bargain. This enclosed valley, you understand, has high cliffs
around it, with possibly only one way to go in and come out."
"Yeah! I get yeou, buddy--meanin' the queer pass that's so narrow three
hossmen couldn't enter abreast--is that straight, Jack?"
"Absolutely so," came the immediate reply, accompanied with a smile, as
if it pleased Jack to understand how readily his comrade entered into
the explanation he had offered. "That being the case it seems likely we
might be able to keep on climbing until finally we reached a place where
we could find a screen close to the top of such a cliff. That would give
us a wonderful eyrie like an eagle would select to build her nest on;
and from which place we could look down into the entire valley."
"Hot-diggetty-dig! but woudn't that be a scream, oh! boy?" gasped the
deeply interested Perk, in whole-hearted enthusiasm, as he nodded his
head in approval. "Let's do jest that, then, partner. Why, with the
glasses as I fetched along for keeps, we could spy aout everything we'd
want to know, an' mebbe find a way to git into the valley, withaout
usin' that guarded pass."
"Just so, Perk, and I notice you've got a strangle hold on the
situation, which pleases me a heap. You see, there were a few hints in
what our good friend Simeon incorporated in his brief notes, that
started such an idea in my brain; so once again we're indebted to his
scouting for putting us wise to a good thing."
"Bully ole Simeon--he's all wool an' a yard wide I'm a tellin' yeou
Jack, as the boys used to say in aour village when I was a smart-aleck
kid."
"Then that's settled," Jack announced, with finality, "and we'll keep on
climbing after we get some rest, and finish our lunch. I've an idea I
can catch the sweet song of a brook up above, so we'll be able to wash
down this dry stuff in fine style."
"Good for that, partner," gurgled Perk, with his mouth almost full, so
that he was in danger of choking; and Jack, noting the fact, refrained
from making any further remarks calculated to tempt the other to
splutter out a reply, or a comment of some sort.
Once while thus engaged in "feeding," as Perk always called the act of
satisfying hunger, he chanced to lift his eyes above the high margin of
the gully, and immediately stopped munching what he had in his mouth.
Those sailing buzzards were still making their wide loops as they
always do when scanning the face of the country for miles in search
of their next meal; and somehow the very sight of them took away
part of the satisfaction Perk was feeling in filling up a vacuum
"down-below-stairs."
"Drat the foul birds!" he muttered, half to himself; "they shore do make
me tired with their everlasting wheelin' an' cavortin', atryin' to see
what sorter grub we got daown here thet they'd like to gobble. Gosh all
hemlock! haow I'd like to knock their red blocks off with a
scatter-gun!"
Jack understood enough not to make any remark calculated to cause his
pal to again worry his mind over what could not be remedied--the
mysterious vanishing of poor Simeon Balderson. And presently Perk
chirked up, as though he could put the grewsome matter out of his mind
so long as he refrained from watching the constant evolutions of the
carrion birds.
As they devoured their last sandwich, feeling as though they had had
quite sufficient, somehow both were silent. Jack contemplated remaining
there in that sheltered nook for a further brief rest, after which they
would again take up the tedious and arduous climb.
"Mebbe we had orter be on the move, partner," Perk finally suggested in
a low whisper, just as though he feared lest a host of hostile ears
might be hidden from sight by the nearby thickets. "I 'low I'm right
daown thirsty, an' a swig o' that gurglin' stream'd come in fine."
"Just as you say, Perk," with which remark Jack started to arise; and
presently both were toiling upward, stepping carefully, and endeavoring
not to brush against the branches of the stubby pinons as they advanced
slowly on the way toward their goal.
A minute or so afterwards found them lying flat on the ground,
swallowing generous quantities of the cold, icy water that was running
down the rugged slope in a zigzag fashion, due to the innumerable
obstacles that caused it to make little detours, since water must always
seek its own level, and will find different means for so doing.
Suddenly Jack lifted his head, swallowing hastily, and made a low
hissing sound that thrilled his companion.
"Voices near by--somebody coming this way, perhaps for a drink--we must
get a move on or we'll be discovered! After me, Perk, and be still as
the grave," was what Jack whispered in the ear of his mate as he
commenced crawling away.
CHAPTER XX
ON THE ENCIRCLING CLIFF
Considering the fact that neither of the two Service men could boast of
having graduated from the school of born scouts, and that their
education along the line of the crafty pioneers was a bit off-color, it
was simply wonderful how successfully they managed to creep into the
thickest of the surrounding heavy growth without making any noticeable
noise to betray the fact of their passage.
When Jack fancied they had covered sufficient ground he gave Perk a
signal with his foot--an old trick with the well paired couple that they
had worked to advantage on numerous occasions.
Thereupon, when Jack halted his snake-like progress, the other glided
alongside; and thus they lay so close together that if necessary they
could exchange a few words in whispers, although most likely Jack would
forego this privilege.
The sound of conversation had grown much louder, accompanied by the
swishing of bushes, as two or more persons continued to follow some sort
of narrow path undoubtedly leading to this wonderful little rivulet.
Now the speakers must have reached their goal, for the voices were
stilled, as though the men might be lying flat, and quenching their
thirst in something purer than the poor stuff with which they were
probably wont to seek the much desired kick.
Both of the hidden intruders strained their ears in hopes of making out
what was being said, and thus possibly acquiring a little useful
information; but the men spoke in such muffled tones this expectation
failed to materialize--the deep, rumbling tones of one, and higher and
shrill voice of the other, accompanied by occasional laughs, kept on for
at least ten minutes; then from the sounds growing fainter Jack and Perk
understood the two men must be going back the way they had come; from
which fact they judged the opening into the closed valley must lie in
that quarter, almost due north-by-east from their present refuge.
"Dog gone it! an' I ain't wise to a single thing they was a sayin',"
Perk lamented, half under his breath, after they could no longer catch
the faintest sign of the pair who had been so near them.
"Same here," added Jack, "which was too bad, for we might have picked up
a little useful information while they talked and laughed."
"Gee! I strained my hearin' so hard it near cracked my ear-drums, I
bet," continued Perk, with a shake of his head; "but it was all rumble
an' squeak, mixed in a mess. I shore never did hear so high-pitched a
voice on a man in all my born days."
"Well, I have; and if you'll think back some you'll remember just _one_
occasion in the bargain--both of us remarked it as a queer kind of a
voice--particularly for a big, bold fellow, who scorned to show a sign
of weakness even when hemmed in, and taken prisoner by a couple of fresh
Secret Service detectives, belonging to the Flying Corps."
The effect of these words on Perk was electrical--he started as though
he had been shot, stared hard at his companion, then grinned broadly,
and gave vent to his feelings in a suppressed _roar_--as near as he
dared under such sensitive conditions.
"Well, well, well--hot-diggetty-dig! what a blind loon I am, not to 've
s'pected that same! Yeou mean that boob was no other than Slippery Slim
hisself, the Ole Scratch we're runnin' after right at this minute, doant
yeou, partner mine? Glory be! what a great chanct we lost o' fillin'
aout aour job in the start--why, we could aturned back to the ship, gone
aboard, an' cut loose at two miles a minute fur the home airport, with
_him_ safely bagged."
"On the other hand, Perk, we might have given ourselves away, and let
him slip out of our hands; when it would be ten times as hard to capture
him as if he didn't dream we were around this district. Depend on it
this is all for the best--we'll imitate the hungry wolf, and lie in
ambush until such time as we can pounce down on Slim, and carry him off
unbeknown to the balance of the gang."
"Yeah! I kinder guess that's 'baout the ticket, partner; but it gives me
a bad case o' the willies jest to think haow close we was, an' let 'em
skip aout. Gee! I'm in a cold sweat, drat the luck!"
"While I was listening to his coarse language, and hard rasping laugh,"
Jack went on to say, softly; "do you know what came into my mind--a
picture of that cottage in the suburb of San Diego, where we took that
clever little lad we managed to keep from falling into the jaws of the
mad dog."
"I've thought o' the same many times since we left town," Perk declared,
in a sincere tone that bespoke his feelings in the matter. "Nice ole
lady, too; an' it gets me jest haow a boy could treat sech a fine mother
like he's done--he orter be tarred an' feathered, that's my 'pinion!"
"Don't jump at conclusions that way, brother," Jack interposed, as usual
seeing further than the more impulsive Perk. "First of all, we're not so
dead certain he _is_ her son, and that sweet child his boy--we just
guessed as much because that was surely Slim's moniker on the wall we
glimpsed. But then the chances are, no matter what his relations may be
with the old lady, she's never really known what a bad egg Slim's been.
I've heard of cases where a wife of ten years standing still had faith
in her man, and believed him to be simply unfortunate. So we mustn't
feel so positive until we know more; although it looks as if Mrs.
Ferguson must think him a good guy, the story of his crimes having been
kept from her ears, either through accident, or a desire to save her
mental suffering."
"Mebbe that's it, Jack--yeou kin see deeper into sech puzzles than I
ever could. But I only hope we manage to pick up leadin' clues, an' find
aout 'baout that matter 'fore we're through with this case."
"Believe me, we're going to do all of that, Perk. Once we get our man
again, and are aboard our good ship, headed for port, we'll see that he
opens up and explains a good many things that so far are wrapped in
mystery."
"I kinder guess that's right, buddy," was Perk's comment; after which
they ceased whispering, to turn their full attention upon the task
ahead--that of climbing still higher up the face of the steep mountain,
with the idea of securing a full view of the hidden valley, and all
contained therein.
Whenever a good opportunity opened up for an observation Jack studied
the nature of the ground above them.
In this fashion he felt capable of deciding when they had gone as far as
was needful in order to carry out their purpose, and secure an
unobscured view of the wonder valley, with all it contained.
Both of them experienced more or less curiosity along these lines, as
was most natural. So much had been said concerning the hard gang of bad
eggs who had taken up their quarters in this wild locality--they had
caused such a riot of annoyance to the authorities at Washington, on
account of their periodical forays, and the apparent impossibility of
breaking up the defiant group, that anything connected with their life
in the mountain fortress must appeal strongly to each and every Secret
Service man.
Then besides, the unknown fate that had overtaken the last two gallant
adventurers who had dared to try and beard the tough lawbreakers in
their den--and which had only latterly come to the ears of Jack and
Perk--was calculated to invest the whole subject with a tinge of mingled
romance and sheer adventure, such as added to the thrill.
It began to look as though they might reach their objective with an hour
or so of daylight remaining, in which to take an observation. Later on,
as they sat, or lay resting after the strenuous climb, they could
compare notes, and begin to build up something of a plan of campaign.
"I reckon," said Jack, softly enough, after one of those halts, during
which he always made up his calculations, "we're as high as we need go.
By sheering off here to the right we're apt to strike the top of that
high cliff we spotted. Then we'll have all the chance we want to get
rested."
"Shucks! I aint a mite tired, buddy," Perk assured him, between breaths;
"on'y short o' wind, as yeou might say. Some climb, b'lieve _me_!"
"Get your breath then, Perk; and if you're ready say when."
"Go to it, ole hoss!"
They exercised due caution, and gradually swung around in a half curve,
when Perk gripped the arm of his mate, to hoarsely exclaim:
"Thar she be, partner, openin' up like a book right ahead o' us!"
CHAPTER XXI
ALL ON A DIET
"Steady then, boy--we mustn't give them a chance to glimpse anything
moving up here, or the fat'll be in the fire. A step at a time, and
mighty slow at that!" Jack warned the hasty Perk.
The sun lay low toward the western horizon, as seen through a gap in the
mighty snow-capped mountains lying in that quarter. It happened that
there was a line of scrub growing close to the edge of the cliff; and
which the quick-witted Jack saw would prove a very effective screen for
them to hide back of.
Down on hands and knees they dropped, to begin crawling inch by inch
toward their objective. A cat creeping up on a sparrow, or a fat robin,
could not have displayed a greater amount of sagacity and caution that
those two man-hunters exhibited then and there--every little move was a
gem; and Perk, keeping close to the heels of his leader, was fain to
thrill with admiration over the wonderful skill shown by Jack in making
this advance.
By slow degrees they opened up an amazing vista as they drew closer to
the brink of the cliff--it was a spectacle such as neither of them had
ever laid eyes on during their entire past life--that glorious green
valley lying like an oasis amidst grim mountain ranges, making the
contrast clean-cut, and magnificent indeed.
Later on no doubt Jack would drink the scene in with avidity, since he
was a great lover of the picturesque; but at that particular moment
there happened to be other things demanding their sole attention.
The valley itself was the only frame that surrounded the picture most
interesting to their minds. Those who had gathered under the effective
leadership of the man whom they had been credited with sending to the
Federal penitentiary not so many moons back, were the objects of their
dangerous journey into these untracked wilds; and they were most eager
to learn just how they were living in their hidden retreat--also what
their mode of slipping out to make a bold stroke, and then disappear
again most mysteriously, might be.
First the further end of the valley came under their view, but with
never a moving figure, nor yet any sign of huts or tents to indicate the
presence of human beings.
By slow degrees they widened their line of observation--objects closer
at hand began to be noticeable, and finally they discovered the first
shack. It was only a place used as a shelter for animals, which would
indicate that they had a herd of ponies in the valley, where doubtless
there would be found plenty of grass for grazing, even throughout the
severe winter season.
Jack's first impression ran along the line of what a wonderful prize
such a rare mountain retreat must some day prove for cattle, driven from
the open range by the coming of cold, and heavy snows.
Ah! a second structure now bobbed up; but like the other it had the look
of a rough shelter unsuited for human use. Others by degrees came along,
and Jack counted nearly a dozen up to the time he struck quite a
commodious log cabin, looking like some he had seen in times gone by
when in a logging camp in Michigan, where a bunch of loggers cutting
timber during the winter, had to be kept warm when feeding.
Men were clustered around this structure, some lying on the ground,
while others sauntered about, evidently talking and joking; although any
sounds they might be making came but faintly to the strained hearing of
the watchers up on the heights, so great was the distance separating
them.
"Hot-diggetty-dig! thar they be, partner, the hull kittin' crew," Perk
ventured to say, softly; for as yet they did not know whether a lookout
or vidette was kept posted, where he could have a range of vision
covering many miles out over the rock strewn country toward the east and
south.
"Just a round dozen in sight," muttered Jack, who was already using the
binoculars; "but at that there might be as many more in the huts and
shacks. Away off there to the north, where the grass looks greenest I
can see a small herd of ponies feeding; remember, Perk, some of those
accounts hinted that in all probability they conducted their raids on
horseback, and faded away again completely after striking."
"Huh! seems like they got a reg'lar _system_ organized," grunted the
observant Perk, staring off to the section where Jack indicated.
"That's all the work of our old friend, Slippery Slim," he was told in
terms that would not admit of any denial; "he's shown in his past jobs
he's a wonderful organizer--if he had been straight, and in the army,
his genius might have pushed him far up the ladder; as it is he's only
been able to prove one of the nastiest thorns in the flesh the
Government ever tackled."
"Then I kinder guess it'll be a relief if we carry this job through to a
finish, and get the critter landed for keeps back where his wings'll be
fair clipped."
"You said it, Perk."
Jack still held on to the glasses, finding it so interesting trying to
locate this thing and that; but then Perk had most astonishingly keen
eyesight, and could pick up considerable information unaided. He was
accustomed to staring into dim far-off spaces when aloft, which added to
his ability in that line.
Lower dropped the sun.
Presently the shadows would come trooping out of their hiding-places,
where they holed during daytimes. Jack realized that, shut in as the
valley was by those beetling cliffs, the twilight must be already
falling down yonder--yes, he could notice the failing light, and inside
of a brief time darkness must wrap everything in its dark folds, save
where possibly some fire continued to burn, and dispel the gloom.
"I figure that they do most if not all of their cooking inside of that
long log cabin, and eat there to boot," he explained to his companion,
eagerly listening.
"More organization stuff, eh?" grunted Perk; "then like as not they even
got some kinder cook, or _chef_, to handle the pots an' pans. Flyin'
high, I'd call it, partner--alivin' off the fat o' the land mebbe."
"Why not, when they've pulled off some mighty big shake-downs during the
last few months, and must have raked in a heap of dough? With the coin
you can buy all sorts of good things to eat; and don't forget how
they've got a special delivery ship, that is able to tote half a ton or
more of freight."
"Whew! jest to think o' that," breathed Perk, making a face as if some
extremely painful thought had flashed through his excited brain; "an'
heow we on'y got _four_ slim sandwiches to fill up on--hardly a bite
apiece."
"Tough luck, that's right, boy," said Jack, cheerily; "but such old
campaigners as we are shouldn't squeal because we miss a few meals. Easy
enough to make up for lost grub when we're all cleaned up, and sitting
pretty. Besides, just as like as not I'm going to ask you to trot back
to our ship in the morning, if you're agreeable."
"Huh! surely not to stay, while yeou're up here by yeour lonely--don't
tell me that, Jack, ole pard."
"Hardly, buddy; I'll need your help too much to divide our forces in
front of the enemy, or when crossing a stream, which is a bad time, they
say, to change horses. I meant that you could make up a big bundle of
grub, and tote it along; for there's no telling how much time we're
going to squander, loafing up on this roost, and watching how things
go."
"Gosh! _that's different_, partner; of course I'd be glad to slide daown
there, take a peek at our boat, load up with some stuff, an' make it
back here 'bout middle o' the afternoon--if I'm lucky."
"Well, you've just _got_ to be lucky, and not spill the beans, that's a
foregone conclusion, Perk. Every foot of the way you must keep on the
alert, and take no chances of discovery. But it's getting so dark down
in the valley we might as well shut up shop for the present."
"Meanin' it's the end o' a perfect day, eh, what?" asked Perk, as he
started to "back water," and push away from the screen of scrub bushes.
"Well, we've accomplished a few things worth remembering, so the time
hasn't been exactly wasted, Perk. But the main job still lies ahead of
us, remember, brother. It's going to be no small job either, to separate
that slick rascal from the balance of the gang, and carry him off in our
airship, without having to fight a regular battle with the mob."
Perk scratched an ear, and then remarked softly:
"It never could be done if left to a lad built like me, I'm tellin'
yeou, my boy--couldn't make the grade, which is a fack. Some galoots air
built that way, yeou savvy? But, so long as I got a pal to lean on I
aint worrin' 'baout not bringin' home the bacon, not me."
"None of that baloney, Perk."
They continued to back away until Jack decided they were far enough
distant from that dreadful brink of the mighty cliff, to avoid any
possibility of falling over if by chance they "walked in their sleep,"
as Perk had been known to occasionally do, when something was weighing
heavily on his mind.
"Let's have those last few sandwiches that you held out at lunchtime,"
Jack remarked, settling down to make himself as comfortable as the
conditions allowed. "Good thing too, you were so thoughtful, since only
for that we'd have gone to sleep with empty stomachs, which is rather
hard on a fellow as fond of chow as some one I know."
"I'm guilty, all right, Jack--eatin's one o' my shortcomin's for a
fack--allers did count the hours 'til the horn'd blow fur
dinner-time--age haint changed little Gabe Perkiser a whit, an' never
will, I kinder spect. Take yeour pick--jest two each, an' haow I wish
I'd a told him to make 'em double thick--why, dang it they on'y be a
couple o' bites each, sech bites as I take."
"Half a loaf's a lot better than no bread--be philosophical, buddy, and
as you munch your fodder keep thinking what you're going to do punishing
the grub when the time of plenty rolls along, which it surely will do in
good time."
They sat there exchanging remarks in cautious tones, and making the
slender allotment of food go just as far as possible--as might a child
nibbling all around the sugar coating on the top of his cake, "keeping
the best for the last."
"Goin' to be some cold, in the bargain, seems like," suggested Perk,
whose mind always ran to picking out the thorny parts, and forgetting
the pleasant ones lying in wait for them later on.
"Oh! well, we ought to know what cold stuff means, after being miles
high so many hours at a time, and in an open cock
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