barrier that should hold back the riotous winds as well as the waves
that would soon be beating heavily against it. With the cabin for
shelter they would not have anything to complain about, unless the storm
should turn into a regular cyclone and Jack could hardly conceive such a
thing possible away out there on the shore of Great Salt Lake, far
removed from the hurricane districts of the Mexican Gulf.
XI
A STORMY NIGHT
By this time the forerunners of the gale had arrived with considerable
electrical display and reverberating thunder. Of course the two flyers
had removed their ear-phones since the motor lay silent and the
whirlwind propeller had also ceased to spin around with incalculable
speed but when the thunder began to roar at its loudest they found it
necessary to shout in order to make themselves heard.
"Say, promises to be some screecher, b'lieve me!" was the way Perk put
it when an extraordinarily loud crash almost burst their eardrums, the
preceding flash having seared their eyes and nearly blinded them.
"Some fireworks for a fact," conservative Jack admitted frankly, "didn't
reckon on such an exhibition so soon. But see here, Perk----"
"Yeah!" snapped the other, showing his readiness to act if anything was
needed along the order of further security from the rain that was now
drenching the shore line as if a cloud had burst.
"Seems to me you're forgetting something, partner," continued Jack.
"As what, Boss?"
"Isn't it about time for _grub_?" demanded Jack whose face was set in a
grin a sudden flash of lightning disclosed.
"Je-hos-i-phat! if that ain't the very first time I ever did forget such
a thing as eats!" burst out the chagrined co-pilot. "That's a fact, it
is our time for attendin' to the gnawin' down below-stairs. Wait up,
buddy, an' I'll fix things up okay in a jiffy."
He was as good as his word, although the measure of action he mentioned
has never as yet been exactly settled. Perk knew just where he had put
his supplies and trotted them out with alacrity, likewise undoubted
pleasure for that sacred rite of eating was one of the duties the war
veteran always stood by manfully.
Undoubtedly both of them had partaken of meals under many peculiar
conditions but if their comments had any bearing on the subject never
before had they dined under such frightfully noisy accompaniments as
right then with the cannonading from heaven's heavy artillery constantly
booming, the wind howling like a pack of maddened wolves and the waves
smashing against that little rocky ridge that sheltered them so bravely.
Perk had lighted the stub end of a candle so that they might not be in
complete darkness, for it was as though midnight had arrived, especially
between the vivid flashes as streaks of lightning went zigzagging
athwart the black dome overhead.
Calmly they continued to munch their sandwiches and take occasional sips
of hot coffee from the thermos bottle, Perk having supplied a couple of
large aluminum cups for the occasion.
"Don't seem to let up any that I c'n notice," remarked Perk later on
when they had taken the edge off their appetites.
"Weather fooled me that time for certain," added Jack frankly, "but then
I never did claim to be a good hand at guessing what was coming along in
this line. Government reports have always served me decently and even
they can't always be depended on. This upset may last most of the night
for all we can tell."
"Who cares?" sang out Perk, gaily enough. "I worked in a boiler factory
in my salad days an' got used to all kinds o' rackets. Nary a drop o'
rain gets in here, you notice comrade, thanks to the swell cabin we've
got over our heads. Huh! how many times have I gone through big storms
in the open cockpit o' an old-fashioned crate. Been bombarded too
aplenty by half a hundred big guns, with shells bursting every-which-way
around. Seems like a feller c'n git used to near anything if on'y he
runs up against it often enough."
"Snug as two bugs in a rug," agreed Jack lightly. "Here we'll stick it
out tonight and go on after morning breaks--no hurry, remember,
brother--just take things as they come along and keep in trim for the
big push later on."
"That's the ticket, Jack, boy--it sure wins out in the end--no blunders,
jest every move carried out like machine work an' we're sure to come in
smilin' at the windup."
Later on there was a little letup in the violence of the storm and Perk
even felt encouraged enough to predict that the worst was over with
possibly a nice, peaceful night's rest ahead.
This, however, proved to be a false deduction on his part for once again
the thunder rose to a deafening pitch, with a wind of such velocity that
Jack himself felt a little uneasiness, not on account of his own
security, but because of the great damage he fancied the surrounding
country would suffer in consequence of wind and flood.
"Danged if the ol' thing ain't turned turtle on us an' got started on
the back track agin!" complained the humbled Perk. "What I know 'bout
weather you could stick in a thimble!"
"But you're wrong when you say it's backed upon us," Jack told him
pointedly, "for the wind is still coming from the same old quarter, this
is only another section of the same old storm."
"Huh! running this train in sections are they?" continued the disgusted
Perk, "wall, I on'y hope they ain't too many more parts to the
contraption--I've seen quite enough a'ready."
Having finished their supper they made themselves as comfortable as the
conditions allowed. Jack got to figuring, as usual, for he was a great
hand at laying out his plans in black and white for reference when the
time for action arrived. Perk was poring over some clippings he had
picked up at some time or other and which appeared to be of special
interest to him.
It was indeed a most eccentric storm, now waning and giving promise of
expiring, anon picking up again and squeezing out considerable more
water to help finish the flooding of the earth.
Tiring of his reading with a poor light, Perk had for some little time
been lying there so quietly that Jack half suspected he might have
passed into dreamland. Suddenly he gave a loud grunt and exclaimed:
"Reckon now it might be jest plain Barrowman--an' yet somehow that don't
seem to sound quite right--how 'bout Baxter--Banister--Brockman--shucks!
what ails me anyhow--my bean ain't worth a red cent when it comes to
'memberin' names--guess I must be goin' a bit loco an' next thing I know
I'll have to sew my own name on my coat in case I forget it."
Jack only chuckled, knowing that his chum was going through the same old
game of cudgeling his treacherous memory with the usual poor results as
of yore.
Later still, and both of them seemed to get more or less sleep though
the storm kept up a growling and threatening for hours, as if not
content with such damage as it must have already done.
Finally Perk, aroused by signs of daylight, looked out and was highly
pleased to discover that not only had dawn really arrived, but that
there was not a single cloud to be seen in the entire heavens.
"Hi! partner, wake up!" he called out, "mornin's got here an' that pesky
row-maker's cleared out for keeps--goin' to have a clear day for our
flight to Spokane. After such a devil o' a blow I kinder guess we might
look for fair stuff a hull week o' Sundays. But hold on, I forgot I was
sech a poor weather sharp, so don't count on anything I might say--I
jest don't know what they got laid up for us flyers, an' that's a fact."
They had a very decent breakfast, for Perk hunted up some dry wood, he
calling himself a Maine woods guide these days it appeared, and
consequently able to skirmish suitable fuel, even after such a drenching
downpour. Then, after starting a cooking fire he produced a lightweight
skillet, also a pound of sliced breakfast bacon, some strips of which he
proceeded to fry as though quite accustomed to playing the role of camp
cook. Then too, he had a new aluminum coffeepot which he meant to
christen on that occasion so the appetizing odors of these two breakfast
mainstays soon spread around the entire community, doubtless much to the
wonder of various chipmunks and red squirrels that frisked here and
there among the trees.
Jack said nothing, only nodded his head at witnessing these wonderful
revelations as if things suited him all right. Trust sagacious Perk to
make ample preparations for the numerous meals they would have to count
on while engaged in the future tasks certain to be given into their
charge from time to time.
XII
THE LAY-OVER AT SPOKANE
There was no trouble whatever about getting off after Jack had checked
his motor and the rest of their ship so as to make certain nothing had
suffered during the sway of that extraordinary storm.
As they went along, still keeping above the lake shore much of the way,
Perk frequently called out as he discovered by use of the binoculars
some particular damage done by the unwelcome visitor of the preceding
afternoon and night. Trees were down and obstructing the highway between
the various towns--several houses he noticed appeared to have chimneys
toppled over or, as was the case in one sad instance, have a tree fall
directly on the roof and occasion considerable damage.
Presently they had left the lake in their wake and were also changing
the line of their flight more or less. Jack had laid out his plan and
felt positive of being able to strike their distant goal in due time,
even if he did not have the beacons of the air-mail flyers to guide him.
Somewhere about noon they glimpsed a city ahead which of course must be
none other than Spokane. Shortly afterwards they were circling above the
aviation field and gradually lowering so as to strike the proper spot.
In these air-minded times the coming of a strange plane no longer
excited an undue amount of curiosity, since a multitude of private
aircraft were daily scouring all sections of the country from Florida to
the Canadian border and between both oceans--as Perk was fond of saying
they'd soon become as common as dirt.
No sooner had they made contact with the ground than Jack, followed by
his companion, jumped out to be greeted by several parties in the same
class as themselves--pilots, mechanics and field workers. It was no
trouble to get the use of a hangar, since there chanced to be several
vacant ones for hire. So too did Jack see fit to engage a promising
looking man to stand by their ship and make certain no one tampered with
it. A good judge of faces, Jack felt certain he had picked out a
dependable man for this duty so that his mind might be free from any
worry while in the city attending to his particular business.
Perk, for some reason or other did not seem to care about accompanying
him--doubtless in the belief that he would in due time hear everything
from his partner. Perhaps too Perk did not happen to have just as much
confidence in the hired guard as Jack seemed to feel. The remembrance of
that burned garage and badly injured Pitcairn Mailwing crate may have
still remained too fresh in his memory to let him recklessly abandon
their ship in the midst of a strange airport.
Jack was just as well pleased, for he could carry out his business with
better results if the talkative Perk were absent although of course Jack
would never be guilty of letting his chum know this little fact.
Perk, having eaten a dry snack before they landed, was not very hungry
and he had told Jack to be sure and get his dinner at some restaurant
while in the city, so that part of the day's doings was taken care of
nicely.
It was several hours afterwards when Jack showed up again. Perk could
not notice anything about his appearance to suggest that a monkey wrench
had been dropped in the machinery of their projected flight, hence he
took it for granted Jack must have had a gratifying confab with Mr.
Robert Mills Maxwell, to whom he had been directed to apply, a
Government official who would be able to give him the latest news
concerning the notorious Hawk and his lawless doings up there in the
Northwest Territory where the Canadian Mounted Police held sway.
Perk beckoned to his pal to join him, for at the time he happened to be
sitting on a bench not far distant from their hangar and had made up his
mind the spot would be an admirable one for them to have their little
council of war, after Jack had detailed his adventures in the city.
"How's things?" Perk started in by asking in a general way.
"All serene," came the ready answer accompanied by a nod. "I spent
nearly an hour and a half with Mr. Maxwell and found him a most
agreeable sort of a gentleman. It was certainly a pleasure to sit and
chat with him. He gave me the latest information and just now I'll only
say there is to be no change in our program--the whole thing goes
through as we figured it." Perk showed signs of sheer pleasure.
"Hot ziggety dog! but I'm right glad to hear that, partner," he remarked
eagerly. "I sure do hate to swap hosses when crossin' a stream an' we
got things pretty well set up as 'tis. How long will we be stickin'
round this Spokane airport, I wonder?"
"Perhaps we may take off in the morning, but a good deal depends on
certain things. I may have to see Mr. Maxwell again if he sends out a
message by telephone this afternoon. I'm still using my new name, you
understand--he thinks it a bright idea, both now and later on when we'll
be running across the trail of the man we want most to strike."
"Huh! Mister John Jacob Astorbilt, o' course an' by the same token I'm
Gabe Smith, Esq., from the glorious State of Maine an' known as one o'
the slickest woods guides goin'. Whoopee! nothin' like layin' it on
thick when you're about it. But I want to say that I'll breathe easier
after we cut loose from all these strange airports an' strike the open
away up in the Canadian bush country."
"Nothing to worry about that I can see, brother," Jack said soothingly,
"I can guess what's on your mind and that was a sad sight I admit,
seeing such a dandy craft nearly ruined by the fire but I've got a
dependable man to watch things here tonight and even if we have a single
enemy in Spokane, which I doubt, he'll never get a show down to injure
our fine ship."
"Mebbe so Jack, an' already I feel a bit more confidence in the chap you
picked up. I've been chattin' with him--he's a married man with a wife
an' two kids. More than that I've learned he was raised in that great
old State o' Maine an' not fifty miles, as the crow flies, away from the
place where I fust saw daylight. Guess now he's okay. We both seem to
have knowed a number o' boys an' that kinder makes it feel like we'd
been neighbors. Yep, I guess Ike Hobbs is on the square. Mebbe now I
might take a notion to run in with you this afternoon, so's to get some
eats an' see a picture--been an age since I had a chance to enjoy myself
laughin' at one o' them comics on the screen. How 'bout the place you
took dinner at--good enough to stand an encore, buddy?"
That was the real Perk all over again--food appealed to him as regularly
as the hour rolled around three times a day, and seven days in the week.
Jack laughed to hear his comment, and went on to reassure him.
"Plenty good I reckon, Perk old boy and I'll take pleasure in steering
you around to the place this evening. Be sure to have your appetite
along for they've got a menu almost a yard long so you can have a wide
choice."
"Oh! you c'n depend on me carryin' my appetite wherever I wander--jest
can't nohow get away from it--haunts me like my shadow an' has ever
since I c'n remember. They tells me I never could get filled up like
most kids, no matter how they chucked it into me. Any real particular
news come your way down thar in town, Jack?"
"A little that was interesting, I'd call it," came the reply, "although
it may be we'll never be called upon to handle the proposition but Mr.
Maxwell did seem to be a heap interested in the game and I sure enough
promised to help him out, if we chanced to run smack into one of those
mule trains."
"What's that, buddy? Je-ru-sa-lem crickets! an' do we expect to try an'
rustle stolen mules this time? Wall, I never 'spected the time'd come
when I'd be a mule wrangler o' all things!"
"Hold everything and go slow about making up your mind," warned Jack,
visibly amused by Perk's evident floundering, "this doesn't happen to
have anything to do with mule punchers or even rustlers. It's only a
little possible sideline that might happen to develop and of which Mr.
Maxwell would have to be advised should we strike pay dirt--that's all,
Perk."
"In that case," admitted the now reconciled Perk, "mebbe I might stand
for even mules in my itemary or whatever it is I'm aimin' to say. I seen
the stubborn critters do some mighty fine work over there in
France--mules that came all the way from Missouri in the bargain. But
whatever can it be mules has got to do with coaxin' us to turn aside
from our main trail, I'd like to know?"
"Just what I'm going to tell you, if you give me half a chance,
brother," explained Jack. "Here's a little clipping that will explain
the whole thing that's got Mr. Maxwell keyed up to a high pitch," and he
passed a strip taken from a newspaper to the now deeply interested Perk.
XIII
OVER THE MOUNTAIN TRAILS
This then was what the deeply interested Perk read as he sat there on
the isolated bench at the Spokane flying field and it can easily be
understood the startling information he soaked in thrilled him to the
core:
"The Government agents have been informed of what they suspect
will prove to be a gigantic conspiracy to smuggle liquor in
immense quantities across the border from Canada into this
territory, carried out in an original manner never before
attempted and which has thus far met with unqualified success.
"This conspiracy, it is believed, has resulted in bringing many
thousands of dollars worth of rum over the line, which has been
distributed among the numerous cities of our northwestern
country. Several rum rings have, from all accounts, been using
pack trains, often well camouflaged, in order to avoid contact
with customs officers who might be abroad watching for
undesirables.
"These clever smugglers, it appears, adopted numerous devices to
hide the long lines of plodding, liquor-laden animals and at
times it is claimed they have even driven the mules over United
States forestry service trails.
"So systematized are the wide-spread operations of the rum rings
said to be that a 'traffic manager' has been employed to route
the many pack trains from Canada to secluded places opposite the
sparsely settled and mountainous Okanogan country in north
central Washington.
"Further accounts say that the Pacific manager also watches the
weather and when it snows sends white mules along the trails,
the animals blending with the whiteness of the landscape. When
the ground is bare--bay animals carry the liquor.
"An old time packer who knows how to use the 'diamond hitch' in
strapping pouchlike containers onto the animals' backs it is
claimed is employed to load the mules.
"Heavily armed guards accompany the liquor trains to prevent
hijackers from stealing the packs. Whisky and wines are being
transported over the winding trails, and upon arrival at the
liquor depot all goods smuggled over the border are loaded into
automobiles for transportation into many cities throughout the
Northwest."
"Well, what do you think of that for a corking dodge?" asked Jack when
he saw that his companion had gone through the entire clipping.
Perk shrugged his shoulders quaintly in a way that stood for a good many
words, but he only said:
"Gosh amighty! but don't it beat all how some men'll go to such heaps o'
trouble jest to make a livin', taking all sorts o' chances to get
plugged with hot lead or grabbed up and sent to the pen for a spell?"
"It's the day for reckless engineering," declared Jack soberly enough,
"with a gold mine always just ahead of the risky scheme. I've heard of
some queer games being tried out in connection with the smuggling racket
but up to now never had a whisper of anything like the mule pack-train
steer."
"Huh! and do you reckon there's any truth in what this paper says or did
it jest boil up in the brain o' one o' them reporters, eh Jack ol'
hoss?"
"That's what's bothering Mr. Maxwell, it happens," returned the other
composedly. "You see, he's responsible to Uncle Sam for keeping things
in decent order up here in Oregon and Washington and if such rackets as
this can be put through right under his nose, it's bound to get him in
bad with the Government. That accounts for him asking me to send him
word if we chanced to learn anything worth while about these so-called
mule pack-trains, since it would be of some assistance in helping him
stamp out the trick."
"Course then partner," went on the eager Perk, "you told the gent we'd
be on'y too glad to lend a helpin' hand 'cause to be sure he a'ready
knows we're connected with the Secret Service an' runnin' in the same
class as he does?"
"That's about the gist of what I told him, Perk and that if the
opportunity came our way we'd even go to a lot of trouble so as to help
him out. To be sure there might be one chance in ten for us to pick up
any worth-while clue but that's dependent on little Lady Luck, as I've
heard you say many a time when we were almost muzzled with uncertainty
and looking for a lead."
"I'm bound to say the further I get to figgerin' 'bout this queer
racket, Jack, the more I like it. Think o' glimpsin' a long string o'
mules up in them mountain passes, streamin' along jest like a desert
caravan across there in Africa. I've always wanted to lamp such a
picture."
Evidently Perk was all keyed up to do everything in his power to lend a
helping hand to the Government representative in Spokane of whom Jack
had said so many nice things.
He soon settled down after they had lost all trace of the city in the
mining sector of the Northwest and proceeded first of all to carry out
his accustomed duties with regard to the ship and then when he had time
on his hands to begin using his glasses.
It was well worth the trivial effort it cost, that grand view of the
mountainous section of country over which they were passing. Here and
there Perk could spy little lakes of clear water nestling in secluded
valleys or basins and from his elevated position as observer, looking
very much like gems in a bold setting.
"Like as not," Perk was telling himself as he looked longingly down on a
particularly lovely little sheltered sheet of water, "no white man has
ever yanked a gay old trout out o' that lake up to this day! Gee whiz!
what wouldn't I give to be settled down alongside that 'ere pond
a'flippin' my gang o' flies out over that water an' playin' a
three-pound speckled beaut! But no sech luck I kinder guess--not this
trip anyway."
They were soon drawing closer to where Jack told him the International
Boundary between the States and Canada lay. Of course they would not be
apt to know just when they crossed over, since there would be nothing to
mark the actual dividing line as happened in Europe where every country
is so jealous of the others that each road is guarded, with passports
having to be shown and stamped.
His interest grew with their further advance for he could not help
remembering what Jack had said concerning those bold international
smugglers who were supposed to be continually crossing over from the
north with their mule packs laden heavily with the forbidden beverage
that was in such great demand among certain circles of law-scoffers.
"Say, mebbe now," Perk told himself at one time--for he had the bad
habit of communing with himself on occasion and even seemed to take
considerable pleasure in so doing--"I wouldn't be tickled some if on'y I
happened to glimpse one of them caravans pullin' through a twistin'
mountain trail like I c'n see right down yonder this very minute! An'
wouldn't it gimme a heap o' pleasure to swoop down so's to drop a few o'
them tear bombs like I did when we blew up the fightin' rum-smugglers
and the hijackers that meant to take away their cargo the time we were
doin' our huntin' on the gulf coast o' Florida!"[3]
He laughed softly at the recollection of what must have been a pretty
stirring piece of action, to judge from what Perk was saying. Then he
applied himself with renewed energy to his task of watching that winding
mountain trail that vanished again and again, only to bob up shortly
afterwards.