trail an' leadin' down from the north in the bargain," Perk went on to
remark as if deeply interested. "I cal'late one o' them 'ere pack mule
trains might bob up along that path, if thar's any truth in the stories
goin' around and keepin' Mister Robert Mills Maxwell awake nights. It'd
be a shame if we missed connections when I know Jack'd give a heap jest
to set eyes on the show. Too bad that we'll be losin' all our chances
right soon when we strike off to the west. Can you tie it for keepin' a
poor feller's nerves all on edge?"
A few minutes afterwards Perk might have been seen to suddenly become
rigid, centering his attention on a certain point ahead as though
something had caught his strained vision that kept his eyes glued fast.
Jack, intent on his own thoughts and watching his dials with the
fidelity of an air pilot who believed in the slogan of safety first, had
not become aware of Perk's preoccupied condition so that it gave him
something of a little thrill when he felt the other nudge him in the
ribs and remark with his peculiar drawl:
"Hot ziggetty dog, partner! Did I hear you say _mules_?"
-----
Footnote 3:
See "Eagles of the Sky."
XIV
THE BOOTLEG PACK-MULE TRAIN
"What's up?" demanded Jack as if he could surmise from his companion's
peculiar question that Perk had made a pleasing discovery of some kind.
"Lady Luck's gone an' picked us out again to play us for favorites, ol'
hoss," Perk told him, at the same time half rising in his eagerness to
point out something far ahead.
Jack possessed very good eyesight and as the sun chanced to favor him
just then he could manage to make out a snake-like line of small objects
that appeared to be moving slowly along in zigzag fashion, evidently
following a crooked mountain trail that wound upwards toward the peak of
the divide.
"So, that's one of them, is it?" Jack burst out, himself a bit thrilled
by the spectacle after having heard so much concerning the pack-mule
trains said to have been adopted by the venturesome souls engaged in
smuggling operations across the Canadian border.
"With the glass here, Jack, I c'n make 'em out all to the good,"
declared the excited Perk--"a fairly big caravan in the bargain, the
mules loaded for keeps an' toilin' along jest like they do down in
Mexico whar motor cars ain't so plentiful or cheap. Whee! what a sight
for sore eyes that is, buddy! Seems like you'll have somethin' to wire
Mister Maxwell after all. Nothin' o' a newspaper yarn 'bout _that_
bunch, let me tell the world. Must be all o' twenty animals in that
string with several boobs mounted on hosses an' armed in the bargain,
'cause I c'n see the sun glintin' from guns they're holdin' as they ride
ahead o' the line an' in the rear to boot."
"That goes with the rest of the story, Perk," said Jack as he started
toward a lower altitude as though wishing to secure a better view of the
moving cavalcade in order to make assurance doubly certain. "You
remember we read in that clipping how they carried an armed guard along
to defend the caravan in case it was held up by a bunch of hijackers.
Queer how these law-breakers make war on each other in cities, the
wilderness, and even along the salt water coasts."
"Huh! got to be a part o' the game these days," grunted wise Perk, "jest
like the fish-hawk drops down with a rush, grabs up a fat fish from the
lake or lagoon and in turn is robbed by the lordly eagle. I kinder guess
now that's about where they got the idea o' hijackin'--snatched a leaf
from Nature in fact. But say, what are we goin' to do 'bout this
thing--why do you strike down closer, I want to know, Jack?"
"We ought to get a better look in, for one thing," he was informed, "and
if you could only work that little camera of mine once or twice so as
pick up to a telltale picture of the caravan, it would be the finest
evidence we could send by mail to Mr. Maxwell!"
"Glory! that's a great scheme, boy--watch my smoke! I'm some
photographer when it comes right down to brass tacks an' I'll prove it
by gettin' you the smartest pictur goin' an' that's no lie either."
Perk seemed to know just where everything aboard the big ship could be
laid hold of in what he would call jig-time for almost as he spoke he
was clutching the small but excellent camera that Jack owned, he being
something of a crank along that particular line.
"I'm meaning to swing around once or twice while lowering the ship," he
explained to his companion so that Perk might not waste a single
cartridge of film in taking a snapshot prematurely, with distance as a
handicap.
"Go to it, partner," sang out his mate quite merrily, "I'll do my little
bit when you gimme the word. Got her all fixed up for distance an' the
sun happens to be jest right--say, ain't that a sweet sight, though with
them mules cavortin' like they might be scared by such a monster bird
sailin' over their stupid ol' heads? An' see the guards swingin' around,
shakin' them guns at us like they meant to shoo us off by lookin'
fe-rocious! Zowie! but this is a heap int'restin' I'm sayin', eh Jack?"
"I bet you!" came the short answer, Jack being so taken up with staring
at the greatly disturbed pack-train under the swinging airship that he
could not find time for further words just then.
Not so loquacious Perk who never knew when to hold his breath since he
was peculiarly gifted along that line and could work as well as gabble
at the same time.
"Seems like they jest don't know what to think 'bout seein' an airship
sailin' over their heads," he went on to say aloud, "an' I kinder guess
now some o' them begin to smell a mouse. Think things ain't goin' to run
so slick and greased as they've been doin' right along. Another dip like
that, buddy, ought to fetch me close enough to get the snap on the
bloomin' bunch."
There he held up--for a brief interval. The fact was Perk had not run
out of breath but was only so intensely occupied with trying to fix his
little camera so that the lens would take in the whole of the lagging
mule-pack train that he forgot to keep on speaking.
Really it did seem as though some kindly fortune had conspired to afford
all possible assistance in order to successfully carry out this little
racket on the part of Perk. Just as his waiting finger pressed the
button the entire cavalcade came to a sudden stop. Indeed, if the
actors, both two-legged and four-hoofed had intended to make a
grand-stand play to the galleries they could hardly have bettered the
conditions.
Perk did not stop at his first exposure but with a commendable rapidity
turned on another portion of the reel and once again pressed the button,
after which he burst into a roar of ecstatic delight.
"Got it that time boys, sure thing an' I bet you all looked pretty for
the set-up. Hoopla! Jack, that was a great snap you gave me an' chances
are, Mister--er, hey, what's this mean?"
He bellowed the last few words and with a very good reason for something
had come to pass that Perk had not reckoned on as part of the program.
There was the sudden rattle of firearms from below and--the motor having
ceased functioning while Jack continued his smooth dive--all around them
could be heard a strange hurtling, hissing sound which an old
experienced war veteran like Perk instantly knew must be made by
savagely menacing bullets passing in close juxtaposition to their ship.
Then Jack had the situation in hand again as he pulled the stick back
against his chest and with a shrill rat-tat-tat they were once more
shooting at an upward slant through space, Jack putting his craft
through all sorts of angles in hopes of further causing the
sharpshooters to miss connection.
Perk had instantly dropped the camera, though luckily it did not go over
the side as might have happened. Jack knew his mate was making a swift
sweep with his hand and could give a fairly shrewd guess what his object
might be, knowing Perk's combative disposition as well as he did.
The worst of the danger was really past, since they had made such a
speedy getaway after that first lunge. Anxious to hold the impulsive one
in check, since nothing was to be gained from further aggravating the
rum-runners, he continued to keep up that eccentric motion until they
had climbed sufficiently to prevent Perk from starting hostilities on
their side.
"Swing around and let's go down once more partner," implored Perk,
keenly disappointed because his golden opportunity had given him the
slip.
"Oh! I reckon it isn't worth while," replied Jack evenly as though not
nearly so stirred up as his chum seemed to be and as he thus spoke kept
on going, with the ship headed due northwest by north.
"But--see here Jack, you don't mean to let 'em have the merry ha ha on
us, I sure hope? Why, it's got my blood het up to nigh the boilin' point
right now. On'y a little slip so I c'n reach the blamed bunch with my
machine-gun. For ol' times' sake I'd like to pepper that crowd good an
hard! The nerve o' 'em, dustin' us with that shower o' lead! Might have
bust our biler an' then where'd we been, tell me? Jest one swoop an'
I'll be satisfied. I could get in a dozen shots before they'd have time
to crawl under their' mules."
But Jack was obdurate to his wild entreaties.
"No use Perk," he told the other through means of the handy ear-phone
apparatus. "They failed to do us any damage, though their intentions
were plain enough and remember, 'he who laughs last laughs best'. If
your snapshot turns out fairly decent it's bound to put a lot of those
dangerous guys in the soup when Mr. Maxwell fits out a bunch of revenue
men to round them up. In other words, brother, because of our little job
today the chances are we've put the kibosh on this bootleg mule-train
racket and for keeps in the bargain!"
XV
WINGING INTO THE NORTHLAND
Perk was still in a high rage because of their having been subjected to
that shower of whistling lead.
"For two cents--if you 'lowed me to do it partner," he boomed with many
a shake of his head, "an' swooped down once more, I'd a let loose on
them pesky jayhawkers an' rum-runners with my bully o' machine gun. It'd
seem jest like ol' times come back agin an' you bet I'd a pickled a few
o' the rattlesnake bunch!"
"Remember Perk, we're not up here to pickle anybody. This is only what
you might call a little side-show--the big round-up lies further north
where we've been given a job to tackle--we're just on our way--that's
the whole thing in a nutshell."
As usual Perk soon calmed down, being sensible enough to realize that no
injury had been done either their ship or themselves. They had met up
with a stirring little adventure and come out of the row with credit
which ought to be satisfactory, on their side at least.
"What dye s'pose them yaps think 'bout us flyin' so low down over their
heads like we wanted to take a peep at the mule pack train?" he
presently asked the one at the stick.
"That's something we can only give a guess at," Jack told him. "They're
just naturally suspicious as all lawbreakers are and I reckon right now
they're likely comparing notes to try and get a line on our standing."
"Huh! guess now you might mean whether they had anything to fear 'bout
our ship or not, eh partner?"
"That's the idea, buddy. Up in this part of the country air craft are a
rarity, I should say and they must be a whole lot suspicious after
having us dip down as we did. I don't imagine any one saw that you were
taking a snapshot of the pack train, for they had no glasses that I
noticed."
"Oh! that part worked okay ol' hoss," quickly announced Perk, "I didn't
make any show when I snapped the gun off but we sure got 'em guessin' if
I know my beans an' I figger I do. If you don't mind mentionin' the fact
partner, how do you mean to get in touch with Mister Maxwell so's to let
him know what's goin' on up here on these mountain trails?"
"I'll find a way to do that before long," came the confident answer. "Of
course, he may not be able to lay a trap for this particular pack-train
but they keep on coming, and like as not the next convoy will run up
against a snag. Mr. Maxwell I imagine, is a corker of an operator, one
who never lets the grass grow under his feet when there's need for quick
action. Some fine morning, after we get back from this trip, we'll be
apt to read all about how this rum-running business with mules carrying
the stuff over the mountains, has been smashed to a powder and all the
head men put behind bars."
"Unless I'm away off my guess," further remarked the loquacious
Perk--who seemed wound up and just must keep going for so long before
cooling off--"that clippin' said somethin' 'bout a warehouse on this
side o' the line. Reckon now there's anythin' in that report, Jack?"
"You're a little off the track there, brother," he was told. "No such
thing as a warehouse was mentioned. It simply stated that it was
believed the pack trains all centered at a certain point where they had
big, powerful trucks in waiting to carry the smuggled cases to certain
cities where they were in cahoots with the authorities--meaning of
course, that the officers sworn to carry out the laws of the country and
their own State, are taking graft and closing their eyes to what is
going on."
"Huh! nice kettle o' fish when such things c'n go on with the jails so
full now they're turnin' the real criminals out to make room for these
pizen snakes in the grass."
"That's none of our business, Perk. We're only a part of the Secret
Service layout with our work mapped out for us. When we've shown up with
results, that's as far as we've got to consider--let the solons do the
rest."
Something in Jack's decisive manner of saying this must have warned the
talkative one the matter had been threshed out as far as was needful for
the time being and that it would be just as well if they relapsed into
silence so as to consider other matters that were really more important.
So Perk clamped on the lid and talked only to himself for a long time
afterwards, a sport that generally afforded him considerable joy and
satisfaction.
Time passed, with their ship keeping up its swift passage, now close to
the tops of outlying ridges and anon passing over valleys so far beneath
the voyagers that objects to the naked eye assumed very diminutive
proportions.
No further mule pack-trains were sighted but then Jack had considered
this fact and had no expectation of meeting up with a second caravan.
Because of the existing necessity for guarding the high-priced booze
they dealt in, so as to be prepared to resist an encounter with bandits
known in the rum racket under the name of hijackers, the expeditions
could only be sent off at stated periods and there might not be another
for a week or two.
It was all pretty wild country over which they swept as on the wings of
an eagle heading for the breeding places of its species far up toward
the Arctic Circle and in due time Perk began to weary of staring down at
such monotonous pictures.
Once they passed over a railroad and he felt thrilled by the thought
that man's ability to invade the most inaccessible regions of the earth
had put a bit and bridle into the mouth of even so wild a horse as such
a land could be compared to in the mind of a visionary fellow like Perk.
On they went, still penetrating deeper into the mysterious northland and
heading for that isolated post of the Canadian Mounted Police that was
said to be at the extreme edge of the uninhabited stretch lying south of
those desolate barrens touching on the Arctic regions where, according
to Perk's way of describing things, might be found the jumping-off place
that gradually fades away into the near Polar ice-cap.
It was as Jack had learned, a great country for pelts and with signs of
gold cropping out of the soil in a myriad of places. The only living
human beings likely to be met with would be lone trappers running lines
of traps in the dreadful winter season, occasional daring prospectors
and stray Indian villagers during the summer when they carried on their
annual hunt for meat to be cured for winter use.
Here too, might be found in secret hideouts more than a few fugitives
from justice--men who had fled from the long arm of the law and lived
the lives of hermits, their hand against all others and compelled by
necessity to play the part of desperadoes.
Such a dominating character as the Hawk would not be long amidst such
surroundings before he gathered to his standard a select number of like
bold spirits. These would be only too willing to follow him in his raids
on the stores of isolated fur-takers, white or red, it mattered not,
since all men looked alike in their eyes or making occasional more
ambitious forays upon some outpost and trading center of the great
Hudson Bay Company.
Even the Mounties it seemed had thus far been baffled in all their
efforts to break up this powerful and elusive corporation of evildoers,
so cleverly handled were the go-getters under the Hawk that they had a
rare faculty for slipping out of any trap set for them, just as the
Irishman's flea never was where he jabbed his finger down.
It tickled Perk's vanity considerably to think a problem that had so
long been too much of a knotty one to be solved by those wonderfully
smart members of the Mounties had now, after a fashion, been transferred
to the shoulders of himself and comrade--that the stern resolution on
the part of the Government at Washington to recapture the criminal who
had given the penitentiary at Leavenworth French leave had so worked out
as to form a sort of partnership between the Secret Service and the
constabulary of the Great Northwest country.
Having himself served in the ranks with some of those Mounties, it was
puzzling Perk tremendously as to just how his former comrades had fallen
down on the job of bringing in the Hawk. He had always believed that
they never failed to get their man, sooner or later, being ready to
follow him to the Pole itself if necessary and to ease his worried mind
of this strain he now, as usual, turned his batteries on Jack once more.
XVI
BAFFLED BY HEAD WINDS
During the last hour or two their progress had not been so entirely
satisfactory as they might have wished, on account of head winds that
held them back more or less. This, however, did not give Jack the
slightest uneasiness for as he so often told his more impatient
companion, they were in no haste and that more battles were won by slow
resistless pressure than by mere swiftness, as history would testify.
"Jack," observed Perk when he felt in dire need of receiving information
on the special subject that was giving him distress, "c'n you put me
wise jest how come the Mounties ain't never yet been able to grab this
Hawk, as they call him--the feller we've set out to yank off'n his high
perch? From what I know 'bout the boys, thar didn't ever come along any
problem they couldn't straighten out. It's a sorter slogan, as you might
call it, with the Mounties that once they sets off on the track o' a
marked man he's goin' to be fetched in, no matter how far he runs or how
many pals he's got to back him up. I'm sure bothered a heap to know
what's happened to the force if they've fallen down on this here job."
Jack made light of the matter, however.
"Nothing queer about that, partner," he told the mourning Perk. "Your
friends the Mounties are only human after all. It's true they've the
reputation of always getting their man but you must take that with a
grain of salt, Perk. There must have been occasions--rare enough I'll
grant you--when in spite of all they could do their game got away or
else kept on giving them the slip until perhaps he got into a row with
some of his own gang and was wiped out."
"Yeah! that does seem reasonable I own up, ol' hoss," Perk admitted a
bit against his will as the other could understand, "but this critter
keeps on thumbin' his nose at 'em and playin' hob with decent folks'
affairs. Don't seem as if the boys might be keepin' up with the
reputation they had when I chanced to be playin' in their backyard."
"I wouldn't say that if I were you, Perk," remonstrated Jack, "we've got
to consider that lots of changes have come along in the last few years
to alter the conditions. For instance, just see what we're doing right
now, hopping along so merrily at the rate of two miles a minute with
nobody to hold us up. Suppose the Mounties were hot on the track of a
desperado,--then all at once they heard a great clatter and saw an
airship rising above the pines with two men aboard, one waving his hat
at them and making gestures of disdain--what could they do about such a
getaway? He could be a thousand miles distant in ten hours and none of
them know whether he went south, east or out over the ocean."
"Hot ziggetty dog! I never did think o' that sorter thing, partner,"
confessed the awakened Perk, knocking his fist gently against his head
as if to stir up his sluggish brain so as to grasp the new condition of
affairs as presented by his wideawake chum. "Mebbe now the boys ain't
dropped back any, it's on'y that the workaday world has gone an' bust up
ahead--'less you keep abreast o' these here inventive times you soon git
left in the lurch. Airships that c'n run upside-down--radio that c'n
span half the world so's a feller hears King George talkin' right over
in London--talkin' movies that you could enjoy even with Byrd down at
the Antarctic Polar regions--gosh! it ain't no wonder if the Mounties do
once in a great while let their man slip away! We're livin' in too fast
an age for old ways to bring in the bacon."
Apparently Perk had plenty to think about since Jack had enlightened him
in this fashion, at any rate he asked no further questions but went
about his various duties with a thoughtful face.
Now he was making a test to ascertain just how their supply of fuel was
holding out and informing the pilot of the result, knowing how this must
always be a matter of moment to any one getting so far away from the
outskirts of civilization as they were then where they could have scanty
hope of adding to their diminishing store in case of near exhaustion.
But on comparing results Perk found no cause for anxiety on this score,
since his deductions corresponded with the figures previously obtained
by his chum Jack who had a decided flair for making accurate estimates
in advance.
Perk made his customary rounds, investigating conditions and with a keen
eye seeking the faintest indication of possible faults in the running of
the airship.
Then that age-old trouble began to assail him and he realized that he
had a most aggravating vacuum that really ought to be attended to if he
wished to retain his peace of mind. The sun was as near the zenith and
it was high time they had a snack calculated to carry them along until
they found a chance to cook a real meal for since they would be apt to
settle down with the approach of evening Perk had already made up his
mind he would have a genuine camp supper, memories of that recent feast
seeming to haunt him most tantalizingly.
Possibly too, the tricky fellow may have had a few little surprises in
the way of unusual supplies with which he hoped to bring a happy grin on
the face of his comrade--an old scheme with Perk by the way--one word
for his pal and two for himself.
Another lovely little lake appeared way down below, making about a score
they had glimpsed since starting out on the hop from Spokane that
morning, each one presenting some additional novel feature that caused
Perk to stare and admire. He even found himself wishing Jack might
finally decide to take advantage of the presence of a body of water
where they could feel comfortable while the night lasted. Later on Perk
figured on suggesting that idea to the pilot for indeed, since ground
landing places were so few and far between in that mountainous country,
it would seem as though such a policy might be the only one they could
adopt.
Jack, when he saw the spread made by his chum, announced himself as
ready to assist in making way with the food supply, though he would wait
until Perk had taken his toll when he meant to turn the stick over to
him for a spell.
This programme was duly carried out and no time lost. Perk compared it
to a traveler seated in the diner of a limited express train heading for
Los Angeles or New York City.