COACHING PERK
Of course it was in keeping with this exchange of confidences that Jack
should relate all that had happened to them since their arrival in
Atlanta to secure the ship awaiting them, load it to capacity for a long
voyage, and finally start off from Candler Field.
Mr. Adkins listened eagerly to this modest account of what had already
happened to them as a starter in the hunt they had undertaken; and he
was visibly thrilled at hearing of the bitter night chase, the desperate
tactics undertaken by the pair of human wolves aboard the Ryan
monoplane; and particularly when Jack finally described in vivid
language the astounding act of Perk in first shattering the bothersome
searchlight, to follow this with his lucky random shot that bore into
the gas tank of the pursuing craft and brought about an explosion.
Possibly the urbane gentleman had never in all his life listened to so
ghastly a true story as the graphic one thus modestly related by one of
the two participants; looking at them, with Jack so calm and modest,
giving all the credit to his grinning accomplice, he must have decided
in his astute mind that at last Slippery Slim was going to have a pair
of human bloodhounds on his trail such as all his ingenuity and
vindictiveness combined could not throw into the discard.
“Let me have,” he went on to say to Jack, “as good a description as
possible of those same bills your friend Scotty found in that pocketbook
dropped among his clothing by the unknown party whom you believe was
looking for your letter of instructions from Washington.”
When Jack complied with this request the other nodded his head
approvingly.
“No question but what they were of the same stripe as all the others
that have been brought to our attention,” he told Jack. “You must know
it’s been a mooted question as to whether the plates from which these
notes are being printed in vast quantities (that make it a gold mine for
the gang) are counterfeits engraved by some master in the art or stolen
property, which have somehow never been missed by the plant where much
of the printing is done for the Treasury Department—the bills are so
perfect that cashiers and tellers are all at sea over the facts, so that
something of a near panic has resulted in banking circles as a result of
this unknown quantity. Remember these are the old type of banknotes, and
not the new abbreviated form of currency, so that it is more difficult
to discover the actual facts.”
“It will all come out in the wash, sir,” remarked Perk, sagaciously,
with a sly wink at his pal.
“Just so, Perk,” observed the gentlemanly official, smilingly; “but I’m
more concerned about your plan of campaign than anything else right now.
During the time you stop over here in Orleans I mean to keep you posted
with regard to any fresh news that comes in to Headquarters for there is
hardly a day when we do not learn of additional discoveries connected
with this deluge of phony money that’s been dumped on the whole
Southwest by this hard working gang. I am telling you everything that’s
known or suspected, so that you can figure out your best line of
action.”
“We understand that, Mr. Adkins,” said Jack, nodding, “and you can rest
assured we appreciate your kindness more than I can tell you. Before we
jump off you will know what we’ve decided to do, so as to pick up a warm
trail; and after that, sir, don’t be worried if you fail to hear a
single word from us for days, weeks, or even months; but depend upon it
we’ll be working on the job every minute.”
“And never forget, I beg of you, that this man is a devil for cruelty
and craftiness—I’m sure you’ll not delude yourselves that his arrest
will be an easy task; for as good men as were ever on the roll of our
Secret Service Department have fallen down on the job.”
“Thank you again, sir, for your warning; but we’re not meaning to feel
anything like over-confidence, so as to let the bars down. I understand
from my having been picked to take up this case, that the knowledge of
myself and my assistant here along the line of aviation cut a big figure
in the appointment, since it has been learned that Slim himself makes
use of a flying boat possibly to cross over from the wilds of Mexico, it
being suspected he has his plant hidden away somewhere among the
mountains, where he doubtless keeps peace with the authorities by paying
tribute that insures his being left undisturbed. We hope to change all
that sooner or later, sir.”
“I admire your modesty, Jack,” continued the Government official, who
had warmed toward the pair during the short time he had known them, and
seemed to take a personal interest in their fortunes. “Remember to keep
in touch with Headquarters while in the city, so as to notify me in case
you need any assistance—I can later on place a posse of oldtime Texas
Rangers at your service, if the occasion arises for a necessity to show
force—they are now working for the Government as border patrols, and as
you can understand, are the same rough-riding, fearless type that played
such a leading figure in the early history of the Lone Star State; for
we have authority that covers such matters. And I’ll be one of the first
to extend you my hearty congratulations should you win out, and bring in
your man; as I’ve no doubt your good pal here used to do when, as you’ve
told me, he used to work with the Canadian Mounted Police force, in
years gone by.”
“It won’t be our fault, sir, if we make a flop o’ the job,” asserted
Perk, who believed he ought to get in an occasional word; although there
were a good many things he did not wholly understand, and which he would
depend on Jack to further explain when opportunity arose.
Mr. Adkins shook them both cordially by the hand, and took his
departure, leaving them to digest all the startling facts he had placed
in their possession. By slow degrees they would figure things out, and
sketch their plan of operation; then would come the hour when once more
they must depend on their wings to carry them many hundreds of miles
toward the scene of action, where the air would be surcharged with
dynamite, while deadly enemies might be lying in ambush, ready to take
them by surprise.
Perk started to spring his questions, and Jack was only too glad to make
the necessary explanations; for it was necessary that they work in
complete harmony if they hoped to be successful.
As far as they had gone, things looked hopeful to Jack, as he marshalled
the facts that had lately been placed in their possession. He was
satisfied that when every item had been arranged in its rightful
sequence they could fashion a plan of campaign that would at least have
a better chance for winning out than any of those utilized by former
detectives, who had not possessed the essential wings so as to meet
Slippery Slim on his own chosen ground.
“No tellin’ just how long we’ll stick it out in this burgh, I guess,
buddy?” suggested Perk, some time later, as they continued to take
things easy, resting up after a hard night’s flight, and meaning to get
around the city after noon and lunch time had come and passed.
“Couldn’t say as yet, Perk; we’ve got to comb out the stuff as handed
over by our new friend, Mr. Adkins, and discard everything that doesn’t
pan out as being worth while. Then there were a few leaders he dropped
that, if followed up, might turn out to be leading clues, the possession
of which would possibly turn the tide of battle. I’m meaning not to let
anything make me show undue speed—Rome wasn’t built in a day, we’ve got
to recollect, and so shape things from the standpoint of ‘safety
first’.”
“Huh! that’s the boy!” gurgled the pleased Perk; “me, don’t I remember
that story o’ the hare an’ the tortoise runnin’ a race, which the turtle
won ’cause he never even stopped to rest up; while the rabbit, thinkin’
he could run loops around such a plodder, lay down to take a nap,
overslept himself, and when he got to the goal there was Old Leatherback
awaitin’ to turn the big laugh on him.”
Perk wound up with one of his rollicking laughs; everything seemed to
create merriment in his soul just now, after that royal breakfast;
though perhaps he was running away ahead of the dry facts, and counting
his chickens before they were hatched out of the shell. But Perk was
confident the sly fox of a Slim would find himself snagged in the net
one of these days, and the clever guy who handled things would turn out
to be an aviator and sky detective named Jack Ralston.
Jack some time afterwards, had just aroused from a short nap, when Perk,
who had been pondering and grumbling to himself, tossed out another
question, as if to disclose what was troubling him:
“How about it, old hoss, do you b’lieve them dicks we left behind after
they’d floated down from a high ceilin’ with their chutes, got outen the
scrape, so they could a hiked to some nearby village or town, an’ took
the first train headed for Orleans, reckonin’ we must a’been on the jump
thisaways?”
“I’d say the chances all point that way, Perk,” Jack told him, without
the slightest hesitation.
“Jumpin’ crickets! if that’s a fact why, a feller might run acrost the
slick pair any old minute—meet ’em right face to face!” Perk went on to
say, as if the fact gave him more or less concern.
“I suppose then you’d recognize the chappies with just one look, eh,
what about that, partner?” asked Jack, laughingly; at which the other
grinned a bit foolishly, to admit he had serious doubts on that score.
“Shucks! didn’t either o’ us get a peep-in at their monikers, worse
luck—had them helmets and goggles in place right away, like they didn’t
mean to give us a single look-in. S’pose now they got the high sign on
us boys?”
“On a venture I’d say that was always possible,” replied Jack, soberly;
for this very point had occurred to him, and was as yet unsettled in his
mind. “Nobody knows how long they may have been in Atlanta—Mr. Adkins
assured us Slim seemed to have all sorts of strings out, so as to learn
in advance of any bunch of Government agents taking the field against
his giant bogus money monopoly; and for all we can tell those two may
have been spying on us most of the time we were around Candler Field,
getting our ship ready to take to the air.”
“Rotten luck, I’m sayin’, and too much one-sided to suit me,” growled
Perk, frowning savagely. “Here we got to do our work in the dark; while
that smart cuss holds all the high cards in the pack, an’ c’n trump our
ace any time he takes a notion.”
“No need to worry about that, comrade,” said Jack, soothingly. “You must
remember that when we move along we mean to disappear as if heading into
the thickest belt of pea soup fog ever seen—in that way they’ll lose
all trace of us, and we can play our cards as we choose, making up for a
different breed of sky travelers, so as to dope the cleverest kind of
spies he can send out. While they’re left guessing what’s become of us
we’ll be doing our little tracking job, and hour by hour, day after day,
keep on creeping closer to their secret stronghold, wherever that may
prove to be. Those are some of the things we figured on doing, Perk,
don’t forget.”
The one addressed made no reply, but as he let his head fall back, as if
he meant to pick up a few winks of sleep, there came a look of rapt
admiration on his weather-beaten face that bespoke the utmost confidence
in his best pal.