IN THE GRIP OF THE STORM
Perk soon afterwards showed up, and seemed so cheerful that it was
evident his little scouting mission had yielded favorable results.
“Seems okay to me, partner!” he burst out with, as soon as she came
along; “course it ain’t just as smooth as some fields we know but there
ain’t goin’ to be any smart trouble takin’ off, I guess now.”
“And are we holding the nose of the ship straight in line of the course
you took a squint at, Perk?” Jack asked, as he prepared to climb into
his seat, the people of the ranch clustering around, to gaze with wide
open eyes at the fleet aircraft, some of them doubtless seeing such a
modern cloud clipper for the first time.
“Dead ahead, boss, an’ you’ll strike the right racket, I’m tellin’ you,”
came the positive assurance.
“Then jump aboard, comrade, and we’ll put it to the test,” saying which
Jack himself climbed into the waiting cockpit, to settle down in his
accustomed seat, take a quick glance at his dials when the small light
was turned on, and await a signal from the other sky traveler that he
was “fixed.”
The way was clear, and the fact that just then the gay old moon
condescended to poke her smiling face out from behind a mass of clouds
assisted more or less in giving the pilot some of the necessary
illumination—the rest must be left to his native sagacity and instinct.
There was a bunch of cottonwoods at some little distance ahead, the
location of which Perk had pointed out to his mate before settling down
in his seat but if all went well Jack calculated to be able to clear
them in good shape—did it seem necessary he could swerve slightly to
the right, and have a clear field for the take-off.
There was a little shouting as the friendly plane started to taxi along,
but of course this was smothered by the increasing roar of exhaust and
spinning propeller. Faster and faster they scurried onward, and then
started to rise on an angle just sufficient to nicely clear the tops of
the cottonwoods; when Jack jazzed his motor, to find it running as
“sweet as a purring cat.”
So they departed only a short time after making that landing which
humanity had demanded and in times to come the little episode was likely
to afford both aviators more or less satisfaction, in that they had
“seen their duty and done it,” as Perk would say in his whimsical way.
As they continued on their way Perk found himself wondering if this
interesting adventure was destined to be a sample of other equally
thrilling happenings in store for them the further they dipped into the
great game that had been laid at their door by the powers that be at
Washington.
Whenever he came to thinking of the audacity shown by Slippery Slim in
virtually defying all the authority of the Government, Perk would feel
his dander rising as if in great indignation.
“Huh!” he at one time told himself, being rather fond of thus communing,
as his thoughts ran on, “we’ll call _his_ bluff just the same, the scaly
ol’ gila monster, you wait an’ see. Thinks he’s the whole works, the
boss man-handler, does he, just ’cause he’s outguessed a number o’ the
boys. This time he’s due to find himself up against guys o’ the right
size, who’ll jerk him down off’n his high perch in a jiffy, or I miss my
ticket.”
So Perk kept on boasting in his customary fashion, possibly to keep his
mind on the subject. Jack was paying little attention to side issues
just then for he knew his pal’s peculiarities, and short-comings as well
and having “exhausted his boiler” Perk presently lapsed into utter
silence.
They had climbed to a fairly high ceiling, and caught only occasional
fugitive glimpses of the earth far below, when the moon chanced to break
through the banks of clouds, which intervals became less and less
frequent, Jack noticed.
He did not altogether fancy the looks of the heavens, by degrees
becoming more and more overcast; still, this might after all mean next
to nothing and their business was to keep steadily on their way as if
things were bound to come out all right.
It was now drawing well on toward midnight, and they had placed hundreds
of miles between the city of their recent stay and themselves. Long
since Perk had taken what proved to be his last glimpse of the vast gulf
as seen far away toward the south, when the night was brightly
illuminated, with the moon’s silvery rays shining on the glistening
waters, and making a picture that even appealed to Perk’s rugged
nature—after that all he was able to make out was the monotonous level
plains that lay in every quarter, as though the whole earth consisted of
this same stock country.
No longer were they able to find any cheer in the company of the moon,
for the canopy above, earlier in the night peopled by a multitude of
bright stars, was now gripped in dense masses of clouds.
Having thus lost his guide marks below, Jack was compelled to place all
dependence upon his faithful instruments, but this of course was an old
story to one of his experience, so that he did not do any worrying on
that score.
Perk, buried in his own thoughts, and paying scant heed to what changes
were taking place in the signs of the weather, had no warning until
suddenly there came a dazzling flash, that was almost instantly
succeeded by a tremendous burst of thunder.
“Ginger pop! that means we’re booked for a bit o’ storm, mebbe, eh,
Jack?” was his startled exclamation.
“Let’s hope it turns out to be _only_ a bluster,” the pilot went on to
say, as he turned the nose of his ship upward, and commenced to climb,
evidently in hopes that by so doing they might get above those low
hanging clouds, and have clear sailing while the disturbance lasted.
When shortly afterwards a second electrical crash almost stunned them by
its violence, Perk began to fumble for his oilskin coat, which he was
never without when aboard a boat with an open cockpit.
Perk could take a ducking with as much good nature as the next fellow
but just the same he did not intend to get soaked if he could help it,
since a continuance of the flight, with a cold wind likely to follow the
rain, would not prove to be the most delightful experience possible.
No sooner had he accomplished the job of securing his raincoat than he
gave Jack the well known signal that he meant to take over the stick,
and thus allow his comrade to also protect himself against bad weather.
Accordingly both of them were presently thus equipped, and ready to take
whatever might be in the offing. Meanwhile the ascent was continued in
spasms, for there was always a chance of getting above such a storm, and
avoiding the worst of it.
The thunder claps became more frequent, and also much louder, so that
each sudden burst gave them both a thrill, death seemed so close, for
should their speeding ship chance to attract one of those dazzling bolts
it would be all over for the daring air adventurers, and no one be the
wiser concerning their taking-off, until possibly after long months had
passed, their bleached bones might be discovered by some party of
plainsmen out looking for rustlers or seeking to round up missing stock.
Thus far not a single drop of rain had fallen, according to Perk’s
calculations but the coming of the drenching flood could not be much
longer delayed, he felt positive. Had there not been so much racket
around them those keen ears of his might have detected a rushing sound
in the near distance, like the roar of the incoming tide on the sandy
shores of the gulf.
Then it came with a swoop, the wind whistling around their ears and the
rain beating a tattoo against the fuselage of the ship, as well as
striking them smartly in the face, despite such protection as their
helmets and heavy goggles afforded.
Jack certainly had his hands full in managing the bobbing, shifting
craft, gripped by those shifty gusts that came with giant force, making
the flyers feel as though they were clinging to a mere chip tossed about
in the wild fury of a Texas tempest.
Time and again did Perk feel as though his heart had jumped up in his
throat, almost choking him; seasoned veteran at this sort of thing as he
believed himself to be, he could not help this feeling of helplessness
in the hands of the aroused elements; yet each time Jack managed to
bring their ship through the teeth of the storm in a way that was next
door to miraculous, and if Perk had up to this time not fully
appreciated the astonishing skill and confidence of his younger
companion while at the controls in an emergency, he certainly was
getting his lesson then and there, in a way to cause it to sink deep,
and stick.