PICKING UP FACTS
When Jack found himself shaking hands with his newly acquired "second
cousin" one keen glance seemed quite enough to tell him Mr. Casper
Herriott was a man after his own heart--genial, with a warm handclasp,
yet possessing a firm jaw, a keen eye, and all the marks to signify that
the Government had picked out the right type of business executive when
he was placed in his present position of authority at the port of
Charleston.
So, too, did he appreciate the delightful lady who gave him her hand and
a wise smile, as though she considered it rather amusing to thus meet a
relative of her husband who had bobbed up out of a clear sky, and seemed
to be such a worth-while young fellow, just the kind any lady delights
to have enter her home, and meet her children.
These latter were a boy of about ten and a delightful little miss of
perhaps six or seven, so pretty that Jack could hardly take his eyes off
her bewitching face. He decided that of course they could not have been
taken into the secret, and actually believed him to belong to their
father's family.
For some little time they sat and talked on general topics; the children
presently going to bed as though their time had arrived; also expressing
the wish that they would see the new relation again very soon--evidently
Jack had made as favorable an impression on the youngsters as upon their
parents.
Mrs. Herriott soon turned the conversation into aviation channels, as
though realizing that certain information she had been desirous of
obtaining along the line of the new fad might be furnished by this
wide-awake young chap, who moreover, she had undoubtedly been told by
her husband, was one of the brightest and most successful of the men of
the Government Secret Service active roll.
Jack, being filled with knowledge pertaining to his life calling, the
mastery of the air, took extreme pleasure in giving her explanations to
her queries that apparently afforded the lady much satisfaction.
Then along about half-past eight Mr. Herriott made some plausible excuse
for asking his guest to accompany him to his "den," where he wished to
ask his professional opinion in connection with a fine new hammerless
Marlin repeating shotgun, which he had lately purchased, with the
intention of later on spending a few days among the mallards and black
ducks at a club he had joined.
It was indeed a fact that he had such a brand-new gun, which he handed
to Jack, with a whimsical smile; the other carefully looked it over;
tested the hammerless feature; saw that it was a six-shot twelve-bore
Marlin shotgun, and then gravely handed it back with words of the
highest praise, just as though he had been examining a new production of
an old friend.
"I can well understand how you'll have considerable enjoyment out of
that hard-shooting gun, sir," was his warm comment; "I've been out in a
sneakbox with one of the same pattern, and found it trustworthy beyond
description."
"I'll just lock the door so we may not be disturbed by some servant, and
then we can have a heart-to-heart confab--Cousin Rodman!"
Both of them smiled in unison at the conceit; and then, having fixed the
door to his satisfaction, Mr. Herriott drew his chair alongside the one
into the depths of which Jack had sunk, following a wave of his host's
hand in that direction.
"In the start let me acknowledge that I've been a bit keen about meeting
you, Mr. Ralston," he went on to say, warmly; "I've heard certain
matters discussed, as far as such are spoken of in our circles, and had
conceived a very high opinion of your abilities along the line of the
hazardous profession you are following. I chance to know at the same
time how well they think of you up above; and that they have shown this
by the fact of entrusting such a difficult task to your working out. I
am in full sympathy with what you plan to attain, and shall do anything
and everything in my power to assist you to a complete success."
"I am sure that is most kind of you, sir," Jack hastened to say; "and I
hope to pick up many valuable points through my association with you,
which is so fortunate; because there are still many things I should know
better than I do, and which must be mastered before I can venture to
make a real start in the game."
"It pleases me to hear you say that, since it shows how you appreciate
the terrible difficulties, the overshadowing perils, and the enormity of
the syndicate you will find yourself up against. It certainly requires a
nervy chap to undertake to pit his wit and energies against so powerful
a group as these men, of high and low degree, banded together for spoils
only, have organized. And now, I presume you have a list of important
questions which you wish to fire at me; so we had better be making a
start."
All of this had been spoken in low tones, that could never have been
caught beyond a closed door; besides, Mr. Herriott had cautioned his
good wife to see that such servants as they employed in the house, all
colored, and who were supposed to be absolutely reliable, were where
they should be at that time of night, and not "snooping" about the
halls, or outside near the windows, over which the shades had been drawn
so carefully beforehand.
Accordingly, the way being now open for acquiring more or less
information, Jack drew out a folded paper, and began to put the first
question.
These things do not necessitate their being noted here, although to Jack
they meant a great deal, serving to fasten in concrete form fragments of
his view of the situation; and by degrees make a complete whole, thus
giving him the grasp he required to accomplish his end.
Mr. Herriott answered slowly, as though anxious to make no mistake that
might cost the bold workers unnecessary trouble or risk. He might have
been a lawyer on the stand, so studiously did he tell whatever he
happened to know of the point Jack was trying to have made clear.
Jack was wonderfully heartened--with such a clean spoken and well
informed witness in the chair he could already see things were bound to
speed along, and bring him much grist for the mill.
When in the end his list of queries was finished, Mr. Herriott hastened
to assure him he stood ready to answer any others that might occur to
his new-found friend later on; for Jack had already mentioned how he and
Perk would "stay around," possibly for as long as ten days, or two
weeks, there was so much to learn, such great need for him to
investigate many regions in that wilderness of swamp and watercourses
marking the northward shore line.
So far as he had gone in the matter, Jack felt much encouraged; although
knowing full well by far the worst was yet to come. These preliminaries
seemed only in the nature of skirmishes, with the fierce battle in
prospect.
Mr. Herriott had told him many things having a distinct bearing on the
great adventure; mention of which will be made later on, when Jack
starts posting his chum.
This was only the first of several interviews he expected to hold with
the accommodating Government representative, as step by step he climbed
the heights, and reached the climax just before plunging into the fray,
on the principle that it was his duty to "hew close to the line, let the
chips fall where they willed."
It was after ten when Jack arrived at the hotel. Feeling particularly
dry before ascending to their room, he satisfied his thirst by stepping
into the convenient drugstore, and supping a cold cream soda. This was
on the principle that if he knew Perk--and he had reason to believe he
surely did--the other might be expected to shower him with questions of
every variety, in his eagerness to learn how their plans were
progressing; so that his throat would soon become too dry to keep up the
chatter necessary to appease the voracious one.
He found Perk drowsing in his chair, the evening paper scattered all
over the floor, as it had been tossed aside after being perused in
search of such items along the line of aviation and Government work in
suppressing lawless breaks in the customs service and coast patrol,
always matters of supreme importance in the eyes of a loyal and
industrious Secret Service man.
Perk jumped up when the door opened, as if suddenly realizing that after
all he had neglected to fasten it as Jack had advised.
"By gum! if I didn't jest furget 'bout lockin' that door, partner!" Perk
went on to exclaim, winking very hard as the electric light hit his eyes
after his "bit of a nap;" but Jack said nothing in reproof, only settled
down in a chair, beckoned the other to draw alongside, and calmly
remarked:
"Got an earful for you, brother--lots of interesting things to tell; and
you want to make a mental note of each and every one, so's not to forget
if the occasion arises. Now listen, and be prepared to speak up if
you're puzzled."