DOWN TO BUSINESS AT LAST
When Jack came back to the hotel late that night, he found Perk lounging
in the lobby, and keeping a watchful eye on the main entrance.
"Got too darned lonesome up in the den, suh," the latter explained,
keeping up his character part as an employee of the rich New York
sportsman, who was so well liked that he had become a sort of companion,
and campmate in fact. "Jest couldn't stand it any longer, an' had to
come daown hyah, so's to watch the folks, an' pass the time away. Gwine
up right naow, suh?"
"Might just as well, for I'm a bit tired; and besides we have some plans
to settle on before striking out for the ducking grounds day after
tomorrow. Got those chilled-shot shells I want to tryout, did you,
Wally?"
"Sure did, suh," answered the other, with a wide grin, knowing that this
had been spoken because the hotel clerk was close by at the desk, and
watching them a bit curiously. "An' I done reckoned as haow I might jest
as well fotch 'long double the number o' boxes yeou-all asked me to.
They sure slips away right speedy like, suh, when the birds air atradin'
good."
Once behind the closed and locked door, Jack started to explain such
fresh facts as had come within the circle of his knowledge in the last
chat with Mr. Herriott.
"He will make all arrangements with Jethro in the morning, so we can
expect to find the man waiting at the rendezvous--Black Water Bayou, two
nights from now; for I calculate to drop down there just while the
twilight holds. That is the main thing we settled; and he assured me
there would absolutely be no hitch to that part of the program. When
such a man as our good friend gives a promise like that you can depend
on it being exactly so."
"Bet yeour boots that's a fack, partner," Perk took occasion to add most
fervently, having conceived a great liking for Mr. Herriott, his
charming betterhalf, and the two youngsters with whom he had had such a
riotous time on the occasion of his late visit.
Jack took some object out of his pocket, and holding it between his
fingers seemed to blow softly into the same with a certain quavering
inflection. The result was an odd quacking sound, several times
repeated.
"Gosh all hemlock!" Perk exclaimed, a little too loud for discretion as
he himself appeared to realize, since he immediately moderated his voice
as he went on to say: "If that ere aint a reg'lar duck-call I'm a rank
piker. What dye know 'baout that, if we didn't forgit to supply
aourselves with a quacker--two on 'em in fact, one to coax the ducks
within gunshot; an' tother fo' wild honkin' geese. Takes yeou to think
up the small but important things, ole hoss."
"Well, we may some day have a chance to use this call for the purpose it
was intended," stated Jack, handing the queer little article with the
split and brass tongue crown over to Hank for examination; "but I got it
for quite another reason. When I put this to my lips, and give a number
of loud quacks, it'll be after we're lying there on the surface of Black
Water Bayou--as a signal agreed on with Jethro. You must remember he has
never met us, unfortunately, and this game is too risky for any one to
take chances. He'll answer my signal by six quacks in quick succession,
and I'll give him another four in reply--then both will have made sure
covering the identity of the other."
"Jest fine as silk, I'd say, suh!" Perk assured him, with that look
approaching adoration such as came to him most naturally, whenever his
pal Jack sprang some unusually neat piece of work upon him.
Perk tested the duck-call several times, blowing softly, so as not to
cause any guest, or possibly even a spy, in an adjoining room to wonder
what such a series of queer sounds could mean.
"Huh! been a long time, suh, since I done used one o' these
contraptions," he finally advanced. "They do fotch the s'picious birds
aswimmin' closer in to the stools--yeou knows I gotter to buy a bunch o'
cedar decoys tomorry, 'case no shooter ever goes aout to bag ducks
withaout a flock o' the same."
"That's down on your list of last supplies to be picked up, I remember,
Wally. And when I've told you a few more things that come to me tonight
we'd better turn in for a good snatch of sleep. No telling how much time
we'll be spending keeping wide-awake night after night, once we embark
on that part of our big game. In fact, it's possible we'll have to
change things around, and do about all of our sleeping daytimes."
"Suits me right well, suh--so long's I gits fo' hours at a stretch, with
a few halfway decent eats thrown in, I doant never kick."
Less than half an hour later and they were getting ready for a spell of
forgetfulness. Perk, as he crawled into bed, was muttering something to
the effect that there would be only one more occasion when they could
treat themselves to the real luxury of a decent bed, with a fine
bathroom conveniently close at hand.
"But what do it matter with sech a ole campaigner as _me_--anything we
kin strike aint agoin' to be one-tenth as bad as when I was over in them
stinkin' trenches, up to my knees in water, an' listenin' to hell broke
loose all raound, with the Heinies throwing shiploads o' shells, an'
other devilish explosives--awful pizen gas in the bargain, every-which
way--I ain't complainin' o' anything after what happened to me there, no
siree, I aint."
In the morning they took a leisurely breakfast, and then separated, each
of them having a complete list of certain necessary things that had to
be attended to.
Jack had declared it his intention to take-off around midday, for they
could once more follow the course now becoming quite familiar--passing
out to sea, and from a great height learning whether a mother-ship lay
off the coast, with fast speedboats tied up alongside, taking on
cargoes--although no attempt would be made looking to coming in to the
mouth of some estuary, up which they meant to push under cover of
darkness.
Only one thing could keep them from making their start as planned, and
this would be a bad weather report covering the coastal region from
Brunswick, Georgia all the way past Hatteras, to the mouth of the
Delaware. Optimistic Jack, however, was hoping for the best, since as
far as he could see no bad weather appeared on the latest report from
Headquarters, as given in the Charleston papers.
Much was accomplished during the morning, and both of them brought back
various packages that were to be carried in their bags to the field, at
the time of taking off.
"You looked after those decoys, I expect, brother?" Jack queried, as
they sat at the lunch table, enjoying all manner of good things
appealing to their sound appetites.
"Better b'lieve I did that same, buddy," the other assured him; "an' a
mighty likely lookin' bunch o' stools I picked up. They're sendin' the
same to the aviation grounds this afternoon; an' I'm meanin' to run aout
so's to stow the wooden ducks away aboard aour ship. I'd give somethin'
for a chanct to shoot over them same decoys, yes suh, I sure would."
"Perhaps fortune will be kind to us, and you may yet have that pleasure,
Pal Wally. No telling but what we may be ordered to hang out around this
part of the coast for some time after we've done our job to the Queen's
taste; and to tell you the truth I'd enjoy a little shooting myself."
The afternoon passed, and when the sun sank low in the west, with their
coming together again at the hotel, never a single item on either list
had been neglected.
In the morning Jack walked around to the post-office where the latest
weather reports could be found, to see if they corresponded with the
rosy promises the morning papers contained. He assured Perk on returning
that they need have no fears about making the start as scheduled; so
that Perk found his cup of happiness full to the brim, and even running
over.
They took an early lunch and then went out to the aviation grounds in a
taxi as usual. Before their ship was trundled out to be set for a start
they saw that everything was aboard, and safely stowed away, from the
cumbersome decoy flock to the last thing in "chow," as selected by
capable Perk, about as good a judge with regard to food supplies as
could be run across in a day's search.
The manager of the aviation field himself was out to shake hands, and
give them a parting good-bye. Jack, seeing the smile accompanying the
words and hearty handclasp, had a faint suspicion that possibly the
affable gentleman had guessed something like the truth; but just the
same he felt it would never go any further, if he could read good
Southern faith in a human's eyes.