LAYING PLANS
"Oh! my gosh!"
So completely staggered did Perk seem to have become at the disclosure
made by Jack, that he sat there, incapable of motion, just staring at
his companion in the manner of a man who thinks he sees a hobgoblin.
"Slim--Slim Garrabrant!" he finally mustered up enough breath to almost
whisper, looking a bit awed, Jack thought.
"No other, partner," his pal assured him, cheerfully. "You know how we
were saying that sometimes this old world looked mighty small--well,
this happens to be one of those times. Take it as a matter of fact,
Perk--one of those quirks that roll around occasionally."
"Yeah--sure, that's right, Jack--jest so--nawthin' awful strange 'bout
him aturnin' aout to be the lucky dog as skipped aout o' the pen, giving
Uncle Sam the laugh. Go on an' tell me some more. Kinder looks like we'd
got to roll aour hoop up agin that Smart Aleck again, 'fore we get him
caged for keeps."
"Well, I don't know about that, matey," Jack told him, frowning as he
spoke; "but if they _do_ get him back alive in his cell they'll keep
closer tabs on Slim, you can wager. But the devil of it is, can he ever
be retaken? Both of us have good reason to remember what a big job we
had on our hands the other time; which isn't to be compared with what
we'll stack up against now."
Perk had by this time succeeded in getting back his customary self
reliance, when he would scoff at such a word as "can't." He screwed his
face up in what evidently was intended to be a sneer, as he went on to
say:
"Huh! that ere is the last thing to worry me, buddy. Yeou an' me, guess
we make a team not easy to beat. When we git started we'll jest give
that gink a knock fur a goal, an' clinch the game for keeps. But like as
not we orter be makin' up aour plans, hadn't we, Jack?"
"Certainly," responded the other, calmly; "but first of all let it be
distinctly understood in the beginning there's no need of any undue
hurry."
"Course not," agreed Perk, wagging his head in the affirmative, as was
his usual habit when Jack was laying down the law.
"While of course we'll not loiter on the way," continued the head man of
the combination; "just the same we must not do anything that's going to
interfere with our customary efficiency--no going off at half-cock, like
a gun that's in need of lock repairs."
Perk chuckled as if highly edified.
"Say, partner," he hastened to remark, "not much danger o' sech a thing
happenin' with _yeou_ runnin' the lead, I give yeou my affidavy on that
same."
"That's all blarney, Perk; and don't depend on my being free from
stumbling in the dark--I'm only human, and can make silly mistakes, like
every known pilot--even Lindbergh's had the misfortune to smash his
landing gear when making an ascent, and with the girl he afterwards
married, remember."
"Sure thing, Jack, but didn't he manage a wonderful landin', an' keep
from a bad smashup, on'y hurtin' his shoulder in the jam?"
"Yes, and Perk, some people attribute his escape to good luck; but I
know full well it was his skill in understanding just what to do in an
emergency."
"Well, what's aour programme agoin' to be?" demanded the other.
"First of all, then, we've got to study those enclosures the Chief sent
in his letter--they'll give us a good many important points, and it may
be locate this secret hideout of the crowd that's bothering Uncle Sam so
much. Get that, do you?"
"I'm on, boss--go to it some more," replied Perk, blithely.
"As we shall be scouring one of the wildest and most dreaded parts of
the whole Rockies," continued Jack, "of course it'll be necessary for us
to carry a big cargo of stuff along--plenty of supplies in the line of
grub, as well as gas and oil. Then, since we are bound to line up,
sooner or later, against the whole gang, we must tote tear-bombs, and
some of the destructive ones, such as we've been forced to make use of
before."
"Sounds okay to me, ole hoss," Perk assented, looking particularly well
pleased at the possibility of wild action, which these preliminary
remarks of his leader seemed to presage--doubtless his wonderful memory
carried him back to the previous occasion when they went out after Slim
Garrabrant, and dragged him before the bar of justice, a feat which
earned them the commendation of the Big Chief, as well as a nice step
upwards in the way of increased pay.
Although in many things Perk took no man's dust when it came to a
knowledge of flying activities, and air knowledge; just the same he felt
it no disgrace to "sit at the feet" of his best pal, and imbibe
information when the plan of campaign was being laid out--Perk freely
admitted he was "not so good," along such lines--ready to shift the
responsibility to Jack's shoulders, yet joyfully bear his share of all
subsequent action.
The papers were divided up, and both of them read steadily for some
time, occasionally exchanging observations, with Perk asking frequent
questions concerning matters that were not quite clear to his rather
slow mind.
In this fashion, just as wise Jack knew would be the case, both of them
gradually got "heated up," with the fervor of the case--indeed, this
view of matters was also taken by his companion, since Perk declared it
made him think of how they used to get a tracking hound to smell some
garment worn by the child that was lost, so he could take the trail, and
follow it to a successful finish.
"Which I vum will be aour way o' clappin' hands on this slippery kiote,
once we git agoin' strong," he went on to add, with supreme confidence,
it appeared.
"One thing we've got to remember," Jack mentioned; "which is about
keeping our light hidden under a bushel. Men who follow our dangerous
profession must never get themselves in the public prints if it can be
avoided; and as for standing up to be in the spotlight, so all people
can take note of their looks, it just isn't done, you know, Perk."
Possibly there may have been occasions in the past when, after they had
been unusually successful in landing their man, Perk had shown a
disposition to talk a bit too much--grant interviews to newspaper
reporters, who were apt to go into details covering some of the ways
such sleuths outwitted those whom they hunted; all of which was bad for
their being successful in forthcoming missions of like character, since
the lawbreakers would avidly seize upon all such printed matter, to size
up the methods that were utilized in bringing about the downfall of men
of their stamp.
"Yeah, course that's the right thing--we'll jest keep aour own counsel
an' do the gittin' o' aour stuff together withaout beating the gong an'
'tractin' the mob's attention. We wouldn't live up to aour reputation as
sleuth hounds if we didn't work undercover, Jack."
"Fine for you, brother," he was told; "I'm tickled pink to know you're
waking up to the necessity for Secret Service men keeping away from the
glare of publicity, even if they have to lose much credit; like editors
of the big newspapers, who never put even their initials to the strong
articles they write everyday."
In this fashion did Jack usually apply himself to eradicating certain
weaknesses that afflicted his best pal, knowing that in so doing he was
helping Perk to become more efficient; also more valuable in the service
of the Government.
After some hours spent in this fashion, they found themselves pretty
well inoculated with the most salient points connected with their latest
task; and both of them were glad when it began to grow dark, with supper
in prospect.
"I rather think we're pretty well fed up on this stuff," Jack finally
took occasion to remark, getting up from his easy-chair, and stretching
his cramped legs; "so how about dropping it all, and going out to feed
our complaining tummies?"
"I aint got any objections to that ere business, buddy," Perk quickly
observed, following suit in leaving his seat, and going through certain
motions such as office sitters carry out in accordance with radio
instructions each and every morning, before going forth to the daily
grind. "They c'n boast all they likes 'bout the belles o' the ballroom;
the sweet janglin' o' the bells in the Spanish Missions up 'long the
Coast here, an' even the never-to-be-forgotten schoolbell; but for _me_
they aint nawthin' to make my heart sing with joy like the good
ole-fashioned dinnerbell."
"You've got plenty of company in that same worship, Perk," the other
told him, "A few people eat to live; but the biggest bunch live to eat.
Let hard times come, and they'll do without a good many things, but must
have three meals a day--yes, and with men, their regular smoke as well."
After leaving their cozy room, to walk along the street, business was
tabooed; they must forget such personal affairs, and talk of anything
under the sun save what engrossed their minds chief of all.
Jack had stressed this point when laying down that rule for their
guidance, saying practically as follows:
"We don't understand as yet just what the ramifications or extent of
this combination of lawbreakers is; for all we know they may be
organized, and doing such a big business that they can employ spies in
certain cities, to pick up valuable pointers; informing them of
profitable strikes on Western trails, and along railroads where treasure
is being daily carried east and west; besides that, these spies would be
on the watch to learn of plans for bringing members of the gang to
justice--for all we know they have been keeping tabs on _our_ movements
right along; and may be in possession of considerable knowledge covering
our being the ones commissioned by Headquarters to proceed against them.
On this account it is up to us to play the innocent, and when in a
public eating place never talk shop, especially if the room is full, as
is always the case here at suppertime."
There was always so much common sense in what Jack advanced that Perk
could seldom grumble, no matter if he did not wholly agree with his
partner. Besides, there were so many interesting matters, as given out
in the daily prints, and along the line of aviation stunts, that they
need never lack for material to carry on their careless chatter as they
dined, and watched their neighbors, after the usual manner of detectives
on or off duty, seeking to further add to their information as to the
possible presence of eavesdroppers.