IN THE TOM SAWYER CAVERN
"She's acomin' closer right along, Jack!" Perk was saying, cautiously,
as he limped along at his companion's heels, evidently more or less
tired after his long tramp, with that great pack settled on his back.
Jack realized this fact himself. He was keeping a wary eye turned in the
quarter whence the roaring sound could be heard, constantly growing
louder with each passing second. If he suddenly discovered the
approaching plane he could give the plodding Perk the "high sign", when
both must drop down flat to keep from being discovered by those in the
ship's cabin.
As it happened the incoming aircraft was keeping low down, its pilot
undoubtedly expecting to swing into the valley by way of the spreading
jaws of the narrow pass.
By the time they managed to gain their old location the landing had been
successfully accomplished, a fact that caused Perk to remark:
"Huh! them guys arunnin' that crate aint no dummies at their job, sure
as shootin'. That was a slick landin' the gink at the stick set daown.
Wow! See haow they're aswarmin' eout o' evry shack, will yeou; like this
comin' back o' the patched-up ship might mean it was afetchin' 'em all
sorts o' stuff they kinder hankered after? What a soft time them rats
air ahavin', with nawthin' to do 'cept wait fur the supper bell to
sound."
"Watch and see what manner of stuff they take out of the cabin," advised
the wide-awake Jack, with an evident hope he might learn a few
"wrinkles" concerning the occupation of the confederates in this
mountain retreat, by thus checking their plane's cargo, for he had noted
that it was heavily laden.
There seemed to be an abundance of willing workers now, and the way the
freight was lifted out of the cabin, to be carried toward the big log
cabin, told of the personal interest they had in the stuff.
"Looks mostly like grub, I'd say," Jack remarked, keeping his eyes
fastened to the useful binoculars; "and I reckon business, whatever it
is they're carrying on, must be good, for them to buy such a mountain of
food, staples and fancy groceries in the bargain."
Perk could be heard making a queer sound in his throat.
"I'm a piker if this doant beat anythin' I ever stacked up against," he
gritted between his teeth. "Hard times, they say, an' yet here's a bunch
o' tough guys aloaded up with 'bout sech truck like a oil-well nabob
daown in Oklahoma might lay in fur the hull winter. Mebbe I wouldn't
like to board up at this hotel fur a spell! I'd sure make a dent in
their ole grub pile."
The plane cabin was soon emptied, and apparently it had held an enormous
cargo. They saw the two men forming the crew head toward the dining
hall, as though to await the call to supper. Perk, having begged to hold
the glasses, was eagerly staring at the pair, wearing dingy flying togs.
"Hot-diggetty-dig!" he muttered, just loud enough for Jack to hear him,
"so _that's_ what took ole Nat outen San Diego, was it? Did somethin' to
make him want to skip by the light o' the moon, an' then hitched up with
this ere rotten bunch o' crooks. He sure had it comin' to him, bein'
he'd been skatin' on the edge o' goin' bad some time back."
"You seem to know some one, Perk, from what you're saying?" ventured
Jack.
"Yeah! a galoot called Nat Tucker, once a fair sorter pilot; but kinder
crooked, some folks used to say behind his back. That's him, the stouter
lad with a limp--got that onct when he had to step off a mile high, an'
his chute didn't work as nice as it orter, lettin' him crash when he
landed in a hay field--would a been killed if it'd been rocks, like
these here. Found his level okay when he struck this rotten crowd. Had a
sorter nice halfbreed squaw fur a wife, too, pretty as a picture; but I
heard she kicked Nat aouten the house, so he's cleared up fur keeps.
Well, he's kinder classy as a pilot, an' said to be a reg'lar dare-devil
in his way. The boys'll sure be some s'prised to hear what's happened to
ole Nat."
As the crowd down in the valley had thinned out by this time, most of
them passing into the big log cabin, Jack concluded there was no
necessity for himself and Perk to remain any longer at their lookout
point.
Once back at their former campground Jack picked up his supper at the
point he had quit when the sound of the oncoming airship drifted to
their ears.
Perk looked expectant, as though he still remembered that his chum had
promised to enlighten him concerning various discoveries made during the
day just then closing.
"I've been figuring things out," Jack commenced saying, as he continued
his interrupted meal, "and from a number of little things I saw I'm
almost certain these banded crooks must be carrying on a bogus-money
plant up here--several times when the wind changed I thought I could
catch a queer sort of sound that was along the line of machinery, a
press perhaps working at printing the counterfeit bills."
"Gee whiz! I wonder!" ejaculated the deeply interested Perk, his eyes
aglow with half suppressed excitement.
"Stop and figure it out for yourself, buddy," Jack went on smoothly, as
though his own mind was already fully made up. "Could anybody think up a
finer and safer location for such an illegal plant than up here, where
they could carry on their work without molestation? And then, when they
had a good grist of bogus stuff to scatter over the western country, how
easy to send it out aboard that swift airship? I warrant you they're
doing a land-office business--no stagnation in this neck of the woods,
even if it's said to be the case nearly everywhere else all over the
world."
"Gosh! doant it beat the Dutch, Jack, haow chumps like that kin lick up
all the cream on a pan o' milk, leavin' the skim stuff to honest folks?
But yeou said yeou'd picked up a heap o' pints, which I'd hear 'bout
later on. Aint that time come 'raound yet, buddy?"
"Hold your horses, Perk; that news can keep until after we get located
in our new sleeping quarters. Suppose we divide up all this stuff you've
fetched, along with what we already had on hand; so I can help tote the
same. I can see with one eye how you must be fairly worn out with what
you carried all the way up here. Come, let's get a move on, partner."
Perk did not show much signs of being so dead tired, judging from the
alacrity with which he scrambled to his knees, and busied himself making
up the two packs. One, which he evidently fully intended for himself,
was about twice as heavy as the other; seeing which, (and comprehending
the usual generous spirit of this big-hearted chum) Jack managed to pick
it up when the other was not looking, and absolutely refused to
surrender when appealed to.
"Not any, partner," he told Perk, resolutely; "what do you take me for,
a weakling, or a shirker? If you say much more I'll sling _both_ packs
over my shoulder, and leave you to trot along in the rear. I've done
nothing but loaf all day, while you were as busy as a beaver. Get out,
and stay out, d'ye hear, boy?"
He led the way, and seemed to know just where he was going, passing
around a dozen great rocks that barred their passage. Perk marveled at
his pal's skill and memory as a guide, never pausing to question his
route, but following the circuitous trail as though he had trodden the
same for a long time.
Finally, when they had descended the slope for a short distance, Jack
stopped in front of a minor cliff, and pointed to the fissure in
question.
"I'll go on ahead with my flashlight, and you keep close to my heels,
Perk," he explained. "So far as I could tell there's nothing apt to trip
us up; but its just as well to be on your guard, with a clumsy bundle on
your back, and your legs being a bit tottery after that long climb.
Ready, buddy--then in we dip."
Perk could not keep from feeling something of a thrill as he followed
his partner into the fissure, which seemed to widen the further they
advanced. Presently he could no longer glimpse either wall, and hence
came to the conclusion they must have already reached the large cavern
mentioned by Jack earlier in the evening.
Coming to a halt the leader shifted his hand torch in such a fashion
that both of them were now able to see the walls, as well as the high
ceiling of the natural cavern. Perk could not repress an exclamation of
mingled satisfaction and awe.
"Hot-diggetty-dig! but aint this jest grand?" he burst forth. "Me always
a feelin' a yearnin' inside to glimpse what yeou'd call a reg'lar
cavern, like Tom Sawyer an' Huck Finn explored, daown on the bank o' the
Mississip; an' here she be like magic. Say, this takes the cake,
partner."
"Welcome to our new home, brother," laughed Jack, but not hilariously;
"and now to drop our packs so as to rest up."