WITH THE COMING OF THE MOON
"Wall," Perk was remarking as the sloop passed beyond range of their
vision amidst the gathering shades of night, already drawing her sable
curtains close, "I hopes they get through without runnin' smack against
a bunch o' the racketeers."
"With fair luck they ought to manage to slip along," Jack went on to
observe, confidently. "You heard me warn them to keep a watchful eye out
for smugglers and hijackers by land and sea and air? Anyway we've
finished our part of the job and this paper proves that our find was all
I cracked it up to be when I talked with Mr. Ridgeway."
"Course, you knocked up against the gent then, eh Jack?"
"Sure, or I shouldn't have been able to fetch those lads back with me to
take over the sloop and contraband cargo," the other told him. "But I
was in a tail spin at first when I learned that Mr. Ridgeway had gone
down to St. Pete to interview some people who had reasons for not
wanting to be seen going into his Government offices in Tampa. But I got
his address and jumped my boat, slipped down Tampa Bay, and pulled in at
the long municipal pier at St. Petersburg."
"I first hired a dependable man to keep watch over my ship while I was
off hunting my superior officer but I found him after a bit and he was
sure glad to see me, shook hands like a good sport, and asked me a bunch
of questions before starting to tell me what important fresh news he had
picked up through his agents working the spy game for all it was worth."
"Was he tickled to learn how we managed to run off with that slick
little sloop that carried so neat a pack o' cases marked with foreign
stamps?"
"Seemed to be," came the ready answer. "He isn't a man of many words,
you know, Perk, but what he says he means. He told me they were banking
on the pair of us to bring the high-hat chaps at the head of this
smuggler league to the bar, with plenty of evidence that would convict
them, no matter how many big lawyers they employed to beat the case."
"That sounds all to the good with me, old hoss," snapped the pleased
Perk. "'Taint often we get half the praise that's comin' to us--not that
I care a whiff 'bout that, though--satisfied to do my duty by Unc' Sam,
an' let them high-ups have the main credit. But I guess we'll get some
kick out o' the game just the same an' that's worth all it costs us.
Tell me, did this Mr. Ridgeway fork over any news worth knowin'?"
"He did," the other assured him. "I showed him those papers I found
hidden in the cabin of the sloop, with a fine list of names, such as
would cover customers who'd ordered the stuff they had aboard and he
reckoned that several of them might point to the heads of the combine
swinging the big smuggling deal."
"That would be a clue worth while, I'd say," Perk asserted warmly, his
eyes flashing with renewed zeal as though he might be telling himself
they must be getting on a pretty warm scent which would soon lead them
to the party they sought above every one else--the capitalist whose word
was _law_, and whose money purchased all the supplies, from liquor
and vessels to aircraft and everything else needful for carrying on
their business of swindling the Government through the Treasury
Department.
Just as he always did in forestalling any likely move when an important
case was placed in the hands of himself and Jack, Perk was already
engaged in mentally spreading the net destined to gather in the chief
culprits--the outlook promised a multitude of warm episodes calculated
to stir the blood to fever heat and afford him the wild excitement
without which life lost much of its charm--in his eyes at least.
The pulsating throb of the old engine aboard the sloop had long since
ceased to make itself heard, so that they could with reason believe
McGrath and his pal well on the way to their distant goal, with no sign
of stormy weather to be seen in the southwestern heavens.
"How 'bout spendin' the night here, partner?" Perk queried, as he sat
contentedly smoking his favorite pipe after the manner of a man who had
good reason to congratulate himself on the close of a perfect day.
"I was just thinking that over, Perk. We might be in a worse situation
than this, if locality was all that mattered. I don't believe the
'gators would keep us awake with their splashing and roaring along
towards early morning, but then I'm a bit bothered thinking of the man
who skipped out after having his little machine-gun duel with you."
"You're jest crampin' my style when you say that, partner," complained
Perk. "That Oscar happens to be a German, we both know, an' from what I
learned about the breed when over there, they're some obstinate, once
they get workin' in a game--hate to give it up wuss'n pizen."
"I see you're of the same opinion as myself, buddy," Jack remarked,
nodding his head. "You reckon there might be some chance for him to pick
up a bunch of his mates and swing back here to do a little bombing on
his own account. Well, we're not hankering to try our own medicine, not
if we know it, and on that account I think we'd be wise to pull out of
this and find a new refuge--perhaps on some lake back from the coast
where we might pick up something interesting in our line."
"Je-ru-salem crickets! I kinder guess now you've got somethin' danglin'
back o' them words old hoss," broke out the newly interested Perk,
showing considerable animation. He was used to most of Jack's habits and
could in many instances tell that something lay hidden back of his
word--something of a character to promise great happenings when followed
to a finish.
That seemingly casual mention of a freshwater lake was not made without
some deep meaning--Jack must have been told something very important by
the Government official with whom he had gone into conference at Tampa
and this was his sly way of starting Perk's wits to working overtime in
the endeavor to figure things out.
"Wait and see what's in the wind, Perk," said the head pilot, with a
chuckle. "I promise to let you into all I know or suspect before a great
while passes. Just now I'll own up this scheme of slipping over to a
certain sheet of fresh water for a change of base has a meaning that
connects with our big game of Blind Man's Buff."
This seemed to square things with Perk, for he beamed as though pleased.
Whatever Jack decided was always all right in his eyes because he felt
certain that the bright mind of his comrade just could not make a
blunder.
"When do we hop-off, then?" he said.
"Oh, when the moon shows up will be plenty of time," came the ready
answer. "Our objective isn't so very far distant and you know we can
make a hundred miles an hour if necessary. I'd like to pick up a bit of
my lost sleep while we wait, unless you object to standing sentry."
"Not me, matey, I managed to snooze some during the time you were away.
Lucky I had everything fixed for company and wasn't caught nappin' when
our friend Oscar tipped his hat an' made his bow. Now I was wonderin' if
he had that ole quick-firin' gun away back when he was riddlin' things
along in the Argonne--wouldn't it be a queer thing if true? He knew how
to rattle that cantankerous bus to beat the band an' he did nick me in
that silly o' ear o' mine that keeps on gettin' in the way every time I
have a little spat with a sassy guy."
Perk insisted on his chum making himself as comfortable as possible,
considering the cramped quarters they occupied in the cluttered cabin of
their ship, which continued to keep up a soothing movement with the
successive waves that worked in from the open gulf inclining a sleepy
person to slumber.
"I'll jest sit here an' ruminate while I consume my tobacco," announced
the accommodating Perk, making light of his job. "Once in so often I'll
take a look skyward with the glasses, so's to know if there's any chance
o' Oscar comin' back here to try it all over again. When the moon peeps
up in the east yonder I'll put a hand on your arm, so's to let you know
it's near time. Go to it, partner--do your stuff."
Jack was feeling pretty tired, since he had enjoyed mighty little decent
sleep from one cause or another during the last few nights. It was not
at all surprising, therefore, that he should be in slumberland before
five minutes passed after he and Perk had exchanged the last word.
The self-posted sentinel did just as he had promised, every little while
he would quietly stand up and with the glasses take a keen observation,
covering the blue vault above from one horizon to another, then, finding
all serene, he would silently resume his seat, with only a sigh to
indicate how he felt. Once more he filled his everlasting pipe, began to
puff delightedly, and finally lay back in a half reclining position to
smoke it out.
He was a great hand at ruminating, as he called it--allowing his
thoughts to travel back to events that may have occurred months, and
even years before, but which had been of such a nature as to fix
themselves in his memory most tenaciously. This afforded him solid
enjoyment, together with the charm of his adored pipe and he asked for
nothing better.
Thus an hour, two of them, and more passed, with nothing out-of-the-way
taking place to attract his attention. He figured that if the pilot of
the Curtiss-Robin crate intended to come back that night, he was subject
to some sort of delay.
There was frequent splashing in the lagoon near by--at times Perk could
tell it must be caused by jumping mullet, but on other occasions the
sound being many times exaggerated, he reckoned it had been made by an
alligator plunging off a log into the water, either alarmed by some
sound further off, or else possessed of a desire to enter a secret
underwater den he laid claim to. This would probably have a second
entrance, or exit, up on some hummock that Perk had failed to discover
when poking around on the preceding day hunting green stuff with which
to conceal the deck of the sloop.
Suddenly Perk noticed a slim streak of pale light fall athwart the
propeller blade just before him and looking hastily up discovered the
smiling face of the moon--a bit battered it is true, for the silvery
queen of night was just then on the wane.
It was high time they were moving and making for the goal Jack had
mentioned as an inland lake, though at no time did he give the name by
which it was known to the settlers and tourists who flocked to Florida
during the late Fall and early Winter. So he touched Jack on the
shoulder, just he he had promised he would do, nor did he have to give
the slightest shake for the other stirred and raised his head, showing
he was wide awake.