ON HANDS AND KNEES
Even while Jack was saying those few words, Perk had recovered from his
sudden alarm, since he already knew the reason for the other's bringing
him to a halt.
"Huh! that crate's startin' off again, seems like," he muttered.
Indeed, it was a foregone certainty for the splash of water told the
story as well as the abrupt explosions of a working motor. Then, too,
these suggestive sounds all came from directly ahead.
Then Perk had another gripping fear which he imagined must have also
seized his companion--that the chief object of their concern might be a
passenger aboard that ship, heading once more across the state to Miami
and that in consequence, all of Jack's carefully laid plans would meet
the same untimely fate as befalls an ambitious soap-bubble when struck
by a stray puff of air.
So they continued to stand there and listen to the telltale sounds with
sinking hearts. Perk in particular seemed to be dreadfully put out by
this fresh upset and was grinding his strong teeth as though desirous of
letting out an explosive but restrained by the fact of Jack being so
close at hand.
"Gee whiz! this here is what I call tough luck, Boss," he grumbled, more
because he hoped Jack might be able to dispel his fit of the blues in
some way or other, having a much clearer vision than he himself
possessed.
"Oh! I don't know, partner," said Jack in a wholesome, optimistic tone.
"It looks a little dark, but just wait a minute or so before you
croak--after all, the thing may not be so bad--it doesn't pay to jump at
conclusions."
"Shucks! that's me all over, old hoss, but I'm sure glad to hear you say
the last chance ain't snuffed out yet," mumbled Perk contritely, but at
least he had gained his point which was to coax Jack to mix a little
good cheer in with the gloom that had descended on his, Perk's soul.
"There, he's off!" declared Jack as a significant change in the clatter
so thoroughly understood by any airman announced the hop-off from the
surface of the lake.
"An' nothin' happened to give him a spill, either," Perk went on to say
and the disconsolate vein in his tone told plainly enough how he had
been secretly hugging to his heart a hope that the motor of the
Lockheed-Vega crate might suddenly develop some fault, compelling the
flight to be abandoned in its inception.
"Even that fact may yet turn out to be the best thing we could wish
for," Jack told him confidently, being built on the order of a fellow
who could see something to rejoice over in nearly every occurrence, no
matter how thick the gloom surrounding it.
"There he swings up an' is off--a slick jump, b'lieve me an' that guy's
some square shooter in the bargain--knows his business okay anyway. But
Jack, tell me, you don't think he's got our man alongside him, do you?"
"Well, one thing seems to tell me that isn't a fact, Perk."
"Yeah, an' what might that be?" demanded the other quickly.
"Notice that he's already banking, so as to lay his course toward Cape
Sable--square in the south--get that, don't you Perk?"
"I swan, but you're right there, Jack--which looks kinder like he didn't
mean to strike out for Miami, don't it?"
"More than likely he's hitting out for Cuba, or if he veers to the west,
it's Mexico or Honduras he means to head for."
Perk heaved a big sigh of relief.
"Hot ziggetty! but that sounds good to me, partner," he observed with
renewed animation as hope again sang a sweet song in his heart. "Then
there's a real chance he ain't got our man alongside."
They stood there and continued to listen as the sounds made by the
flight of the retreating seaplane gradually grew fainter and even for
brief spells died out altogether.
"He's out o' the pictur' anyhow," Perk finally commented when they could
no longer catch the least thud of the working motor--only a more
pleasing sound in the shape of gentle wavelets running up the shore of
the great lake being borne to their ears.
"Yes, and since that's settled we'd better be making a further move
ahead," Jack was saying, in his sensible way.
Accordingly the advance was renewed, nor did they take any less
precaution because of the departure of the flying boat.
As before, Jack continued to frequently make good use of his little
flashlight, which proved its worth just as had been expected. So speedy
were the flashes that it did not seem possible for any one to notice
them unless he chanced to be on the watch for something suspicious and
Jack hardly anticipated such a thing as that.
Apparently the one who had planned the raid believed there was only one
course for them to pursue and that was to keep on as though everything
was just as they had hoped. Even though an adverse Fate chose to cheat
them them of their intended prey on this particular occasion there would
be other days to come,--and had he not promised to trap his man as well
as to procure all needful proof to secure his conviction?
They were soon drawing close to their goal--already Jack had glimpsed a
shred of light gleaming through the intervening brush which proved most
conclusively that the shack could not be wholly deserted.
"Good enough!" Perk whispered when this comforting fact had been brought
to his attention, "we'll get his goat yet, partner."
Their progress was slowed up at this point for Jack no longer believed
it good policy to make use of his flashlight. They had to partly feel
their way along, using both hands and feet to detect the presence of any
obstacle that was apt to cause them trouble.
Still, the night was long and there was no desire to make haste--if they
waited until those in the shack were apt to be sound asleep it would be
much easier to carry out their plan of campaign without any chance of
interruption.
Now they could get faint glimpses of the little cove, which the visiting
planes were wont to use as a hiding place, taxiing thither after
splashing down on the surface of the nearby lake.
Perk made a mental note of the fact that the cove was quite empty, no
hostile crate bobbing up and down on the water--possibly this induced
the dreamer to indulge in a hope that should the occasion warrant such a
thing, they might taxi their own ship around and make use of that snug
harbor safe from any ordinary gale that chanced to strike treacherous
Okeechobee.
Now they could see the light much better and even make out that it came
from a certain window of the coquina shack--up to then Perk acknowledged
to himself that he had not known whether the modest little building
boasted of windows or not, having discovered no evidence of their
presence.
So, too, he now made but a certain dark spot just beyond the shack which
he strongly suspected might be the well shed of which the more observant
Jack had spoken earlier in one of their pow-wows.
Now that he found himself so near the spot where it seemed likely he
could refresh his dry throat with a cup of fresh water, Perk was growing
wild with the eager desire to be doing so. He Wondered whether his
companion could have forgotten his promise and even opened his mouth to
remind him concerning it but thought better of it for already Jack had
changed the line of his advance and was beginning to steer his pal in
the direction of the well.
In order not to take any unnecessary chances it was found that they must
make a little detour in order to get past that shaft of light proceeding
from the window in the rear of the shack. Perk even begrudged the brief
time taken in making this half circuit, though recognizing the wisdom
governing Jack's change of course. He dared not try to whisper now, lest
his hoarseness cause him to make a sound so harsh and loud that it might
be carried to hostile ears and be the cause of their undoing.
Then, after another delay when Jack imagined he had caught a suspicious
little scratching sound, as of something moving, they drew up on hands
and knees alongside what seemed to be a rustic shelter covering an
opening with a real windlass, rope and all, to fill Perk's heart with
joy in the belief that his throat was in a fair way of having its
roughness relieved in short order.