CHAPTER XI
THE NIGHT ALARM
“I’m not thrilled by what you say, Perk, because I’ve been more than half expecting to hear that discovery. Glad you got on to him okay; because it’s always best to know what’s in the wind. What sort of a chap is he like?”
Jack spoke in his usual calm way, and the other realized he had undoubtedly been prepared for the sudden news.
“Nothin’ out o’ the way ’bout his looks, far as I c’n see,” was Perk’s reply; “on’y got a few squints at the guy; but he’s keepin’ tab o’ our movements I guess now.”
“Reckon he might be one of those lads in the Ryan ship that crashed in flames after they’d flown the coop?” asked Jack.
“Huh! just can’t be dead sure, partner,” chuckled Perk; “but there’s somethin’ ’bout his walk that gets me into believin’ he’s the kiwi that pilot was keepin’ on our tail so long, stickin’ like a leech from a mud-hole.”
“I wonder,” the other went on to say, as if talking to himself; “if that’s the case then, both those duffers pulled through with their lives, and not so badly hurt. Honestly I’m a bit glad that’s so, for up to the present I’ve never had occasion to take a human life.”
Perk snorted on hearing this.
“Well, if so be you’d been ten years older, my boy, mebbe you’d not be able to say that – chances are you’d a been mixed up in that mess across the Atlantic, when Yanks an’ Johnny Rebs were fightin’ shoulder to shoulder, and it was a case o’ a Heine pilot’s life or our’n. But if you keep on with Uncle Sam’s service as you’re adoin’ right now, the time’ll come for you to fetch back a dead man who jest wouldn’t let hisself be captured.”
“Like as not,” remarked Jack; “but there’s no need of crossing a river till you come to it; so I’m not taking trouble by the forelock away ahead of time.”
“What’ll we do ’bout this dickey bird that’s bobbin’ at our heels so gaily, tell me, partner?” pursued Perk, eagerly, as though in his fighting heart he was actually hoping his superior would give the order to turn on their persistent pursuer, and at least blacken both his eyes.
“Oh! nothing at all, Perk; let him run his rope; only we’ll keep along streets where there’s plenty of company, and be prepared for any sort of ambush; though I can’t believe he’d be crazy enough to start anything so early in the evening – if the hour was close to midnight, things might be different. There are any number of tough cases in this old Creole city ready to handle a sticking game for the coin in it – blacks and yellows and whites it doesn’t matter which – all of them are assassins at heart.”
“Then you don’t care if he shadows us straight to the hotel?” demanded Perk.
“Much good that will do him.” said Jack with a light laugh; “the chances are two to one he already knows where we’ve put up, and has had some spy dog me to the Federal building. When the time comes for us to jump off we’ll find a slick way to hop our ship without giving these boys a show-down.”
Presently they arrived at the hotel entrance, without any untoward incident arising to mar the quiet of the evening. Perk cast a parting glance toward their rear just before entering, and seeing the shadowy figure hovering not far away, considered it a part of his duty to place his thumb to his nose, and wiggle his fingers derisively, at the same time uttering a snarl like a bobcat at bay, to express his utter contempt.
Once in their room, Jack first of all cast about as if to decide whether any uninvited guest had intruded on their preserves while they were absent.
“Everything seems to be just as we left it,” he told his running mate, after making this little survey, “and even if some busybody did get in here with the aid of a pass-key borrowed from a chambermaid, he was shrewd enough not to mess things up like they did with our friend Scotty of the air mail bunch.”
“I guess now they must acome to the conclusion you keep the letter o’ instructions ’bout your person,” suggested Perk, wisely, “which, bein’ the case mebbe now they figger on sneakin’ in here while we’re sound asleep, an’ agoin’ through your clothes in regulation style. They do tell me there be sneak thieves right clever in this same burgh, equal to the ones out in India, where they c’n steal the sheet from under a sleeper, without wakin’ him up.”
“I understand that’s really true, partner,” Jack agreed; “but we’re not going to let them have half a chance, even if they hired all the crooks in New Orleans to play the game.”
“Sounds good to me, boss,” Perk declared. “We’ll manage to sleep with one eye open, an’ if any critter tries to give us the once over, he’ll wish he’d never been born, that’s all I know.”
Before turning in, Jack placed a chair so nicely balanced that in case of the door being ever so slightly opened it would crash to the floor, making enough noise to arouse the Seven Sleepers. Perk grinned at seeing him prepare this “guardian angel” as he termed it, and lost no time himself in “hitting the hay.”
Some time later in the night, when outside noises had almost died away, there came a loud clatter that awoke both the sleepers instantly. They bounced out on the floor in their pajamas, with Jack pulling the cord he had attached to the electric bulb, so that the room was magically illuminated.
The chair lay on its side, and just beyond Perk could see that their door was partly open; the key had been left in the lock, but skillful fingers must have manipulated it by means of slender-jawed pliers, showing the touch of a professional thief.
Straight toward the door the form of Perk was projected – a hungry lion could hardly have made a more pronounced leap at some four-legged game which he had been stalking.
Tearing open the door still wider, Perk thrust out his head, and looked up and down the hotel corridor. He fancied he could make out a dim figure far along the poorly lighted hall, but it vanished like a phantom even as he stared, evidently turning some corner.
But there were other sounds arising – doors all along the corridor were opening, and heads being projected, showing how the startling alarm had awakened numerous other sleepers, who may have imagined an earthquake was in process of occurring, though such a happening was utterly foreign to the metropolis on the Lower Mississippi.
Voices, too, were heard, from both masculine as well as feminine sources, as the aroused hotel guests endeavored to fathom the real meaning of the row.
Perk, seeing there was nothing doing, closed the door, and locked it again; after which he turned to his companion who had been watching his actions with more or less amusement.
“Consarn his picture,” growled the old fighter; “he got off scot free; I jest glimpsed him aturnin’ the first bend down the hall. Blamed shame I couldn’t come to grips with the yeller cub – I’d a given a heap to twist his neck some, you bet I would. Mebbe now I’d otter sit up the rest o’ the night to make certain, eh, boss?”
“Not the slightest need of such a thing, partner,” Jack assured him. “I’ll fix that door so it won’t be opened again in a hurry.”
With that he again took the stout chair, and placed it diagonally against the door, so that its top rested just under the knob; after that had been accomplished it must needs be a battering-ram that could burst in on them.
Not content with that, Jack went to each of the two windows, thrust out his head to examine for the second time the face of the outer wall of the building so as to make sure there was no ledge wide enough to give a would-be trespasser foothold.
“Not the ghost of a chance for the most nimble thief to get in by way of a window, Perk, so back to bed we go, and sleep like babes in the wood for we’re in the third story and far enough from a fire escape to be secure.”
Perk grinned and nodded acquiescence; truth to tell he was not at all averse to starting all over again – possibly the rude interruption had disturbed him just when he was starting to partake of a royal feast that covered every one of his most beloved dishes and he was hugging the delusion to his heart that if given another chance history might repeat itself.
At least there was no further alarm, and the night passed into oblivion like all its countless predecessors with the rising sun arousing the two comrades, and Perk as usual singing out that he felt as though he could easily manage two customary breakfasts in that delighful restaurant where they were already feeling so much at home.
CHAPTER XII
PLAYING WITH FIRE
During the morning Jack took a taxi and paid another visit to the offices in the government building where Mr. Adkins had his desk, doing his daily stunt under the direction of the U. S. District Attorney and other officials in the service of Uncle Sam.
Perk, also, had his job laid out for him, which was to circulate around until he felt positive he had thrown off any possible spy after which it was his duty to make certain purchases, following the list Jack had given him, have them all sent to the aviation field in charge of the man Mr. Adkins had placed on guard at the hangar containing their ship and thus completing the stock of supplies necessary for their long flight and survey work.
Perk carried out his instructions to the letter, and with great vim, since the fact of their laying in these stores was a positive indication that things were coming to pass insuring a speedy getaway and Action was what had come to be the greatest asset in life to Perk.
They met again at noon in their eating place, where, choosing an isolated corner table they could discuss their plan of campaign, even while attending to the wants of the inner man.
Perk made his report, which the other seemed to find good, judging from his frequent nods of acquiescence and when the story had been told to the last word, Perk felt it was his turn to learn things.
“I guess now you got the last batch o’ information from His Nibs, Jack?” he hastened to ask, expectantly.
“I sure did, partner,” he was told. “A few scraps of fresh news that’d be likely to interest us had drifted in since I saw Mr. Adkins last, which he passed along to me. I’ll sort these shreds over later, and fix them where they belong. So far as I can see now they corroborate what we’ve already been so strongly believing must be a fact.”
“Which means, I guess, boss, we head west?” ventured Perk, eagerly.
“Into the setting sun – that’s right, Perk.”
“Do we still expect to keep in touch with Mr. Adkins, Jack?”
“Whenever the chance opens up, and we have any important news to send along or want to know certain things, perhaps even to call on him for that bunch of old-time Texas Rangers he said he could turn over to us if we found any use for them.”
“Glory be!” said Perk, plainly excited, “I sure do hope that emergency does bob up, ’cause I’d give my last Mex dollar to glimpse them rearin’, tearin’ ole fighters knockin’ spots outen the bunch o ’lawless ringers Slippery Slim’s gathered around him. Chances are they’d skip out like hot fleas soon as they heard the ol’time battle cry o’ the defenders o’ the Rio Grande in the days when cattle rustlers raided the ranches down Texas way.”
“But we’ve got to remember,” cautioned Jack, “that these chaps are like lean hungry wolves, that never leave the trail of a wounded stag as long as they can crawl along. I’m not fancying we’ve pulled the wool over their eyes so far and that fact was brought to my attention just after I got back from conferring with Mr. Adkins.”
“As how, boss?” queried the curious Perk.
“I don’t just know what influenced me after I’d entered the hotel, to step back and look out again,” explained Jack. “There was the driver of my taxi, the trusty who’d been recommended by the clerk at the desk, talking earnestly with an unknown party and even as I watched I saw him thrust a bank note into the chauffeur’s itching hand, showing that he has been corrupted and is in cohoot with our enemies.”
“Shucks! is it so rotten bad as all that, partner?” bleated the disgusted Perk, “All I c’n say is I sure do hope it was a nice brand new five-dollar bill he handed over to the yeller dog, an’ that it’s agoin’ to turn out to be a sample o’ their bogus money outfit. Serve the slick renegade if he got hisself pulled in for passin’ a counterfeit note on some guy that ain’t goin’ to sit by and take what’s comin’ to him without raisin’ a nice howl.”
“Don’t be too vindictive, Perk,” Jack told him.
“Say, partner, ever see the boob afore?” the other demanded.
“If you mean the chap who was pumping my driver for all that was out, Perk, I can’t say that I have. He was a flashily dressed man, with loud clothes that would stamp him as a gambler, like those who used to travel on these Mississippi River steamboats in the old days before the Civil War, fleecing unsuspecting passengers out of all their money and I haven’t the least doubt but what he’s a member of the very gang we’re expecting to round up. Mr. Adkins told me it was simply amazing the vastness of the combine Slippery Slim’s managed to gather around him but he was certain it must number many scores of workers, all obeying the orders of the mainspring – crooked Slim Garrabrant.”
“Huh! the more you keep on tellin’ me them big stories, Jack, the happier it all makes me ’cause I seem to just know there’s bound to be a heap o’ rough house stuff croppin’ up, to cool my blood, ragin’ hot just now.”
“Some fine day you’ll be rubbing up against enough fighting to make you call quits with the game. Perk, my boy; and it’s just likely to crop up before long if indications count for anything. I felt pretty sure from his swagger that this fellow might be the very same master mind in charge of that Ryan boat – then, too, when he walked away he had a little limp, which might have come from striking the ground so hard after his chute let him down.”
“Darned pity he didn’t break a leg, or even his measly ol’ neck, I’d say,” grumbled Perk, one of his fits of resentment gripping him just then. “Got no use for these treacherous snakes that squirm, and worm their way into the confidence o’ honest gents, on’y to play a low-down trick, an’ fill their pockets with smackers.”
“There’s one thing we’ve got to guard against,” suggested Jack, who seemed to have a faculty for looking at every side of a picture, and anticipating troubles that might never have occurred to others less gifted.
“As what, partner?” asked Perk, brightening up once more.
“Delay is what they may be hoping for – some way to hold us here while important news is carried to headquarters. I can even see how they might make some sort of ridiculous charge against us to the police, in hopes we would be held several days under suspicion.”
Perk looked astonished.
“But see here, boss, we got our credentials from Washington to prove we’re in the Secret Service, an’ sky detectives at that; they jest wouldn’t dare hold us on some sorter flimsy charge ’cause that’d get ’em in hard with the Government, wouldn’t it?”
“You never know how these affairs may turn out,” said Jack. “Often there seems to be some kind of a jealous feeling between States officers and those of the Government – almost like a little vendetta, each arm of the Law striking out at the other, and getting in a sly lick that’s good for a laugh after hostilities have died down. These Southern city police might make out there was a grave charge of abduction or something like that, compelling them to hold us incommunicado– that is keep us from intercourse with the U. S. District Attorney’s office until several days had elapsed and then setting us free with a lot of apologies that didn’t mean anything whatsoever.”
“Yeah! I get your drift partner,” said Perk, frowning. “We sure can’t afford to spend any of our valuable time in the hoosgow here, if we c’n help it. ’Cause things set that way I hope you get busy an’ fix it so we’ll shake the dust o’ this same burgh off our shoes in a hurry. Got the date settled yet, Jack?”
“I shook hands with, and said goodbye to Mr. Adkins this morning, Perk and you are at liberty to figure that out as you please.”
“Then it’s tonight?” asked the other, looking well satisfied with such an enticing programme.
“Wind and weather permitting we’ll clear out soon after twilight settles down on the city and the river,” Jack assured his understudy.
“Me, I’m sittin’ pretty, an’ taking things as they come along, old hoss,” continued Perk. “Let’s perambulate and attend to the crying needs of this high noon hour – the girl told me they expected to have apple dumplings for lunch today an’ that’s one I’d nominate as bein’ among my prime favorites – you know I got a few I really enjoy an’ that’s no lie either.”
“Yes, I know a good many on your list – fact is,” said frank Jack, “if I ran down the whole menu this noon there’d be only a scant few that’s missed being called your especial favorites each in its turn as the wind blew. But just as well we did all the eating while the chance lasts, for only a magician can tell what our bill of fare is going to be during the coming week or two – some weird dishes most likely – boiled owl, fried rattlesnake, baked prairie dog – Heaven knows to what ends we may be reduced.”
“Have a heart, partner, don’t take my healthy appetite away by mentionin’ them terrible dishes. ’Member you promised we’d hire a taxi after lunch, an’ drive all around the city, lampin’ the big sights like the French market, the queer buryin’ places where holes in thick walls take the place o’ graves, on ’count o’ there bein’ so much water in the ground, with the city settin’ so low down, an’ the ol’ Mississippi on one o’ its benders. Then I want to eat Gulf oysters an’ shrimp at one o’ them cute little stands we noticed yesterday afternoon; try a reg’lar Creole dinner tonight at that place Mr. Adkins told us about – after which I’m all done with Orleans, an’ ready to pull up stakes for keeps.”
“We’ll keep that to the last, Perk, and go to the flying field from the eating house by taxi. From that time on we’ll have to depend on our own heads and hands to keep us out of difficulties. But let’s hope we can climb up to a three thousand foot ceiling, and strike out as if we were aiming for Savannah or Jacksonville, only to swing around inside of half an hour, climb high over the city and river and put for the Texas border at full speed.”
This enchanting program gave Perk much cause for rejoicing and he sat down at their regular table in the restaurant feeling, as he expressed it, “happy as a clam at high tide” and full of little laughs that seemed to gurgle up from his shoes.
They chatted of other happenings, not wishing to “talk shop” in such a crowded place, lest listening ears pick up certain information that could be used greatly to their disadvantage – Perk had an endless fund of interesting reminiscences that, told in his inimitable fashion, were a never failing source of joy to the appreciative air pilot.
The afternoon was spent in motoring all around the most interesting portions of the city, the obliging Mr. Adkins having made out a list of subjects they should not miss seeing while on this first visit to the justly famous Louisiana metropolis.
CHAPTER XIII
THE HOP-OFF
Leaving the hotel, after settling their account, and still making use of the taxi with its accommodating driver, Jack and his comrade had taken what small amount of hand luggage they possessed along with them, not meaning to come back again.
Mr. Adkins had recommended a small but unique restaurant run by a buxom French madame, where they could have a Creole supper, such as would long haunt their memories as a genuine treat and it was to this place they ordered their driver to convey them.
Both of them felt fairly convinced they had been shadowed during the afternoon, although so carefully must this have been accomplished they had no positive proof to make it what Perk would term a “dead certainty.”
They really did have a delightful “feed,” and the dishes set before them were as a rule complete mysteries although the obliging madame, seeing they were tasting her triumphs of the French chef’s art for the first time, gladly explained the nature of the food they consumed with so much gusto.
Perk was fascinated with his supper, and inwardly vowed that this should not be the last time he would partake of tasty Creole dishes. This duty fulfilled, they faced the next progressive step in their night’s program – making for the aviation field, and boarding their ship for a speedy takeoff, their ultimate goal neither of them could say just where, save that if all went well they expected to be somewhere along the California border within the next few days.
The taxi was waiting, with the chauffeur on the alert. He had already been advised of the fact that they anticipated having some parties attempt to spy upon them as evening settled down and on this account he had maintained a strict watch for troublesome visitors who might even attempt to threaten him with bodily injury unless he agreed to enter into their plans for delaying the flight of the two flyers, as he knew his passengers to be from what he had been told.
“Well, I see our taxi’s still on deck, partner,” observed Perk, just as if he might have suspected they would find it missing, with a detail of grim city police waiting to escort them to the lockup, they to be held in durance vile until serious charges against them could be sifted.
“Nothing came along to bother you, Henri?” asked Jack of the smiling driver, who laughed as he said in reply:
“I haf seen one beeg hulk of ze man hanging around, M’sieu, and looking as if he would like to eat me up but me, I haf been an old soldier in the Grand Army of France, and I think he did not like the way I throw my chest out thees way, and walk as eef I am on guard duty; he did not address a single word to me, but just a little while ago he disappear – I think he may haf gone to get more courage out of ze glass.”
“Good boy, Henri,” said the grinning Perk, clapping a hand on the stalwart chauffeur’s shoulder; “for myself I should not like to tackle you when you have your fighting face all set. Let’s go.”
So they were off, and heading out in the direction of the aviation grounds, with the first shadows of approaching evening gathering around them. Perk may have been more or less nervous, in anticipation of something coming to pass that would seriously cripple their plans for a speedy flight, since he kept turning his head from side to side and scrutinizing every one they saw upon the streets they traversed.
Henri maintained a fairly good speed, all the law would permit, so that few cars passed them on the road. Perk managed to watch closely, and never a motor came booming along in their wake, honking to announce the driver’s intention to pass by, than he had his eyes glued on the car and continued to pay strict attention until it had crept well up ahead.
But after all nothing out of the way came to pass, and eventually they reached the aviation field where they found lights already in play, since a delayed air mail ship was hovering over signaling for better illumination. There was some small damage in regard to the steering gear, making it a bit risky to try a landing unless the field was brilliantly lighted.
“You made an arrangement with a couple of the ground force to hang around so as to help us get the crate out okay, didn’t you, Perk?” queried Jack, as they drew up close to the particular hangar where they had seen their plane placed in quarters.
“Yeah, I sure did, Jack,” the other replied. “Must be they’re over where that crate hanging overhead means to land – somethin’ wrong mebbe but they gimme their word to stay around till we got here – there, I c’n lamp the guys runnin’ thisaways right now, so it’s okay, partner.”
“Yes, I see them coming,” returned the other, himself a bit relieved, since the intended departure was a most important episode in their plans, and to meet with any sort of a setback would be most aggravating indeed.
The two mechanicians quickly arrived, the hanger was unlocked and opened so as to permit the exit of the ship. First of all both flyers hastened to don their working togs, then fasten on the ’chutes with the harness necessary for the purpose, all working smoothly and finally clapping their helmets on their heads, with the earflaps secured to keep things in readiness for any emergency that might crop up.
This being accomplished, Jack gave the word to have the heavy ship dragged out into the open. He knew that his assistant would have looked after everything essential to their comfort during the coming flight for Perk was one of those dependable fellows who carry out orders with machine-like regularity.
A few parties had hastened up to see what was going on but so far as Perk could tell they were either workers connected with the field, or else visitors from the city, who had lingered to watch the landing of the air mail, so as to tell how it was done when they reached their several homes, to partake of a late supper.
Now the ship had been swung around so as to head into the west, since the soft evening breeze was coming from that quarter and everything seemed in readiness for the take-off.
Perk, still surveying his surroundings as if still cherishing a fragment of his former suspicions that all might not be as lovely as surface indications would announce, started to climb aboard. Jack on his part was handing some money to the two men, not wishing to leave a single thing unpaid when passing out from New Orleans – there was nothing to be done about their use of the hangar, since Mr. Adkins had assured him that matter had already been taken care of, regardless of how long they chose to linger in the Crescent City.
Jack, too, cast a last glance around, just as he would have done had he still been with the air mail service and about to start off on his customary night flight with the north-bound sacks of letters and the express matter that vent along.
Just then he heard Perk give vent to a hurried exclamation:
“Get aboard, partner; I guess the measly critters are acomin’ down on us like hot cakes right now. Lookit how they start arunnin’ thisaway, will you?”
Jack did not bother looking, as every second might be valuable; he climbed aboard with alacrity, and settled down in his seat; at the same time calling out to the helpers to stand aside. Then he pulled the gun, with the motor responding instantly, so well had Perk done his work when checking up the ship that morning.
Perk was still glueing his eyes on the several figures now racing madly in their general direction, and waving their arms wildly; no doubt they had started to shout in addition, but the descending air mail crate was making more or less racket, which, added to by their own motor’s thunder, prevented any one from hearing what they may have been whooping.
Perk was trembling with an excess of emotion – evidently they had just escaped “by the skin of their teeth,” for he felt certain he could distinguish the uniforms of the police in the little bunch of runners.
“Played your hand just a mite too late, gents!” Perk was whooping as he in turn waved a mocking adieu backward; “thought you’d ketch a weasel asleep, I guess, but not so easy, you gate crashers. Wow! here we go spinnin’ along like the wind, and it’s goodnight to the bunch. Huh! shootin’ at us, air you – jest awastin’ ammunition, that’s all, boys. Go ’way back an’ sit down.”
Then Jack lifted her in an upward fling, and they were off like a startled hawk!