CHAPTER XXII
DOWN TO BUSINESS AT LAST
When Jack came back to the hotel late that night, he found Perk loungingin the lobby, and keeping a watchful eye on the main entrance.
"Got too darned lonesome up in the den, suh," the latter explained,keeping up his character part as an employee of the rich New Yorksportsman, who was so well liked that he had become a sort of companion,and campmate in fact. "Jest couldn't stand it any longer, an' had tocome daown hyah, so's to watch the folks, an' pass the time away. Gwineup right naow, suh?"
"Might just as well, for I'm a bit tired; and besides we have some plansto settle on before striking out for the ducking grounds day aftertomorrow. Got those chilled-shot shells I want to tryout, did you,Wally?"
"Sure did, suh," answered the other, with a wide grin, knowing that thishad been spoken because the hotel clerk was close by at the desk, andwatching them a bit curiously. "An' I done reckoned as haow I might jestas well fotch 'long double the number o' boxes yeou-all asked me to.They sure slips away right speedy like, suh, when the birds air atradin'good."
Once behind the closed and locked door, Jack started to explain suchfresh facts as had come within the circle of his knowledge in the lastchat with Mr. Herriott.
"He will make all arrangements with Jethro in the morning, so we canexpect to find the man waiting at the rendezvous--Black Water Bayou, twonights from now; for I calculate to drop down there just while thetwilight holds. That is the main thing we settled; and he assured methere would absolutely be no hitch to that part of the program. Whensuch a man as our good friend gives a promise like that you can dependon it being exactly so."
"Bet yeour boots that's a fack, partner," Perk took occasion to add mostfervently, having conceived a great liking for Mr. Herriott, hischarming betterhalf, and the two youngsters with whom he had had such ariotous time on the occasion of his late visit.
Jack took some object out of his pocket, and holding it between hisfingers seemed to blow softly into the same with a certain quaveringinflection. The result was an odd quacking sound, several timesrepeated.
"Gosh all hemlock!" Perk exclaimed, a little too loud for discretion ashe himself appeared to realize, since he immediately moderated his voiceas he went on to say: "If that ere aint a reg'lar duck-call I'm a rankpiker. What dye know 'baout that, if we didn't forgit to supplyaourselves with a quacker--two on 'em in fact, one to coax the duckswithin gunshot; an' tother fo' wild honkin' geese. Takes yeou to thinkup the small but important things, ole hoss."
"Well, we may some day have a chance to use this call for the purpose itwas intended," stated Jack, handing the queer little article with thesplit and brass tongue crown over to Hank for examination; "but I got itfor quite another reason. When I put this to my lips, and give a numberof loud quacks, it'll be after we're lying there on the surface of BlackWater Bayou--as a signal agreed on with Jethro. You must remember he hasnever met us, unfortunately, and this game is too risky for any one totake chances. He'll answer my signal by six quacks in quick succession,and I'll give him another four in reply--then both will have made surecovering the identity of the other."
"Jest fine as silk, I'd say, suh!" Perk assured him, with that lookapproaching adoration such as came to him most naturally, whenever hispal Jack sprang some unusually neat piece of work upon him.
Perk tested the duck-call several times, blowing softly, so as not tocause any guest, or possibly even a spy, in an adjoining room to wonderwhat such a series of queer sounds could mean.
"Huh! been a long time, suh, since I done used one o' thesecontraptions," he finally advanced. "They do fotch the s'picious birdsaswimmin' closer in to the stools--yeou knows I gotter to buy a bunch o'cedar decoys tomorry, 'case no shooter ever goes aout to bag duckswithaout a flock o' the same."
"That's down on your list of last supplies to be picked up, I remember,Wally. And when I've told you a few more things that come to me tonightwe'd better turn in for a good snatch of sleep. No telling how much timewe'll be spending keeping wide-awake night after night, once we embarkon that part of our big game. In fact, it's possible we'll have tochange things around, and do about all of our sleeping daytimes."
"Suits me right well, suh--so long's I gits fo' hours at a stretch, witha few halfway decent eats thrown in, I doant never kick."
Less than half an hour later and they were getting ready for a spell offorgetfulness. Perk, as he crawled into bed, was muttering something tothe effect that there would be only one more occasion when they couldtreat themselves to the real luxury of a decent bed, with a finebathroom conveniently close at hand.
"But what do it matter with sech a ole campaigner as _me_--anything wekin strike aint agoin' to be one-tenth as bad as when I was over in themstinkin' trenches, up to my knees in water, an' listenin' to hell brokeloose all raound, with the Heinies throwing shiploads o' shells, an'other devilish explosives--awful pizen gas in the bargain, every-whichway--I ain't complainin' o' anything after what happened to me there, nosiree, I aint."
In the morning they took a leisurely breakfast, and then separated, eachof them having a complete list of certain necessary things that had tobe attended to.
Jack had declared it his intention to take-off around midday, for theycould once more follow the course now becoming quite familiar--passingout to sea, and from a great height learning whether a mother-ship layoff the coast, with fast speedboats tied up alongside, taking oncargoes--although no attempt would be made looking to coming in to themouth of some estuary, up which they meant to push under cover ofdarkness.
Only one thing could keep them from making their start as planned, andthis would be a bad weather report covering the coastal region fromBrunswick, Georgia all the way past Hatteras, to the mouth of theDelaware. Optimistic Jack, however, was hoping for the best, since asfar as he could see no bad weather appeared on the latest report fromHeadquarters, as given in the Charleston papers.
Much was accomplished during the morning, and both of them brought backvarious packages that were to be carried in their bags to the field, atthe time of taking off.
"You looked after those decoys, I expect, brother?" Jack queried, asthey sat at the lunch table, enjoying all manner of good thingsappealing to their sound appetites.
"Better b'lieve I did that same, buddy," the other assured him; "an' amighty likely lookin' bunch o' stools I picked up. They're sendin' thesame to the aviation grounds this afternoon; an' I'm meanin' to run aoutso's to stow the wooden ducks away aboard aour ship. I'd give somethin'for a chanct to shoot over them same decoys, yes suh, I sure would."
"Perhaps fortune will be kind to us, and you may yet have that pleasure,Pal Wally. No telling but what we may be ordered to hang out around thispart of the coast for some time after we've done our job to the Queen'staste; and to tell you the truth I'd enjoy a little shooting myself."
The afternoon passed, and when the sun sank low in the west, with theircoming together again at the hotel, never a single item on either listhad been neglected.
In the morning Jack walked around to the post-office where the latestweather reports could be found, to see if they corresponded with therosy promises the morning papers contained. He assured Perk on returningthat they need have no fears about making the start as scheduled; sothat Perk found his cup of happiness full to the brim, and even runningover.
They took an early lunch and then went out to the aviation grounds in ataxi as usual. Before their ship was trundled out to be set for a startthey saw that everything was aboard, and safely stowed away, from thecumbersome decoy flock to the last thing in "chow," as selected bycapable Perk, about as good a judge with regard to food supplies ascould be run across in a day's search.
The manager of the aviation field himself was out to shake hands, andgive them a parting good-bye. Jack, seeing the smile accompanying thewords and hearty handclasp, had a faint suspicion that possibly theaffable gentleman had guessed something like the t
ruth; but just thesame he felt it would never go any further, if he could read goodSouthern faith in a human's eyes.