CHAPTER V
THEIR RUNNING SCHEDULE
"Hot-diggetty-dig! What a big snap I shore missed by not bein' jest'raound the corner, alistenin' while yeou was afeedin' that tall yarn to'im, what's the name o' that trail hound what builds up thrillin' yarnsfo' the readers o' his paper to swaller?" and after taking a look at thecard still lying on the table Perk continued: "'James Douglas Keating,'huh! well, Jimmy, mebbe so yeou didn't run up 'gainst a buzz saw whenyeou tackled aour--er, Mr. Rodman Warrington."
"Wait and see," cautioned Jack; "for all I can tell that lad may havebeen feeding me some slick medicine when he seemed to fall for my talkso readily. I'm not going to feel dead certain I scotched the busybodyuntil we've left Atlanta and Candler Field well in our wake, withnothing happening to prove a give-away."
"Yeou would, partner--it'd be jest like yeou to say 'mebbe' till thingsthey got ab-so-lutely certain--never yet knew yeou to jump atconclusions, so I done reckon yeou was really born to be a scientist.When do we eat, I'd like to know; things are agettin' near the dangerline with me, right naow, an' there's a 'cry from Macedonia, come on an'dine.'"
"Let's go," Jack told him, reaching out for his head covering; for theyhad both doffed their flying clothes before quitting the ship, and werein ordinary garments that would not cause comment or unusual notice onthe streets of any city.
Over a very bountiful dinner they continued to "talk shop" in low tones.Since their table was a bit removed from any other, thanks to Jacktipping the head waiter bountifully, with the orchestra playing softly,it seemed almost an impossibility for any hostile ear to catch a singleword they uttered.
Thus Perk was put in possession of further valuable information withregard to the probable field of their forthcoming adventure, Jack havingmanaged in his customary clever fashion to get hold of reading mattercovering the entire romantic coast country between Norfolk and Savannah.
"It seems to be a wonderful section, just teeming with queer people andequally strange sights; and for one I'm a bit eager to look things over.Just the same, buddy, neither of us must forget even a minute the mainobject that's calling us into the coast skyways. We've got a man's sizejob on our hands, and some mighty smart people, as well asdevil-may-care ones, to pack up against, so that a slip is apt to set usback, and for all we know even cost us our lives. I'm saying that not toscare any one, but because I've posted myself on the game, and know towhat vile ends some of these dicks would go if they thought men of ourtrade were holding them under surveillance."
"Well, so be it, partner doant forgit I've heard the whine o' lead pillsclose to my ears many a time, so it's an ole story with me!"
"When we manage to get in touch with one or more of the swift CoastGuard patrol boats things will begin to look brighter---as though theremight be something doing; but that wont come along for quite some time.We've got to get things down pat, know all about the regular routinemovements of those swift airships, and then begin to cut into theirnumber--first one must mysteriously disappear, and then a second,possibly even a third. By that time we'll have certainly thrown a prettyhefty scare into the bunch, and things are bound to slacken, more orless."
"Speed the day, sez I, partner caint come any too quick to suit me, an'that's no lie either," saying which valorous, fire-eating Perk againattacked his supper; for by this time they had reached the dessertstage, and were discussing prime apple pie, with the richest of thickcream to top it off, always one of Perk's favorites, when given hischoice.
It will be noticed that when off duty these minions of the SecretService were apt to live like kings, and with reason; for often they hadto put up with scanty rations, and poor at that, when far removed fromrestaurant fare, and forced to live off the country. "First a feast, andthen a famine," Perk was accustomed to saying when Jack mildlyreproached him for giving so much thought to what he usually designatedas "the eats."
Perk would have liked very well to have spent an hour or so at sometheatre or other, and had even given a few hints about a screen play atthe Paramount but met with no encouragement from his side partner.
"Best for us not to make any sort of an exhibit of ourselves while we'rein close quarters with that write-up newspaper chap," he told Perk, who,realizing that Jack meant just what he said, allowed the subject todrop.
"Kinder gu--er-reckon as haow yeou're 'baout right there, ole hoss," headmitted, with a slight vein of regret in his voice; "course we kin seeall the picters we want when we've struck the wind-up o' aourtrail--that is, providin' we're still alive, an' kickin' as usual."
"That lad has got me guessing, and no mistake," Jack added; "in one wayI admire such persistence, especially in one of his breed, where there'sa big scramble for fresh news stories; but they can make it a whole lotdisagreeable for other people in the bargain. Makes me think of theleeches that used to pester us by hanging on in the old swimmin' hole ofmy boyhood days--you just couldn't shake the blood-thirsty varments off,try as you might, they were such stickers."
Finishing their supper they strolled forth in a leisurely fashion, asif, as Perk himself observed in his quaint way: they had "the wholeevening at their disposal, with nothing to do but kill time."
Picking up a late evening paper on the way to their room at the HenryGrady Hotel they settled down to be as comfortable as possible, untilthe time arrived to make a start.
"We'll get a taxi to take us out to Candler Field," quoth Jack, alwaysarranging his plans with meticulous certainty; "then change to ourflying togs, and get going as quietly as possible. It's to be hoped thatsticking plaster wont be nosing around out there, to see some mail shipstart off, or come into the airport--you never can tell about suchfly-by-nights, who bob up in the most unexpected places just when youdon't want to see them."
"Huh! yeou said it, partner," Perk added, whimsically; "jest like I usedto see that queer jack-o'-lantern in the country graveyard foggy nightsnow here, an' agin over yonder, fur all the world like a ghost huntin'fur its 'ticular stone to climb under agin."
Jack, having made himself comfortable, commenced glancing over the paperhe had picked up, briefly scanning each page as though skimming thenews.
"Haow 'bout the weather reports, buddy?" asked Perk, later on,suppressing a big yawn, as though time was hanging somewhat heavily onhis hands, being, as he always proudly declared, "a man of action."
"Just about the same as a while ago--no change in the predictions havingcome about," he told the other.
"Like to be no storm agoin' to slap us in the teeth, then, eh, what?"
"I don't see where it could come from, it being clear in almost everydirection, saving possible rain in South Florida; so don't let thatbother you in the least, old scout."
"An' fog--haow 'bout that same, suh? I opines as haow I sorter detestfog more'n anything I know--'cept mebbe stones in my cherry pie."
"No record of any fog over the air-route east," Jack informed him; "andyou know we mean to follow the flash beacons all the way to Greenville,South Carolina, where they turn off in the direction of Richmond, whilewe shift more to the southeast by south, and head for Charleston. Itlooks as though we'd have a nice, even flight all the way, and land inour port early tomorrow morning--without trying to make any great speedin the bargain."
Time passed, and it drew near the hour they had selected for theirleaving the hotel. Perk was a bit eager to be going, and began to packhis bag as a gentle hint to his running mate.
"Finish mine while about it, partner," he was told by his comrade;"while I'm down below settling our joint account, and securing a taxi.I'll be back in a short while; and then for business."
"Yeah! that strikes me where I live, buddy. Take yeour time, an' doantcome back atellin' me that pesky Jimmy's squatted in the hotel lobby,alookin' over everybody as goes aout, er comes in."
Jack was gone as much as ten minutes, and then opened the door quietly,to have the other snatch a quick inquiring look at his face and say:
&nb
sp; "Ev'rything lovely, an' the goose flyin' high, ole hoss?"
"We're going to kick off right away; and so far the coast seems clear."