CHAPTER XI
THE NIGHT ALARM
"I'm not thrilled by what you say, Perk, because I've been more thanhalf 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 chapis he like?"
Jack spoke in his usual calm way, and the other realized he hadundoubtedly been prepared for the sudden news.
"Nothin' out o' the way 'bout his looks, far as I c'n see," was Perk'sreply; "on'y got a few squints at the guy; but he's keepin' tab o' ourmovements I guess now."
"Reckon he might be one of those lads in the Ryan ship that crashed inflames after they'd flown the coop?" asked Jack.
"Huh! just can't be dead sure, partner," chuckled Perk; "but there'ssomethin' '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 amud-hole."
"I wonder," the other went on to say, as if talking to himself; "ifthat's the case then, both those duffers pulled through with theirlives, and not so badly hurt. Honestly I'm a bit glad that's so, for upto 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 beable to say that--chances are you'd a been mixed up in that mess acrossthe Atlantic, when Yanks an' Johnny Rebs were fightin' shoulder toshoulder, and it was a case o' a Heine pilot's life or our'n. But if youkeep on with Uncle Sam's service as you're adoin' right now, the time'llcome for you to fetch back a dead man who jest _wouldn't_ let hisself becaptured."
"Like as not," remarked Jack; "but there's no need of crossing a rivertill you come to it; so I'm not taking trouble by the forelock awayahead of time."
"What'll we do 'bout this dickey bird that's bobbin' at our heels sogaily, tell me, partner?" pursued Perk, eagerly, as though in hisfighting heart he was actually hoping his superior would give the orderto 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 alongstreets where there's plenty of company, and be prepared for any sort ofambush; though I can't believe he'd be crazy enough to start anything soearly in the evening--if the hour was close to midnight, things might bedifferent. There are any number of tough cases in this old Creole cityready to handle a sticking game for the coin in it--blacks and yellowsand 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?" demandedPerk.
"Much good that will do him." said Jack with a light laugh; "the chancesare two to one he already knows where we've put up, and has had some spydog me to the Federal building. When the time comes for us to jump offwe'll find a slick way to hop our ship without giving these boys ashow-down."
Presently they arrived at the hotel entrance, without any untowardincident arising to mar the quiet of the evening. Perk cast a partingglance toward their rear just before entering, and seeing the shadowyfigure hovering not far away, considered it a part of his duty to placehis thumb to his nose, and wiggle his fingers derisively, at the sametime uttering a snarl like a bobcat at bay, to express his uttercontempt.
Once in their room, Jack first of all cast about as if to decide whetherany uninvited guest had intruded on their preserves while they wereabsent.
"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 inhere with the aid of a pass-key borrowed from a chambermaid, he wasshrewd enough not to mess things up like they did with our friend Scottyof 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 soundasleep, an' agoin' through your clothes in regulation style. They dotell me there be sneak thieves right clever in this same burgh, equal tothe ones out in India, where they c'n steal the sheet from under asleeper, without wakin' him up."
"I understand that's really true, partner," Jack agreed; "but we're notgoing to let them have half a chance, even if they hired all the crooksin New Orleans to play the game."
"Sounds good to me, boss," Perk declared. "We'll manage to sleep withone eye open, an' if any critter tries to give us the once over, he'llwish he'd never been born, that's all I know."
Before turning in, Jack placed a chair so nicely balanced that in caseof the door being ever so slightly opened it would crash to the floor,making enough noise to arouse the Seven Sleepers. Perk grinned at seeinghim prepare this "guardian angel" as he termed it, and lost no timehimself 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. Theybounced out on the floor in their pajamas, with Jack pulling the cord hehad attached to the electric bulb, so that the room was magicallyilluminated.
The chair lay on its side, and just beyond Perk could see that theirdoor was partly open; the key had been left in the lock, but skillfulfingers 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 lioncould hardly have made a more pronounced leap at some four-legged gamewhich he had been stalking.
Tearing open the door still wider, Perk thrust out his head, and lookedup and down the hotel corridor. He fancied he could make out a dimfigure far along the poorly lighted hall, but it vanished like a phantomeven as he stared, evidently turning some corner.
But there were other sounds arising--doors all along the corridor wereopening, and heads being projected, showing how the startling alarm hadawakened numerous other sleepers, who may have imagined an earthquakewas in process of occurring, though such a happening was utterly foreignto the metropolis on the Lower Mississippi.
Voices, too, were heard, from both masculine as well as femininesources, as the aroused hotel guests endeavored to fathom the realmeaning of the row.
Perk, seeing there was nothing doing, closed the door, and locked itagain; after which he turned to his companion who had been watching hisactions with more or less amusement.
"Consarn his picture," growled the old fighter; "he got off scot free; Ijest glimpsed him aturnin' the first bend down the hall. Blamed shame Icouldn't come to grips with the yeller cub--I'd a given a heap to twisthis 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 diagonallyagainst the door, so that its top rested just under the knob; after thathad been accomplished it must needs be a battering-ram that could burstin on them.
Not content with that, Jack went to each of the two windows, thrust outhis head to examine for the second time the face of the outer wall ofthe building so as to make sure there was no ledge wide enough to give awould-be trespasser foothold.
"Not the ghost of a chance for the most nimble thief to get in by way ofa window, Perk, so back to bed we go, and sleep like babes in the woodfor we're in the third story and far enough from a fire escape to besecure."
Perk grinned and nodded acquiescence; truth to tell he was not at allaverse to starting all over again--possibly the rude interruption haddisturbed him just when he was starting to partake of a royal feast thatcovered every one of his most beloved dishes and he was hugging thedelusion to his heart that if given another chance history might repeatitself.
At least there was no further alarm, and the night passed into oblivionlike all its countless predecessors with the rising sun arousing the twocomrades, and Perk as usual singing out that he felt as though he couldeasily manage two customary breakfasts in that delighful restaurantw
here they were already feeling so much at home.