XXI
OLD JIMMY, THE FACTOR
It hardly needed these vigorous words from the startled Perk to tellJack something unusual was the matter at the trading post. Just as hiscomrade had declared, some sort of minor building was smouldering, smokeascending in lazy spirals and occasionally a tiny burst of flame tellingwhere a fresh bit of unburned wood must have fallen to the heat stillhanging over the ruins.
Then too, the actions of the parties standing in a clump near thegeneral store and fur repository added to his belief for they did lookvery much disturbed as if almost tempted to make a break for the shelterof the nearby forest.
That was easily understood, for up to the present time it must have beena rare event for an airplane to come circling over that remote tradingpost--indeed, perhaps never before had such a thrilling event occurred.
"Jack, you're meanin' to drop down, ain't you?" sang out the worriedPerk.
"I reckon to," came the steady answer, "when you've shown me the openfield you said lay close by--that was even enough for a fairly decentlanding."
"Why, there it is right now, partner--over on the right, this side o'the tall timber yonder," and Perk thrust out a hand so as to make hismeaning quite clear.
"I see it Perk, boy, and must take your word for it we'll have a chanceto make contact without a spill. We've got to find out what's been goingon around here lately, that's about all there is to it." "I c'n jestwager it's some dirty work o' that timber wolf, Hawk," asserted theother vigorously, "an' if he's so much as hurt a hair o' Ol' JimmyMcGregor's gray head it's goin' to cost him dear, an' that's no lieeither!"
Jack said nothing further, just paid strict attention to his business.He was scanning the rather contracted field so as to figure where heshould drop down, with a bit of open space ahead for a short run afterhitting the earth.
He had made several circles around the place before coasting earthwardas his severe training as a pilot had taught him to do ere making thelast dip. In another half minute the wheels had struck and the amphibianwas slowing up in its forward thrust.
Both of them hastily detached the 'phones from their heads for theycould see that some of the men, mostly trappers, Jack imagined fromtheir rough dress, were commencing to push toward the spot where thevisitor from the clouds lay almost motionless, having withstood suchshaking-up as followed the rough landing.
The first thing that Jack noticed was the fact that there was an eagerlook on several of the leather-like faces of the advancing group. Herather imagined they had been cherishing a wild hope the airship mightdisgorge several figures in the well-known uniforms of the Mounties andthat their recent rough treatment at the hands of the outlaws would soonbe avenged.
"Hi! what's been goin' on 'round the post here, boys?" shouted Perk asthe small group drew near. "Hello! Birdseye Baker, glad to see you'restill on deck--ain't forgot Gabe Perkiser, have you, Oldtimer?"
The tall, stoop-shouldered man with the long hair whom Perk addressedstared hard and then came closer.
"If it ain't Perk hisself!" he exclaimed, to immediately add: "Back onthe old job agin, be ye--but why ain't ye in uniform--an' whar be therest o' the Mounties--we need 'em right smart I'm tellin' ye, boy!"
"Who's been handlin' you rough, brother?" asked Perk sympathetically.
"Cap. Hawk an' his gang. Ain't been gone more'n three hours--stole allmy whole season's ketch o' pelts an' robbed Old Jimmy o' his money an' aheap o' stores 'sides. I kinder feel like I'm meanin' to skip out o'this blasted kentry if so be they jest can't nab that wild critter, 'erelse make him turn up his toes. What ails the Mounties, I wanter know,when they slip up on a job like this? Don't seem like the days when yewas workin' in the outfit, Gabe Perkiser."
"Hold out a little longer, Birdseye, ol' hoss!" exclaimed Perk jerkingoff goggles and helmet, "mebbe it'll all come out okay. They's things onthe programme that're goin' to cut a big figger in this game. Just youwait an' see 'fore you cuss the Mounties black an' blue."
Then, as if noting the absence of Old Jimmy the factor, Perk continued,looking anxiously around:
"But where's Jimmy right now, I want to know? 'Taint like him to bestickin' in his coop yonder when strangers come to town!"
"He's on his back, Perk--got into ruction with them bushrangers an' theytore him up somethin' scandalous. Nuthin' real dangerous, get me, but hesure needs the attention o' a doc. I'm told they's sech a man up to thefort name o' Hamilton but we ain't no way o' gettin' word to him in ahurry."
"That's okay, ol' hoss," said Perk quickly, "my boss here, Mister JohnJacob Astorbilt is aimin' to strike Fort Laney, hopin' to get some biggame shootin' thereabouts. We c'n fetch the sawbones back with us if sobe he's still around."
"Good boy, Perk," said the old fur-trapper enthusiastically, "but comein an' see the old man--he'll be right glad to meet up with yeagain--often talked 'bout ye when I kim back from my trap line in theSpring."
Perk looked as happy as a schoolboy carrying home _her_ books for thefirst time--showing that after all he was not quite so hard-boiled as hewished to appear and that a little flattery could bring the blushes tohis well tanned weather-stained cheeks.
"Let's go, partner," he said motioning to Jack who had been listening toall this talk with increasing interest, since it had more or less to dowith the lawless actions of the desperado whom he had been dispatched tobring back to the States so as to be returned to Leavenworthpenitentiary, with considerably more time added to his originalsentence.
The moment they entered the post they could easily see that somethinglike an eruption must have occurred only recently. Everything was upsetas though there had been a thorough search made for hidden treasure.Piles of dried pelts lay scattered around, the richer prizes havingevidently been carried off.
The raiders had doubtless shown rare discrimination as though amongtheir number were those who themselves had once been trappers andtherefore knew all about the value of black fox pelts, sables and minkthat bring such top-notch prices in the fur markets of St. Louis andother busy places in the country.
Birdseye Baker led them through all this mess straight over to the doorcommunicating with the factor's private room. This apartment also lookedas if an earthquake of first dimensions had struck it and over on a cotagainst the further log wall they could see a man with a gray beardholding himself up on his elbow, having evidently heard strange voicesand being filled with curiosity as well as wonder as to what all thefresh row was about.
"Hello there, Uncle Jimmy!" sang out Perk breezily as he pushed aheadwith outstretched hand. "Ain't quite forgot Gabe Perkiser, have you, ol'top? Sorry to hear what's happened to you an' as me an' my boss, MisterJohn Jacob Astorbilt here, mean to head for the fort right away, we aimto get thet medicine man back to look after you. It happens we got acloud chasin' airship waitin' outside to carry us wherever we wantergo."
The old Scotch factor looked as pleased as a man suffering from recentsevere injuries might be expected to under the circumstances. He allowedthe newcomer to squeeze his hand and even took Jack's who fancied theother from the first--the stern honesty of the man from bonny Scotlandwas to be seen in his clear eye and undismayed look.
"They treated me some scandalous, Perk," the injured man was saying witha quirk, but little in the way of Scotch brogue cropping up in hisspeech, "but ye ken I'm a tough old bird and have pulled out o' many abad scrape in the past so it may be I'll weather this knockout, if onlythat doctor can gi'e me a fair start."
"Hamilton, they say his name is," ventured Perk, musingly, "somehow Idon't 'member the name, so like as not he must be a new one around heresince I kicked out some years ago."
"Ay; that's the truth, laddie--he dropped in on us something like a yearback, sayin' he was sick o' civilization and a' its cheats and wanted tolive out his life where the primitive ways still held forth. I am o' theopinion the man must have met with some serious trouble--had his wiferun awa' with a younger chap, more'n lik
ely, as they sometimes do, yeken. But for a' that he's a clever physician and he'll pull me out o'this slump if on'y he can be fetched before it's too late."