IV
A CHANCE CLUE
It was a holdup pure and simple, appearances would indicate. Jack couldsee in the uncertain light that each of the men gripped a gat in hisfingers, covering the astonished trio; he also made out that they hadhandkerchiefs covering the lower portions of their faces, which made itall the more interesting, since nothing was lacking to fix the picturein the mind as worthy of the latest movie thriller.
Jack apparently started to raise both hands in obedience to the order sobrusquely given but with an incredibly speedy move he suddenly threw outhis fight hand and caught the wrist of the nearest holdup man, giving ita twist that compelled the bandit to let his gun fall to the ground.
Then there was Cyclone, true to form as his nick-name would indicate,making a lightning play and leaping on the second bandit with theagility of a Canada lynx pouncing on a bounding rabbit.
This fellow, taken off his guard it seemed, managed to shoot but thebullet went wild and before he could recover enough to do any damage hewas being whirled this way and that in the dazzling fashion shown by thecowboy actor in all his pictures and which had gained him his wellearned fame.
Poor Perk, who was left in the lurch, there being no third party insight whom he could tackle, hardly knew what to do--he kept jumping fromone whirlagig to the other, endeavoring to get in a swing with his fistbut with rather meager success for he feared to exert himself to theutmost since there was danger of the blow coming in contact with afriendly head instead of the one he meant to strike.
Jack had knocked his man down twice by well directed blows but each timethe rascal climbed to his feet again, being no mean hand it seemed at ascrimmage. He must have been built along the bulldog line more or less,for even while taking a lot of punishment he still stuck to his guns.
The third time he managed to close in and again they went spinning roundand round, held fast in each others' arms, breathing hard, andendeavoring to effect a windup of the struggle.
Perhaps the would-be holdup man may have begun to suspect that thepistol-shot would likely enough bring some one running to the spot--evena cop who may have been on duty not far away, at any rate he began tofight most desperately to break loose, thinking that discretion would bethe better part of valor and that "he who fights and runs away, may liveto fight another day," as the old saying has it.
At first, somewhat to Jack's astonishment, he realized the man wastrying with might and main to force him toward the open door of thetouring car as though it may have been his intention to take him "for aride." That significant phrase had become so notorious of late, inaccounts of rival gang fights in the big cities of the East, that Jackreally began to believe these men aimed to carry him off in theirtouring car to do something terrible when outside the city limits andthen toss him out on the side of the road as a victim to some unknownspecies of hatred and revenge.
Of course there was no time just then to try and analyze this strangesupposition for all his energies must be engaged in endeavoring to downthe unknown who was just then locked in his arms.
Cyclone was having a beautiful time, giving his man a full measure ofthe stuff that lay in those steel muscles of his and which had doped outmany a case of k.o. when he was in the prize ring. Indeed the fellow wasso confused and befuddled by the cracks he received on his head andchest that he put up only a puny defense.
It proved to be such a one-sided affair that Cyclone felt ashamed tokeep doing all the hitting and presently lifting the almost senselesswretch he actually tossed him into the car with a crash.
This seemed to give Jack's opponent a flash of commonsense for he burstout of the encircling arms and dove after his pal, Jack having no desireto follow after and try to drag him out again, since as a rule he wasfar from being a hog for punishment.
The man lost not a second in starting his machine which went off downthe dimly lighted street like a crazy thing, zigzagging from curb tocurb, just as Jack remembered seeing shown in comics on the screen.
There was disconsolate Perk, looking as provoked as any one could be,shaking his head, and punching one fist into the other palm.
"Such rotten luck!" he was moaning as he strode around the latebattlefield. "Every feller had his hand in but poor me; what've I doneto be cheated out o' my share like I was a baby? Why, oh! why wasn'tthere three bums in the bunch, just enough to go around; dang 'em, whydid they want to crab my game like that?"
Jack who could keep from bursting into a loud laugh only through severemeasures along the line of repression, managed to soothe the unhappyPerk by judicious words of sympathy.
"If only I'd known you wanted a little exercise so much partner," heobserved without the flicker of a smile, "why, I'd have tossed him overto you with pleasure. Then Cyclone here should have slipped you his birdwhile he was jumping him around at such a great rate. However, it's pastnow, and the damage can't be mended. Next opening that comes along,brother, I solemnly promise to let you try your hand so it won't get outof practice."
"That's a bargain, Jack old hoss," Perk hastened to say as if anxious tomake it a compact between them, "an' I won't say what'll be on the cardswhen I try an' make up for all the times I've been cheated o' my shareo' the gate receipts. Now, what next I wonder?"
"We'll just trot along home and see if there are any hurts needingattention," replied Jack. "That one I tackled could squeeze like a bearbut my being able with a hand free to swat him several times in thejowl, made him ease up more or less until in the end he weakened andwent skidoo. Come along fellows, let's be hiking into the next streetwhere we put up and get our sleep."
Everybody seemed quite willing to call it the close of a perfect day andlet things go at that--the holdup men had long since vanished from view;there was more or less danger of a prowling cop having heard that soundof firing and after summoning help, might be on the way to learn thecause. Not wishing to be mixed up in anything that might hold them inCheyenne for days awaiting a police court trial, Jack had plenty of goodreasons for wanting to depart while the going was good. So they trottedalong, arm in arm.
In good order they reached the private house where the two flyers sleptand soon were sitting in the most comfortable fashion possible in theapartment. Perk had carefully closed and locked the door, something Jackcould not remember him doing all the time they had been housed underthat hospitable roof which showed how wrought up Perk must have become.
"An' I'm still a'wonderin' what their silly game could a been," he wassaying in a whining tone accompanied with another shake of his head."None o' us look a bit like bloated plutocrats, 'less it might beCyclone here but seems like that tall lad was a'tryin' to shove you intohis blamed old car, Jack like they wanted to kidnap you--noticed thatdidn't you?"
"Well it struck me that way too, Perk," he was told unhesitatingly,"which has me guessing good and hard; what reason could they have forwanting to knock me out of the running--taking me for a ride that way?"
"Shucks! partner," commented Perk immediately, "they be a'plenty o' guyswho'd laugh to know you an' me'd kicked the bucket, pe'ticularly you,Jack. Some o' them lads you've sent up to the pen might have pals atlarge who'd be ready to make you cash in for playin' them a trick thatcost 'em their liberty. Revenge I kinder guess is a poisonous weed thattakes a quick rooting in the average prison bird's heart--sorter helpsto make him better able to bear the years he's got to serve. If on'y hecould know the man as sent him into quod had been rapped on the head andkicked out o' a speedin' car."
"That makes me think of something," Jack remarked just then as he rammeda hand down into one of his coat pockets and drew a yellow piece ofpaper out. "I chanced to see this lying on the pavement after our birdshad taken French leave; it may help us to understand what now looks likea dark mystery beyond our solving."
He glanced at what turned out to be a much handled telegraph sheet withtypewriting on one side. Perk showed sudden interest when he saw how hispartner seemed startled
and uttered as exclamation indicative ofpleasure.