CHAPTER XXIV
SIMEON GROWS DESPERATE
It was commencing to grow dusk when they sighted the lights of Yuma,that town on the railroad leading to Los Angeles. Such a thing as aplane flying overhead was so common these modern days as to hardlyexcite any comment--they came and went, with seldom anything out of theusual taking place although not so very far away, among the mountains,one of the most dreadful of all air tragedies known to the annals offlying had taken place, when the great liner _City of San Francisco_,lost in a storm, struck head-on against a rocky cliff, shattering theship and causing the death of every one of those aboard, some sevensouls in all.
Now they had left Yuma far in their rear, and Jack was watching to pickup the first flash beacon on the way to the Coast.
The weather continued to favor them, the heavens being almost devoid ofany semblance of clouds, and the air quite cool at the height theymaintained while heading into the beckoning west.
Over deserts and mountainous stretches they kept swinging along, to theconstant accompaniment of the customary chorus of a bustling planethreading the mighty air lanes of the skies. The silvery stars came outin battalions to sprinkle the azure heavens like innumerable brightlanterns, such as could be seen in Old Japan during carnival times.
This was the life, Perk told himself again and again, sitting thereafter he had munched his scanty portion of their meagre supper, Simeonhaving again declined to share with them--what air pilot who has tastedof the joys of such hours could ever dream of forsaking his vocation, solong as Fortune allowed him to retain his vision, hearing, and thefaculty for guiding an onrushing ship through the realms of unlimitedspace--not he for one, Perk assured himself, drawing in huge draughts ofthe clear air, and watching the wonderful beacons as they passed themby, threading the pathway of the stars as it were, straight toward theirdistant goal.
The night wore on, with the voyagers making splendid progress.
Jack had made no miscalculation when saying he believed they would fetchup at their destination somewhere about the midnight hour; for it stilllacked more or less of that time when in the near distance they glimpsedlights telling that the city, and its nearby aviation field, must beclose at hand.
Then they found themselves circling over the port, which, just as Jackhad fancied would be the case, was lighted most brilliantly. Even asthey sighted the field they noted a ship settling down, evidently an airmail plane that had been held up by some dense fog belt which they hadfortunately missed.
"Soft snap I'd call it, droppin' down with all them field lights to showthe ground, so a feller c'n see a rock the size o' a baseball," was whatthe tickled Perk was telling himself while Jack was proceeding to makethe terminal drop, with several ground attendants hurrying up so as tolend any assistance needed.
He had received his instructions from Jack, and removed the handcuffsfrom the wrists of the prisoner. There was no necessity for lettingeverybody know the facts and the sight of a man wearing steel bracelets,and gripped by an attendant never fails to excite keen curiosity withmost people and especially would this be the case if he had just come bythe air route from some unknown and therefore mysterious quarter.
He would keep his arm through that of Simeon, and inform him in aforcible whisper that should he attempt any "funny business" it would beat the risk of being shot down without further warning.
Jack would attend to everything necessary, such as having their cratestowed away in some convenient hangar, where it could be recovered atany time, by paying such charges as were customary.
To be sure Perk was questioned by several of the men while Jack saw thatthe ship was being taken care of but when he chose, Perk could keep astill tongue in his head and since he paid no attention to what wassaid, and never opened his mouth in the least, possibly they concludedhe must be both deaf and dumb.
Perk may have chuckled deep down in his throat when he heard a few ofthe disgusted remarks some of the men exchanged concerning his lack ofspeech and hearing but he kept his own counsel; and in the end Jack cameup saying he had secured a taxi to carry them to a small hotel down inthe heart of the city, recommended by one of the hostlers who seemed toknow what he was talking about.
Simeon had looked a bit anxious, as though wondering how their arrivalat Los Angeles would affect his wretched fortunes but he made no attemptto appeal to the crowd for help. Undoubtedly he was firmly convincedthat the grim Perk must be a man of his word, and that any attempt onhis part to break away would prove a most serious matter indeed.
"Yeah!" Perk was telling himself under his breath when he took note ofthis humble disposition on the part of Simeon, "Guess now he feels it'sa heap better to be a live fool than a dead hero; an' by jinks I don'tblame the beggar for thinkin' thataways either."
They were soon all three safely lodged in the taxi--which fortunatelyhad remained up to this late hour, the driver hoping to pick up afare--and heading for the nearby city.
Later on they entered the small hotel, and found it all the obligingground attache at the port had said. Jack registered the party, all ofthem under fictitious names, since it paid to exercise due caution whenon the track of big game just as it would for the big game hunter tomake no sound when advancing upon an enormous tusker or "rogue" elephantwhose spoor he had been trailing through forest and jungle.
"Would it be possible for us to have some supper sent up to our room?"Jack asked the night clerk who shrugged his shoulders as if dubiousconcerning his ability to accommodate them.
"Kindly try to have it done, if double price will have any effect,"continued Jack, using his most gracious smile that usually accomplishedhis purpose and at that the clerk responded by saying he would do hisbest but it was of course most unusual, and he hoped they would not makeany complaint if the variety was not all they might wish.
"Quantity is the chief thing that interests us," said Jack; "you see, wehave come by air, and fell short of food while on our way, so that mytwo pals here are very near being starved; so whatever you send make ita fairly bountiful spread, please."
Then they were shown to their room, which contained a double bed and acot.
"I kinder guess now, partner," said Perk, after flashing a glance aroundthe apartment, fronting on a back lot, though up in the third story ofthe building, "you an' me better share the bed, while Simeon gets hislittle nap on the sofy."
"That goes, Perk," his comrade told him "and after we've had supperwe'll hit the hay. After such a broken night as we had back a ways somesleep ought to be welcome, I reckon."
"Huh! hope we don't have to wait too tarnel long for the grub," Perk wassaying, dismally rubbing his stomach, as if to show how flat it seemed.
Jack engaged him in conversation of a general character, just to keephis mind from dwelling on the subject of eating for once Perk lethimself believe he was in danger of famishing and he just could notsubside but must commence to marshal all the known dishes of which hewas especially fond, and keep on taunting and tantalizing himself bystringing them off as might a glib-tongued waiter in any restaurant.
After quite a tiresome wait there was a knock at the door, which Perkhastened to answer. Two waiters strode in, bearing trays laden with apretty substantial assortment of food--quite a satisfactory display,Jack thought, considering the late hour, and that probably the regularkitchen force must have long ago turned in or else gone home.
The table fairly groaned under the assortment--Perk pertinentlymentioned the fact, adding that he guessed he'd do his share of groaning_after_ he had finished his supper which Jack did not doubt in theleast, having a knowledge concerning the other's vast appetite, andunbridled disposition to make a pig of himself at such times when foodwas plentiful.
Simeon Hawkins was coaxed to sit down with them and as his state of mindseemed to have improved quite a little, he also partook of food of whichhe most certainly was much in need, having fasted so long andabstemiously.
When this cere
mony had been carried through to a finish, the supply ofvisible victuals had been wonderfully reduced; and even Perk was heardto declare he could not eat another bite, which meant he was like astuffed turkey, fit for the Thanksgiving table.
Before turning in, Perk took occasion to "talk like a Dutch uncle," ashe termed it, to Simeon, assuring him he need not be in too upset astate of mind concerning his future, since Jack had said he was bound todo all he could to have him let go, because of what he had confided tothem, and such assistance he would be able to lend the Government inconvicting the head men of the lawless conspiracy along thecounterfeiting line.
The other nodded his head as though he understood that, having embarkedin the game of throwing down Slippery Slim, he realized there wasnothing else for him to do but go through to the windup.
So confiding Perk, thinking things would run smoothly, took off some ofhis outer garments, and rolled into bed, as it afterwards turned out,happily choosing that side of the same nearest to the windows of theirroom.
Jack soon followed, and the last thing he noticed ere snapping off thelight was the humbled Simeon wrapped in a blanket, and lying there flaton his back, as though meaning to get what sleep he could during thatfragment of the night still remaining.
Perk was, so far as appearances went, sound asleep; but then sometimesthings are not just what they seem. To tell the truth, Perk had made uphis mind ere lying down that he would "sleep with one eye open," as hecalled it, meaning it was his intention to keep on the alert, ready tojump out of bed at the least sign of trouble.
Perhaps when he thus decided it was with a hazy idea they might havesome sort of unwelcome visitor during the night; he could not justdecide how this could be but then those unprincipled agents of thecounterfeiter king--like the fellow who had rifled the belongings ofScotty, the air mail pilot in Atlanta--were liable to turn up anywhere,everywhere, when least expected, and try to manipulate their bold games.
Hearing some sort of sound as of a person moving, Perk suddenly satstraight up in bed, to see their prisoner in the act of crawling overthe sill of the nearby window, evidently bent on giving them the slip!