CHAPTER IV
BY SPECIAL DELIVERY
Somewhat to the disappointment of Perk his comrade did not evince anyhaste about opening his letter, thrusting the same into his pocket,while he washed his hands, and brushed his hair.
"Somehow I seem to be as hungry as a wolf," Jack remarked; "and as it'slong past our usual time for lunch I move we drop around to our beanery,and lay in some stores in the way of chow."
Of course such a proposition appealed strongly to Perk, who was seldomable to resist a call to meals. For the moment he quite forgot hisrecent curiosity to know what was in the letter, the receipt of whichhad caused Jack to smile; and which moreover had certain familiar marksabout it to make Perk feel certain it came from Headquarters.
"Queer heow a feller c'n nigh 'bout forget certain stirrin' events inhis past," he observed with a shake of his head; "an' suddenly have thesame bob up in his mind, as clear as if they might a happened on'yyesterday."
"I reckon you're referring to our old friend, Cool Slim Garrabrant, eh,Perk?" queried the other, indifferently.
"None other," came the reply. "There was a man as might be called theking o' the counterfeiters, who'd had his thumb to his nose ever solong, alaughin' at Uncle Sam's slick boys, an' sendin' 'em all sorts o'tauntin' notes; so in the end the Chief he come down off'n his highperch, an' gave _us_ a chanct to knock down the persimmons with a longpole; which we done as neat as any body'd choose."
"Bad taste to boast, Perk, you want to remember."
"Can't help sayin' a few things, Jack, an' pattin' us two flyin' cops onthe chest. Honest, I got an idea Slim's sun had begun to set jest assoon as the job o' runnin' him in was placed in aour hands. Nobody butthem as knew haow to handle an airship could a fetched home the bacon inthat case; 'cause Slim he knowed how to get his long-green stuff clearwithaout leavin' any trace, usin' that ole crate to carry the coneysupplies east an' west o' his hidin' place, where he carried on the workalong a big scale."
"Of course what you say is all true enough," ventured Jack as theywalked along, heading for the nearest eatingplace, which they sometimespatronized when close by; "but both of us would do well to try andforget our share in that haul--it's old stuff by now. And besides,"continued Jack, "somehow I feel bad when I remember that it was probablythat little kid's own daddy we sent up."
"Yeah!" mused Perk, unwilling to change the subject, it appeared, "an'the judge socked it to Slim good an' heavy--give him a long sentence, so'at he'll have to serve behind the walls o' that Atlanta pen 'til he'san old, broken-down man, an' not marked dangerous to law-abidin' folks."
"There are a few others of his stripe yet outside prison walls,remember, partner," Jack told him, as they entered the eatingplace,walking over to a table somewhat aloof from all others, and on thisaccount usually chosen for such meals as they took there; as theysometimes discussed their secret work while eating it was policy to keepclear from other diners, and at the same time lower their voices, sincewalls may have ears, and even hide dictaphones that record every spokenword.
"Yeou never said truer words, ole top," Perk agreed in his odd fashion."Scofflaws aplenty to keep our crowd busy for years ahead. Say, d'yeknow I been readin' a heap 'bout a smart guy they say calls hisself KingCole--seems like he got a hole in the wall 'way out in the wildest parto' the Rockies, an' jest laughs at the boys from Washington to size himup."
"I recollect you talking of him more than a few times, Perk; from whichfact I had a hunch you might be wishing the Chief'd turn over theassignment for apprehending him to our hands--is that correct, partner?"
"Don't care if I do have to acknowledge the corn, matey; someheow thatdickey grabbed a stiff hold on my thinkin' box--why, onct I even dreamedwe'd cornered him with his gay crowd, an' was commencin' to exchangeshots with the bunch, when I woke up, an' felt too cheap for anything toknow it was on'y hot air."
Jack laughed as he seated himself.
"I remember how furious you were, and saying it was a shame to becheated that way, eh, Perk?"
They gave their orders, and were presently partaking of what the waiterset before them; afterwards retiring, as though already knowing theywould call should they require further service. This afforded Perkanother opportunity to "use his tongue," a vocation that gave him theutmost enjoyment.
"Jest occurred to me them paper accounts sez as haow his bees'-nest waslocated in a stretch 'tween two o' the highest mountain ranges in thehull country o' the Rockies--called the secret settlement Happy Valley;which I opine sounds a right queer name for a den o' pizenous humansnakes, sech as the Law wants f'r 'bout ev'ry crime on the calendar."
"No accounting for tastes, buddy," Jack told him. "It might feel thatway to men against whom the hand of every honest person was raised. Mostof his crowd, I read, was believed to be reckoned the scum of the earth,who were wanted for nearly every crime going--murderers, bank cashierswho'd robbed the institutions of which they had been the head; and allsuch black sheep, outlawed from decent society by their crimes andmisdemeanors."
Perk grinned amiably, as though what his companion had just said made nodifference to him--that he still wished from the bottom of his heartthey were commissioned to undertake the dangerous task of breaking upthe settlement in that so-called Paradise of fugitives.
"Don't faize me any when yeou talk that way, boy," he told hiscompanion, with one of his amused chuckles that seemed to come up fromhis toes, "The more stuff yeou gotter bump up agin the better I likeit--cain't be too tough for a hill-billy like me--that's what they callsthe boys daown in the Ozarks, where I put in near a hull year huntin'precious stones in the earth, an' never findin' enuff to git me my grub.Another o' them memories as comes along withaout warnin', to ha'nt me."
"Perk, you promised me once that some fine day you'd make a start atthat memory book, covering all your activities since you were knee-highto a duck--I'm going to press you to really start in doing the job,Perk; it will make a book well worth reading, if only half of all theadventures you've told me about are included. Now, don't forget yourpromise, for I'll hold you to it the next layoff we have float our way."
"I sure hate to do it, partner; but seein' I did give yeou my solemnword I s'pose I'll jest have to keep my promise; but it'll seem to melike a heap o' blarney an' boastin'. My loose tongue sure gets me into anest o' scrapes, which ain't one bit pleasin' to sech a shy gink as me."
Ah! Perk's eyes opened wider as he saw the other make a quick movementwith his hand, as though suddenly remembering the mysterious letterthrust under the door of their room, and bearing that long blue stampthat signified special service, quick delivery to the person addressed.
Sure enough Jack drew the missive out, and proceeded to cut the end ofthe envelope, using a table knife for the purpose.
Shooting a quick glance across the table in the direction of his chum,he smiled slightly, as though very well knowing how Perk was eating hisheart up with curiosity.
Perk stopped feeding, as his abstraction was so intense he hardly knewthe way to his mouth--both eyes were glued on Jack's face, as if hehoped to read the answer to the riddle there, a thing that had never asyet come within the scope of his knowledge, since Jack could hide hisemotions under an assumed indifference that baffled interpretation.
It seemed that Jack had read every word of the letter, although therewere several enclosures yet to be gone over; however he appeared as ifhe had picked up certain intelligence of such a drastic character as tomake him sit there mulling it all over, and possibly trying to dovetailthings together.
Perk, poor fellow, could stand the awful suspense no longer.
"Well, ole scout, ain't yeou thinkin' 'baout lettin' me into the game--Isomehaow take it fur granted there's news come 'long that's agoin' tostart us off agin follerin' the air trails on the heels o' some skunkswhat got themselves outside the law. Lay off, partner, an' gimme a runfur my money, won't yeou?"