XX
THE FUR-TRADING STATION
Possibly Perk may have been a little troubled in his mind lest they runup against difficulties when trying to climb out of that tiny valleywalled with those titanic mountains massed all around.
His faith in the ability of his comrade to surmount ordinarydifficulties and aviation perplexities buoyed him up and he failed toregister any outward signs of undue anxiety.
His confidence was well placed for aided by the excellent working of thecrate's slotted wings and his knowledge concerning their control, Jackwas enabled to start boring up toward the sky almost as soon as theamphibian quitted the placid bosom of the crystal lake.
A few circles and they had risen so that it was possible to see beyondthe peaks by which they were surrounded.
"That's the boy--beautifully done, I'll tell the gapin' world--an' whata good feelin' it gives a flyer to know he's on the wing once more afterbein' knocked down by a dead-stick swattin' him. Glad now I snapped offthem two pictur's jest when we was leavin' the lake under us."
"Same here partner," chimed in Jack, "for I'll always have a kindlyfeeling for that little cup of water set in that hole among themountains like it might be a precious diamond in a platinum ring."
"Huh! I'd like to said that same thing, buddy," Perk told his mate,"on'y it ain't in my blood to spout poetry you see but a feller c'n_feel_ it in his heart, mebbe, even when he jest can't say it."
"Which is as true as anything can be," vowed Jack who was well aware ofthe limitations of his chum and could appreciate his good points, evenif in some ways Perk seemed a bit dumb.
They were soon on their course as laid out by the head pilot and makinginto the north at fair speed. Perk amused himself for some little timein carrying out his accustomed duties, which were numerous and soessential they must not be neglected. Later on Jack, realizing that Perkwas no longer moving around with his customary bustle, managed to steala glance in his direction to discover that the other was snuggled downand seemed to be gazing at something he held in his hand, as thoughwrestling with a weighty problem.
Jack immediately understood, for the object at which Perk stared soearnestly happened to be the small photograph he had received from theyoungster whom he, Perk, had carried across that queer little bridgemade of two ironing-boards when the tenement was burning in Salt LakeCity.
He would turn it over so as to read the name written in a female hand onthe back--"Adrian, at six years," and then quickly reverse the card asif he hoped to instinctively pronounce the last part of the lad's namethat seemed to elude his memory with such disgusting pertinacity.
But apparently even that idea failed to work, for Jack heard notriumphant whoop break from his companion's lips as he felt certainwould be the case should he hit what he was after. The old saying, allsigns fail in dry weather, was applicable in Perk's case, it seemed.Still, such are the vagaries of the human memory that he was likely tosuddenly utter the word he wanted just as he opened his eyes after anap. It often comes about that way as many persons can testify.
Jack shook his head and grinned, muttering to himself meanwhile:
"Queer how poor old Perk does get so twisted up with names and he's sodogged about it he never will give in till he gets what he's after.Always makes me think of that ad. I used to see in the magazines aboutsome kind of toilet soap. A baby in his little tub stretching out a handto lay hold of a cake of soap and underneath the words: 'he'll never behappy till he gets it.' That's my pal Perk to a fraction--wish I couldgive him the high sign but since I never heard the name it's beyond myken. But anyway it gives him something to play with, like a baby'srattle and how he does hang on to it."
So Perk kept on staring goggle-eyed at that picture, just as if itmattered as much as three cents whether he ever again heard of the boyor his mother, both of whom Jack had somehow made up his mind, wereevidently engaged in a search for some missing party who was especiallydear to them but whose identity was now, and probably always would be, acomplete mystery to the pair who had befriended them on that night ofthe fire.
"After all," Perk finally said, and Jack could easily catch every word,thanks to the useful earphone apparatus they had on, "we did have a finetime o' it--you made the neatest dead-stick landin' I ever seen putthrough--we had a glorious supper an' a nice night in camp as I mightsay--glimpsed a' ol' galliwampus o' a big bull-moose on the gallop--it'djest be complete if on'y I had a decent head on me so's to grab thatname--Adrian--Adrian what--shucks?"
Jack did not say a single word lest he start the other to worryingagain. It might seem such a trifling matter to any outsider but to Perkit meant that he was growing old--that his memory, never any too good,had taken to going back on him worse than ever.
The further they worked into the north the more uninhabited did the wildregion seem to become. Earlier in their flight they were able tooccasionally discover an isolated log-cabin marking the lonely home ofsome venturesome white trapper and when these isolated shelters werestill occupied by their owners there would be a column of wood smokerising above the adjacent timber that made things seem a bit homelike,but for the last hour Perk had not picked up the slightest clue to humanexistence in all that vast wilderness, though he plied his glasses mostindustriously in hopes of breaking the spell.
"Must be drawing close to the fur-trading post, I'd reckon, eh partner?"Jack suddenly demanded at which the other nodded vigorously in theaffirmative and followed this up by saying emphatically:
"Just what we are ol' hoss. I've seen a number o' things to tell me it'sclose by here--f'r instance, take a peek at them three cones standin'out there in a triangle off to the west--many a time I've sat an' smokedan' watched the clouds coverin' the lowest peak while on a log in fronto' Old Jimmy McGregor's log cabin store. Jest a trifle more to the east,partner, an' chances are we'll be settin' eyes on Frazer's Post insideten minutes at the most."
That was certainly cheery information for Jack to hear from hiscompanion who was familiar with much of that country from having riddenover the mountain trails when spending several years in the service ofthe Northwest Mounted Police force.
Perk seemed to be more and more amazed by the fact of their striking thefar distant point as though drawn by some magnet, for a minute later hebroke loose again.
"There, I 'member that little canyon where the trail runs through--gotmy first caribou right on that spot--a herd was passin' an' I came onthe bunch as they turned a corner. What makes me sit up an' take noticeis how we've come all the way up here, hundreds an' hundreds o' miles,straight as a die an' inside o' forty-eight hours, I guess I might callit, when in them days it'd taken me a month anyway to cover the samedistance on hossback. They fetches the supplies to the post here by wayo' the river an' then by carry. Huh! we're livin' in a great age,strikes me, partner. Now, get ready to take a look-in at the firstfur-tradin' station you ever did see 'cause it's jest beyond that littlerise with the timber hidin' the fort. Hot ziggetty dog! I never didthink I'd be up here in this country again."
Jack also felt a little thrill of expectancy as they sped onward for inanother minute or so they should be passing directly over the place Perkhad pointed out with such assurance. The trip had thus far been assuccessful as any one could hope for and their success in finding theneedle in a haystack, as Perk had once called their mission, was to beconsidered a feather in the cap of the pilot.
Then all of a sudden he heard Perk give utterance to a loud cry as ofdismay, coupled with astonishment.
"Hey! what's all this mean? Look at that outhouse smoulderin' like it'sbeen burned down inside o' last night! An' that little bunch o' fellersstandin' there like they meant to skedaddle at hearin' us comin' withsech a racket! Jack, I tell you somethin's sure happened around thesediggin's! Been some sorter o' deviltry afoot an' ten to one that samecrazy Hawk's the guy that's broke loose! Mebbe now we jest got here intime to break into the game."