CHAPTER XV
WITH THE COMING OF THE MOON
"Wall," Perk was remarking as the sloop passed beyond range of theirvision amidst the gathering shades of night, already drawing her sablecurtains close, "I hopes they get through without runnin' smack againsta bunch o' the racketeers."
"With fair luck they ought to manage to slip along," Jack went on toobserve, confidently. "You heard me warn them to keep a watchful eye outfor smugglers and hijackers by land and sea and air? Anyway we'vefinished our part of the job and this paper proves that our find was allI cracked it up to be when I talked with Mr. Ridgeway."
"Course, you knocked up against the gent then, eh Jack?"
"Sure, or I shouldn't have been able to fetch those lads back with me totake over the sloop and contraband cargo," the other told him. "But Iwas in a tail spin at first when I learned that Mr. Ridgeway had gonedown to St. Pete to interview some people who had reasons for notwanting to be seen going into his Government offices in Tampa. But I gothis address and jumped my boat, slipped down Tampa Bay, and pulled in atthe long municipal pier at St. Petersburg."
"I first hired a dependable man to keep watch over my ship while I wasoff hunting my superior officer but I found him after a bit and he wassure glad to see me, shook hands like a good sport, and asked me a bunchof questions before starting to tell me what important fresh news he hadpicked up through his agents working the spy game for all it was worth."
"Was he tickled to learn how we managed to run off with that slicklittle sloop that carried so neat a pack o' cases marked with foreignstamps?"
"Seemed to be," came the ready answer. "He isn't a man of many words,you know, Perk, but what he says he means. He told me they were bankingon the pair of us to bring the high-hat chaps at the head of thissmuggler league to the bar, with plenty of evidence that would convictthem, no matter how many big lawyers they employed to beat the case."
"That sounds all to the good with me, old hoss," snapped the pleasedPerk. "'Taint often we get half the praise that's comin' to us--not thatI care a whiff 'bout that, though--satisfied to do my duty by Unc' Sam,an' let them high-ups have the main credit. But I guess we'll get somekick out o' the game just the same an' that's worth all it costs us.Tell me, did this Mr. Ridgeway fork over any news worth knowin'?"
"He did," the other assured him. "I showed him those papers I foundhidden in the cabin of the sloop, with a fine list of names, such aswould cover customers who'd ordered the stuff they had aboard and hereckoned that several of them might point to the heads of the combineswinging the big smuggling deal."
"That would be a clue worth while, I'd say," Perk asserted warmly, hiseyes flashing with renewed zeal as though he might be telling himselfthey must be getting on a pretty warm scent which would soon lead themto the party they sought above every one else--the capitalist whose wordwas _law_, and whose money purchased all the supplies, from liquorand vessels to aircraft and everything else needful for carrying ontheir business of swindling the Government through the TreasuryDepartment.
Just as he always did in forestalling any likely move when an importantcase was placed in the hands of himself and Jack, Perk was alreadyengaged in mentally spreading the net destined to gather in the chiefculprits--the outlook promised a multitude of warm episodes calculatedto stir the blood to fever heat and afford him the wild excitementwithout which life lost much of its charm--in his eyes at least.
The pulsating throb of the old engine aboard the sloop had long sinceceased to make itself heard, so that they could with reason believeMcGrath and his pal well on the way to their distant goal, with no signof stormy weather to be seen in the southwestern heavens.
"How 'bout spendin' the night here, partner?" Perk queried, as he satcontentedly smoking his favorite pipe after the manner of a man who hadgood reason to congratulate himself on the close of a perfect day.
"I was just thinking that over, Perk. We might be in a worse situationthan this, if locality was all that mattered. I don't believe the'gators would keep us awake with their splashing and roaring alongtowards early morning, but then I'm a bit bothered thinking of the manwho skipped out after having his little machine-gun duel with you."
"You're jest crampin' my style when you say that, partner," complainedPerk. "That Oscar happens to be a German, we both know, an' from what Ilearned about the breed when over there, they're some obstinate, oncethey get workin' in a game--hate to give it up wuss'n pizen."
"I see you're of the same opinion as myself, buddy," Jack remarked,nodding his head. "You reckon there might be some chance for him to pickup a bunch of his mates and swing back here to do a little bombing onhis own account. Well, we're not hankering to try our own medicine, notif we know it, and on that account I think we'd be wise to pull out ofthis and find a new refuge--perhaps on some lake back from the coastwhere we might pick up something interesting in our line."
"Je-ru-salem crickets! I kinder guess now you've got somethin' danglin'back o' them words old hoss," broke out the newly interested Perk,showing considerable animation. He was used to most of Jack's habits andcould in many instances tell that something lay hidden back of hisword--something of a character to promise great happenings when followedto a finish.
That seemingly casual mention of a freshwater lake was not made withoutsome deep meaning--Jack must have been told something very important bythe Government official with whom he had gone into conference at Tampaand this was his sly way of starting Perk's wits to working overtime inthe endeavor to figure things out.
"Wait and see what's in the wind, Perk," said the head pilot, with achuckle. "I promise to let you into all I know or suspect before a greatwhile passes. Just now I'll own up this scheme of slipping over to acertain sheet of fresh water for a change of base has a meaning thatconnects with our big game of Blind Man's Buff."
This seemed to square things with Perk, for he beamed as though pleased.Whatever Jack decided was always all right in his eyes because he feltcertain that the bright mind of his comrade just could not make ablunder.
"When do we hop-off, then?" he said.
"Oh, when the moon shows up will be plenty of time," came the readyanswer. "Our objective isn't so very far distant and you know we canmake a hundred miles an hour if necessary. I'd like to pick up a bit ofmy lost sleep while we wait, unless you object to standing sentry."
"Not me, matey, I managed to snooze some during the time you were away.Lucky I had everything fixed for company and wasn't caught nappin' whenour friend Oscar tipped his hat an' made his bow. Now I was wonderin' ifhe had that ole quick-firin' gun away back when he was riddlin' thingsalong in the Argonne--wouldn't it be a queer thing if true? He knew howto rattle that cantankerous bus to beat the band an' he did nick me inthat silly o' ear o' mine that keeps on gettin' in the way every time Ihave a little spat with a sassy guy."
Perk insisted on his chum making himself as comfortable as possible,considering the cramped quarters they occupied in the cluttered cabin oftheir ship, which continued to keep up a soothing movement with thesuccessive waves that worked in from the open gulf inclining a sleepyperson to slumber.
"I'll jest sit here an' ruminate while I consume my tobacco," announcedthe accommodating Perk, making light of his job. "Once in so often I'lltake a look skyward with the glasses, so's to know if there's any chanceo' Oscar comin' back here to try it all over again. When the moon peepsup in the east yonder I'll put a hand on your arm, so's to let you knowit's near time. Go to it, partner--do your stuff."
Jack was feeling pretty tired, since he had enjoyed mighty little decentsleep from one cause or another during the last few nights. It was notat all surprising, therefore, that he should be in slumberland beforefive minutes passed after he and Perk had exchanged the last word.
The self-posted sentinel did just as he had promised, every little whilehe would quietly stand up and with the glasses take a keen observation,covering the blue vault above from one horizon to another, then, findingall serene, he would silently resume h
is seat, with only a sigh toindicate how he felt. Once more he filled his everlasting pipe, began topuff delightedly, and finally lay back in a half reclining position tosmoke it out.
He was a great hand at ruminating, as he called it--allowing histhoughts to travel back to events that may have occurred months, andeven years before, but which had been of such a nature as to fixthemselves in his memory most tenaciously. This afforded him solidenjoyment, together with the charm of his adored pipe and he asked fornothing better.
Thus an hour, two of them, and more passed, with nothing out-of-the-waytaking place to attract his attention. He figured that if the pilot ofthe Curtiss-Robin crate intended to come back that night, he was subjectto some sort of delay.
There was frequent splashing in the lagoon near by--at times Perk couldtell it must be caused by jumping mullet, but on other occasions thesound being many times exaggerated, he reckoned it had been made by analligator plunging off a log into the water, either alarmed by somesound further off, or else possessed of a desire to enter a secretunderwater den he laid claim to. This would probably have a secondentrance, or exit, up on some hummock that Perk had failed to discoverwhen poking around on the preceding day hunting green stuff with whichto conceal the deck of the sloop.
Suddenly Perk noticed a slim streak of pale light fall athwart thepropeller blade just before him and looking hastily up discovered thesmiling face of the moon--a bit battered it is true, for the silveryqueen of night was just then on the wane.
It was high time they were moving and making for the goal Jack hadmentioned as an inland lake, though at no time did he give the name bywhich it was known to the settlers and tourists who flocked to Floridaduring the late Fall and early Winter. So he touched Jack on theshoulder, just he he had promised he would do, nor did he have to givethe slightest shake for the other stirred and raised his head, showinghe was wide awake.