CHAPTER XIII
PICKING UP FACTS
When Jack found himself shaking hands with his newly acquired "secondcousin" one keen glance seemed quite enough to tell him Mr. CasperHerriott was a man after his own heart--genial, with a warm handclasp,yet possessing a firm jaw, a keen eye, and all the marks to signify thatthe Government had picked out the right type of business executive whenhe was placed in his present position of authority at the port ofCharleston.
So, too, did he appreciate the delightful lady who gave him her hand anda wise smile, as though she considered it rather amusing to thus meet arelative of her husband who had bobbed up out of a clear sky, and seemedto be such a worth-while young fellow, just the kind any lady delightsto have enter her home, and meet her children.
These latter were a boy of about ten and a delightful little miss ofperhaps six or seven, so pretty that Jack could hardly take his eyes offher bewitching face. He decided that of course they could not have beentaken into the secret, and actually believed him to belong to theirfather's family.
For some little time they sat and talked on general topics; the childrenpresently going to bed as though their time had arrived; also expressingthe wish that they would see the new relation again very soon--evidentlyJack had made as favorable an impression on the youngsters as upon theirparents.
Mrs. Herriott soon turned the conversation into aviation channels, asthough realizing that certain information she had been desirous ofobtaining along the line of the new fad might be furnished by thiswide-awake young chap, who moreover, she had undoubtedly been told byher husband, was one of the brightest and most successful of the men ofthe Government Secret Service active roll.
Jack, being filled with knowledge pertaining to his life calling, themastery of the air, took extreme pleasure in giving her explanations toher queries that apparently afforded the lady much satisfaction.
Then along about half-past eight Mr. Herriott made some plausible excusefor asking his guest to accompany him to his "den," where he wished toask his professional opinion in connection with a fine new hammerlessMarlin repeating shotgun, which he had lately purchased, with theintention of later on spending a few days among the mallards and blackducks at a club he had joined.
It was indeed a fact that he had such a brand-new gun, which he handedto Jack, with a whimsical smile; the other carefully looked it over;tested the hammerless feature; saw that it was a six-shot twelve-boreMarlin shotgun, and then gravely handed it back with words of thehighest praise, just as though he had been examining a new production ofan old friend.
"I can well understand how you'll have considerable enjoyment out ofthat hard-shooting gun, sir," was his warm comment; "I've been out in asneakbox with one of the same pattern, and found it trustworthy beyonddescription."
"I'll just lock the door so we may not be disturbed by some servant, andthen we can have a heart-to-heart confab--Cousin Rodman!"
Both of them smiled in unison at the conceit; and then, having fixed thedoor to his satisfaction, Mr. Herriott drew his chair alongside the oneinto the depths of which Jack had sunk, following a wave of his host'shand in that direction.
"In the start let me acknowledge that I've been a bit keen about meetingyou, Mr. Ralston," he went on to say, warmly; "I've heard certainmatters discussed, as far as such are spoken of in our circles, and hadconceived a very high opinion of your abilities along the line of thehazardous profession you are following. I chance to know at the sametime how well they think of you up above; and that they have shown thisby the fact of entrusting such a difficult task to your working out. Iam in full sympathy with what you plan to attain, and shall do anythingand everything in my power to assist you to a complete success."
"I am sure that is most kind of you, sir," Jack hastened to say; "and Ihope to pick up many valuable points through my association with you,which is so fortunate; because there are still many things I should knowbetter than I do, and which must be mastered before I can venture tomake a real start in the game."
"It pleases me to hear you say that, since it shows how you appreciatethe terrible difficulties, the overshadowing perils, and the enormity ofthe syndicate you will find yourself up against. It certainly requires anervy chap to undertake to pit his wit and energies against so powerfula group as these men, of high and low degree, banded together for spoilsonly, have organized. And now, I presume you have a list of importantquestions which you wish to fire at me; so we had better be making astart."
All of this had been spoken in low tones, that could never have beencaught beyond a closed door; besides, Mr. Herriott had cautioned hisgood wife to see that such servants as they employed in the house, allcolored, and who were supposed to be absolutely reliable, were wherethey should be at that time of night, and not "snooping" about thehalls, or outside near the windows, over which the shades had been drawnso carefully beforehand.
Accordingly, the way being now open for acquiring more or lessinformation, Jack drew out a folded paper, and began to put the firstquestion.
These things do not necessitate their being noted here, although to Jackthey meant a great deal, serving to fasten in concrete form fragments ofhis view of the situation; and by degrees make a complete whole, thusgiving him the grasp he required to accomplish his end.
Mr. Herriott answered slowly, as though anxious to make no mistake thatmight cost the bold workers unnecessary trouble or risk. He might havebeen a lawyer on the stand, so studiously did he tell whatever hehappened to know of the point Jack was trying to have made clear.
Jack was wonderfully heartened--with such a clean spoken and wellinformed witness in the chair he could already see things were bound tospeed along, and bring him much grist for the mill.
When in the end his list of queries was finished, Mr. Herriott hastenedto assure him he stood ready to answer any others that might occur tohis new-found friend later on; for Jack had already mentioned how he andPerk would "stay around," possibly for as long as ten days, or twoweeks, there was so much to learn, such great need for him toinvestigate many regions in that wilderness of swamp and watercoursesmarking the northward shore line.
So far as he had gone in the matter, Jack felt much encouraged; althoughknowing full well by far the worst was yet to come. These preliminariesseemed only in the nature of skirmishes, with the fierce battle inprospect.
Mr. Herriott had told him many things having a distinct bearing on thegreat adventure; mention of which will be made later on, when Jackstarts posting his chum.
This was only the first of several interviews he expected to hold withthe accommodating Government representative, as step by step he climbedthe heights, and reached the climax just before plunging into the fray,on the principle that it was his duty to "hew close to the line, let thechips fall where they willed."
It was after ten when Jack arrived at the hotel. Feeling particularlydry before ascending to their room, he satisfied his thirst by steppinginto the convenient drugstore, and supping a cold cream soda. This wason the principle that if he knew Perk--and he had reason to believe hesurely did--the other might be expected to shower him with questions ofevery variety, in his eagerness to learn how their plans wereprogressing; so that his throat would soon become too dry to keep up thechatter necessary to appease the voracious one.
He found Perk drowsing in his chair, the evening paper scattered allover the floor, as it had been tossed aside after being perused insearch of such items along the line of aviation and Government work insuppressing lawless breaks in the customs service and coast patrol,always matters of supreme importance in the eyes of a loyal andindustrious Secret Service man.
Perk jumped up when the door opened, as if suddenly realizing that afterall he had neglected to fasten it as Jack had advised.
"By gum! if I didn't jest furget 'bout lockin' that door, partner!" Perkwent on to exclaim, winking very hard as the electric light hit his eyesafter his "bit of a nap;" but Jack said nothing
in reproof, only settleddown in a chair, beckoned the other to draw alongside, and calmlyremarked:
"Got an earful for you, brother--lots of interesting things to tell; andyou want to make a mental note of each and every one, so's not to forgetif the occasion arises. Now listen, and be prepared to speak up ifyou're puzzled."