Perk

“ Perk, noting this, nodded his head as though feeling positive the other was going to fall in love with flying. Dashing across the plains on a cow pony, pursued by made-up Indians and all that regular sort of stuff must seem mighty tame to him after moving through the air at the rate of possibly a hundred and fifty miles an hour with the motor and propeller keeping up a constant roaring sound and all with the consciousness that he was several miles above the earth, amidst floating fleecy clouds, with even the high-flying eagle far, far beneath. ”

“ So what did he do now but fumble in a pocket of his oily dungarees and produce a slab of his favorite brand, Perk thrusting it into his mouth and savagely rolling it between his teeth, really believed this helped his brain to function more easily.
Perhaps it may have done so–some people have all manner of strange hallucinations, which, being favored, bring satisfaction to their train of thought. If Perk actually believed in his remedy that was half the battle and no other person’s business whatsoever. ”

“ Down on hands and knees they dropped, to begin crawling inch by inch toward their objective. A cat creeping up on a sparrow, or a fat robin, could not have displayed a greater amount of sagacity and caution that those two man-hunters exhibited then and there—every little move was a gem; and Perk, keeping close to the heels of his leader, was fain to thrill with admiration over the wonderful skill shown by Jack in making this advance. ”

“ No such thought worried Jack; but then the shadow of guilt did not hang over his head as was the case with Perk.
“Don’t forget to wind up your wrist-watch, buddy,” warned Jack, shortly afterwards; as Perk still sat there on his blanket, keeping up his meditative puffing, as though he meant to see the fire to its last flickering extinction. “They’re our only reliable guide to tell us when morning comes around. In this black cave we might lie dozing until the middle of the day, without knowing how we were sleeping at the switch, and wasting precious time.” ”

“ How ’bout that, Jack?”
If either the factor or the ancient trapper noticed the rather odd familiarity existing between Perk and his supposedly wealthy employer, it did not strike them as strange—away up in this jumping-off place, as far as civilization was concerned, men were more or less equals, being judged more from what their accomplishments might be than from their money and besides, they doubtless remembered that Perk had always been a sort of free and easy independent fellow when with the Mounties. ”

“ Perk certainly acted as if vastly pleased with the opportunity to get up another open air meal—how he did detest those periods of partaking of what he sneeringly called “flying fare” such as became necessary so often while he and Jack were on the wing, and putting the miles behind them when on business bent—if he had his way about things they would have landed at each and every day’s end, and had their meals like civilized human beings instead of “sky hoboes.” ”

“ The tall, stoop-shouldered man with the long hair whom Perk addressed stared hard and then came closer.
“If it ain’t Perk hisself!” he exclaimed, to immediately add: “Back on the old job agin, be ye—but why ain’t ye in uniform—an’ whar be the rest o’ the Mounties—we need ’em right smart I’m tellin’ ye, boy!”
“Who’s been handlin’ you rough, brother?” asked Perk sympathetically.
“Cap. Hawk an’ his gang. Ain’t been gone more’n three hours—stole all my whole season’s ketch o’ pelts an’ robbed Old Jimmy o’ his money an’ a heap o’ stores ’sides. ”

“ Managing to pull out the handcuffs, Perk first tested them for size, and finding he could snap them shut after circling the ankles of his prisoner he did so with a vim. This would effectually prevent the man from getting any distance away, since he could move his feet only a few inches at a time at the best. ”

“ Having himself served in the ranks with some of those Mounties, it was puzzling Perk tremendously as to just how his former comrades had fallen down on the job of bringing in the Hawk. He had always believed that they never failed to get their man, sooner or later, being ready to follow him to the Pole itself if necessary and to ease his worried mind of this strain he now, as usual, turned his batteries on Jack once more. ”

“ It can thus be seen how Perk was making his life work along the right line for one of his disposition; since it would be difficult indeed to mention any other vocation where a man would do his daily stunt face to face with some calamity. ”

“ When the following day came along, Perk was for the third time dispatched along his former trail down the mountain-side. This time he carried quite a load on his strong back; for, as they anticipated not having to spend another night in the Tom Sawyer cave—Perk always called it by that suggestive name that carried him back to his own boyhood dreaming, and reading—he was taking pretty much all the things he had toted up the ascent shortly before, so they could be safely stowed away in the airship’s cabin. ”

“ 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 of the limitations of his chum and could appreciate his good points, even if in some ways Perk seemed a bit dumb. ”

“ Perk admitted a bit against his will as the other could understand, “but this critter keeps on thumbin’ his nose at ’em and playin’ hob with decent folks’ affairs. Don’t seem as if the boys might be keepin’ up with the reputation they had when I chanced to be playin’ in their backyard.”
“I wouldn’t say that if I were you, Perk,” remonstrated Jack, “we’ve got to consider that lots of changes have come along in the last few years to alter the conditions. For instance, just see what we’re doing right now, hopping along so merrily at the rate of two miles a minute with nobody to hold us up. ”

“ Then Perk made a slight move, and Jack feared he might be about to kick at the beast’s elevated snout, which would only irritate Bruin a great deal more.
“Keep quiet, and don’t do anything to stir him up more than he is already,” was the way Jack cautioned his running mate, knowing the impulsive nature of Perk only too well. “He may fade away when he sees he can’t touch us. Just get your breath back, Pal Perk, and wait up.” ”

“ Perk told him with a positive ring to his voice. “I chanced to turn my head a few minutes after we got settled down, an’ they were walkin’ over to that corner like they’d sized up the table as if it suited their plans. Ever since, they’ve kept talkin’ in low tones, an’ watchin’ us like I’ve seen a fox do, hidin’ in the brush an’ waitin’ for a fat young partridge to come close enough for him to make a spring and grab his dinner.” ”

“ Perk had made up his mind that the unknown aviator, even if other than Oscar Gleeb, was undoubtedly working the same profitable line of business as the pilot of the Curtiss-Robin ship. So, too, Perk considered it worth while to try and figure out the exact course of the high flyer as he was probably making directly for his intended goal and this knowledge was likely to prove useful to them later on.
This he was able to accomplish. Working mental problems come easily to one who has played the part of a navigator aboard a modern galleon of the clouds. ”

“ Such confidence in a comrade bordered on the sublime, yet according to his light Perk felt he was justified in believing Jack to be at the head of his class—without a peer, yet modest withal, shrinking from praise, and content to let the heroes of unsurpassed air flights, as well as all manner of broken records for speed, endurance, and like exploits, bask in the spotlight, while he was satisfied to do his full duty, and afterwards remain unknown to fame. ”

“ Philip Ridgeway, temporarily in charge of the Treasury Department interests along the West Coast here, with headquarters in Tampa–this is the fine pal you heard me speaking about a few times, boys–Gabe Perkiser, 126 commonly known simply as Perk, a veteran of the big scrap over in France where he flew one of those sausage observation blimps, and was later on considered something of an ace in our flying corps. ”

“ Perk told himself as he stared, “I do b’lieve that’s the same Curtiss-Robin crate we saw before, an’ making direct for this here section o’ the map in the bargain! Now I wonder what he wants to barge in for when things seem to be doin’ their prettiest for us fellers? Guess I’d better get ready for boarders. If that smart guy took a notion to swoop down for a close-up o’ these mangrove islands, he’d be apt to pick me up, ’specially if he happens to own a pair o’ glasses, which stands to reason he sure does. ”

“ Perk only stated a truth when he referred to his adventurous life. He was considerably older than his running mate, having been over in France when only eighteen years of age, handling a sausage balloon on the fighting line, and running into numerous close corners, having been shot down at least twice.
After the war was over he came home, and started learning the ropes of the new craze—flying; becoming a very good pilot in time, though a bit reckless, it must be admitted. ”

“ There was not one chance in twenty that the man could actually reach the well, drop the bucket down, switch it around in order to induce water to enter and then make use of the windlass so as to draw it to the top, without discovering the presence of those two huddled forms; so Perk did not deceive himself in the least with any extravagant hopes of the affair passing off smoothly and their plans being uninterrupted. ”

“ Leaving their prisoner lying there they started an advance on the shack. Both eyed it carefully as they crept along and it was Perk who noticed the first favorable sign.
“Door’s shut, partner, but the light’s still on–you c’n lamp a streak down near the sill, think he’s on deck yet–ain’t cut an’ run like a blue streak?”
“We’ll soon find out,” Jack assured him. “’Twouldn’t be like a guy with his reputation as a scrapper to clear out so quick. I’m wondering whether he’s fixing up some hot reception for us when we break in.” ”

“ Let’s consider we’re actors, with a critical audience in front, watching closely to see if we leave any break back of which our real character may be seen.”
“Huh! I like thataway o’ puttin’ it, Big Boss,” snorted Perk, without the slightest hesitation; although he must have suspected that Jack was trying to impress this point particularly on his, Perk’s mind—“I’ll try my darnedest to keep athinkin’ a thousand eyes and ears they be on to me, searchin’ fo’ some knothole in the fence to peep through, an’ gimme the laugh straight. ”

“ A Clever Landing A brief time passed, and then Perk called out excitedly:
“Say, I kinder b’lieve I kin glimpse thet same pesky hangaout—looks like some sorter mounting pass, sech as he drawed in his map, where they went in an’ kim aout; but they’s a kinder haze ahangin’ over yonder that makes it hard to be dead sure. If we get it araoun’ here it’ll hide us from bein’ seen. The wind up here’s hittin’ us in the face, too, which helps some in the bargain.” ”

“ But, just the same, there appeared to be one individual sauntering along Main Street, in a certain San Diego suburb, who did not seem to share in the general joyous spirit—this grumbler amidst such perfect surroundings was really an old friend of the reader, no other than Gabe Perkiser, familiarly known among his fellows of the flying fields by the shorter name of “Perk.” ”

“ Not so loquacious Perk who never knew when to hold his breath since he was peculiarly gifted along that line and could work as well as gabble at the same time.
“Seems like they jest don’t know what to think ’bout seein’ an airship sailin’ over their heads,” he went on to say aloud, “an’ I kinder guess now some o’ them begin to smell a mouse. Think things ain’t goin’ to run so slick and greased as they’ve been doin’ right along. Another dip like that, buddy, ought to fetch me close enough to get the snap on the bloomin’ bunch.” ”

“ Perk remarked, in a satisfied tone, as the job was finished. “If any red fox or kiote kin scratch his way under that stack o’ dornicks I’ll eat my hat—an’ ole dungarees in th’ bargain. I ain’t a luggin’ good eats all the way from San Diego, an’ payin’ aout lots o’ coin fur the same, jest to make a holiday fur four-footed thieves.”
“Both of us are dead for sleep, I reckon,” ventured Jack, as they lay on the rocky floor, Perk indulging in the luxury of a pipe of his favorite Turkish mixture for solace ”

“ Then when it came to taking aboard a stock of provisions, such as would not require cooking, trust Perk for having a complete understanding as to these requirements—he possessed such a vast knowledge of what was good for a hungry man, not in a position to start a campfire, that when he put the last of their stock away aboard the plane it looked as if they might be getting ready to explore the Arctic regions, where nothing but driftice was to be met, and no chance of having a fire either for cooking or comfort. ”

“ Faster and faster was the taxiing airship rushing through the water and Perk continued to hold his fire, realizing that the fight was over.
“Go to it, Oscar old hoss!” he burst out, as he grasped this clinching finish of the strange engagement with the rival gunmen separating after a hot exchange of compliments, each apparently able to move off under his own steam, “Beat it for all you’re worth while the goin’ is good. There, he’s lifted his crate in one big pull an’ I kinder guess he ain’t hurt much either, else he couldn’t show so much steam. ”