Trackers of the Fog Pack; Or, Jack Ralston Flying Blind
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CHAPTER XXIII
PERK CARRIES ON
Apparently Jack found considerable interest in the man wearing the whitecap of a cook, for he watched him keenly as he came and went, limping alittle, it seemed, as though somewhat lame.
Then, as the morning drew on, Jack changed his location, as thoughdesirous of applying his energies to another duty that claimedattention. He was away from his post all of three hours; and when oncemore creeping over to the friendly screen of scrub bushes, there was asatisfied look on his grim face, that gave him an air of renewedconfidence.
Apparently things were working along the right path, which would mean hefound them to his liking.
If Jack felt exceedingly hungry, with so little to stay the clamoringsof an empty stomach, he gave no evidence of such a thing. But then hedid not happen to belong to the class of "squealers," as honest Perkoften delighted to assign himself, without a blush of shame--he wasbuilt to expect three square meals per diem, and felt he had a right to"kick" when, through some misfortune they failed to come along onschedule.
The afternoon wore away slowly, with Jack in continual use of hisglasses. It was a most interesting study for him, this spying upon thehideout of the greatest aggregation of badly wanted refugees from theLaw he had ever run across.
What a grand haul would result if only he chanced to have a dozen of hisfellow workers in the Secret Service at his call, ready to draw a netaround the sunken valley, and forcing a general surrender. A good manyempty cells in the Federal penitentiaries would be filled with theirformer occupants, Jack was telling himself, as he strove to count theidle members of the gang sunning themselves, and taking things socomfortably, as though they refused to entertain a single minute of fearconcerning the possibility of the army being used by Uncle Sam toencompass their downfall.
Jack now began to anticipate the return of his comrade, judging from themanner in which he frequently turned his head, as if to listen, while alook of concern began to draw lines about his eyes.
The fact that he had seen no sign of excitement among those he waswatching had given him good cause for confidence. Surely, if thepresence of strangers in the neighborhood had been discovered, withpossibly Perk made a prisoner, he must have noted the fact as he viewedthe panorama spread out before his eyes.
It was when the descending sun had dropped well down the westernsky--about five by his faithful little wrist watch--that all of a suddenhe heard something drop just back of his position, followed by a low,shaky voice saying:
"Hot-diggetty-dig! say, I'm 'baout all in, for a fack--gee whiz! sech aclimb, with a pack on my back that weights somethin' like a ton. Whee!"
And there was Perk, flat upon his back, having been drawn down when heattempted to let his burden drop. Jack gained his side as speedily as hecould, his mind at ease once more, his late fears having vanished like apuff of mountain fog before a rising breeze.
"Mighty glad to see you safe back, buddy--was just beginning to feel abit anxious--but you shouldn't have attempted to lug such a whoppingbunch of stuff up this steep grade."
Perk gave him a wise grin, and managing to find his voice he went on tosay, in a jerky manner between breaths:
"Didn't reckon to in first place, Jack--after I hitched to aplenty yeouknow I 'membered 'bout somethin' else--then saw a package o' grub I jestdid want to try eout the wust kind--so she climbed to this mounting--butit's okay--we kin make use o' ever'thing, bet yeour boots we kin."
"I hope you did what I told you to--eat a good lunch while you had theopportunity?" Jack asked, solicitously, whereat the other slily winkedone eye, and made reply:
"Sure thing, partner--easier to swaller the grub an' carry same_inside_, than to tote it on my back. But queer haow a gink keeps onbuildin' up a appetite, fur somehaow I'm hungry as all git-eout agin."
That was just like Perk; but Jack had to chuckle at the lugubriousexpression he could see on his comrade's expressive face as he announcedthis sad fact.
"Well," he told the returned scout, "we'll eat as soon as we get furtheraway from the cliff; I've got some things to tell you that may soundinteresting; but not a single word until I've had a chance to break _my_fast."
"Great guns! Jack, ole hoss, I forgot as haow yeou aint had nary a biteall day long, while I was jest _gorgin'_ myself daown yonder!"
"First tell me, was the ship okay?"
"Sure was, Jack," the other went on to state, as he managed to regain astooping position, with the mighty pack still on his back, assisted by afriendly push at the hands of his ally.
Jack seemed to breathe easier, showing that he had really worried aboutthe possibility of something happening to their air courier, such asmust put a halt to their operations, if not entirely smashing the same.
"'Fore I started back," continued Perk, who was now wound up, andcapable of running on for any length of time, his wind being assured, "Itook time to toss some more o' them evergreens on exposed parts o' thecrate. She's camouflaged neow to beat the band--kinder guess a galootwith the eyes o' a hawk might pass by less'n fifty feet away, an' neversuspicion what that big mound was. But there ain't been anybody araoundthere since we cut aout--I'm givin' yeou that straight, Pard Jack."
Shortly afterwards they settled down in a secluded spot, where the brushgrew thick enough to effectually conceal their presence, assisted inthis friendly task as it was by various piles of rough rocks, such aswere as plentiful in that wild country as "grains of sand on theseashore," Perk had more than once declared.
Jack held to his resolve, and refused to say another word until he hadtaken the sharp edge off his appetite. Just then he doubtless couldappreciate how his always hungry chum must suffer between meals.
By the time he had been munching the stuff the sympathizing Perk keptputting before him, for something like ten minutes, the acute sensationhad passed away.
Perk had also been doing a little side act of his own, and managed toput away a fair proportion of eatables. He was waiting as patiently ashe could for Jack to start telling what he meant by the word"discoveries;" and hoping something entertaining might be forthcoming.
"I'm glad you saw fit to fetch that big flashlight, _ditto_ the twoextra dry batteries along, buddy," observed Jack, finally; "becausewe're going to find a good use for the same. I've entered a claim for anice dry residence, which we can use while we're in this region--rain orshine, cold or otherwise, it's a sure enough jim-dandy _cave_!"
"Bully boy, Jack; I'm tickled pink to hear such good news; when do wemove in, tell me?"
"Right away--that is, by the time darkness comes along, Perk; because itisn't a great way off--a fissure in the big rock that looked sort ofinviting to me; so I crept inside, with a splinter of dry wood that Icould coax to burn. Couldn't see all I'd have liked to, but enough totell me the crack developed into a regular cavern, with a roof fullytwenty feet up, and feeling a heap warmer than we found ourselves lastnight."
"Whoopee! that sounds right fine to me, cully; I'm sure glad yeou hitsech a prize package fust shot. But I jest knowed yeou'd be adoin' yeourstuff when I was a crawlin' 'long daown there in the bottom land. I'mcrazy to take a squint at aour new lodgin'; but I guess there aint nosech hurry."
"Plenty of time for everything," Jack assured him, still engaged in thepleasant task of feeding the furnace fires within. "We can have a greatchin once we get settled; and Perk, I spent a full hour toting a lot ofwood into that split in the wall."
"Meanin' as haow we kin even have a bully little fire--all the comfortso' home, an' nary a red cent to pay for rent, in the bargain. Ain't wethe lucky boys, though."
"Listen! that's a familiar sound I'm picking up, eh, what, Perk?"
"Sure is!" cried the other, showing signs of sudden excitement. "Somesorter airship headin' thisaways. Must be that ole crate belongin' tothe boys daown in the valley; let's git back to the cliff, an' seewhat's what, Jack."