CHAPTER XII
WHEN COUSINS GET IN TOUCH
Jack was as good as his word.
At exactly half after two he was in touch with the office where theGovernment at Washington was ably represented by the gentleman he hadbeen instructed to get in close intercourse with, unbeknown tooutsiders.
"Is this Mr. Herriott--Mr. Casper Herriott?" he asked, when he heardsome one handling the receiver after the house operator had heard hispolite request.
"It is," came back in firm tones.
"_Cousin_ Casper Herriott?" continued Jack, a bit mischievously.
There came a slight exclamation, then--
"Who is it speaking, please?"
"Rodman Warrington, of New York, sir."
"Ah! just so, Mr. Warrington; I've been rather expecting to hear fromyou at any time. Glad you arrived safely; was that your ship I chancedto notice hovering over the airport about eleven?"
"That was the time we arrived, sir; to meet a warm welcome from yourgentlemanly superintendent of the port. He saw to it that our craft wasspeedily placed in a hangar, where it can remain as long as we happen tobe hunting along the coast. I presume, sir, the new amphibian is here,and waiting for me?"
"I'm delighted to assure you on that matter--it was brought here sixdays ago, and you will find it all safe and sound at the same airportwhere you landed."
"What arrangements have you made for my meeting you, er--Cousin Casper?"continued Jack.
Again he heard what he took to be a chuckle come over the wire, whichassured him this Mr. Herriott at least was a man who appreciated humor,and seemed to be getting considerable enjoyment out of the happening,even though it was meant to all be along the line of strict business.
"You have my house address, I presume, cousin?" he thereupon asked.
"Certainly I have; it was you yourself sent it to me, sir, youremember." Jack went on to say.
"To be sure--that had quite escaped my memory, owing to a press ofbusiness for the Department. Suppose you come around, say at eight thisevening, when I shall be delighted to see you."
"You can depend on me to be there; I have often wished I could drop inon you informally, and renew our old ties of friendship."
"Just so, and on my part I shall be most charmed to have you meet mygood wife, and the children also, who have heard me speak of you morethan a few times."
Both of them seemed to be enjoying this little chatter, meant to deceiveany possible spy who might be looking for someone to make a businesscall upon the Government agent,--perhaps there might even be such asnake in his office force, some one who had been bought body and soul bythe syndicate, which would account for a leakage more than once in thepast, calculated to upset certain deeply laid schemes for breaking upthe wide-flung conspiracy against Uncle Sam.
"I shall be particularly pleased to meet them, I assure you, cousin,"continued Jack. "At eight you said, sir?"
"Yes, and while you are in the city, later on possibly, I'd like you tofetch around that splendid pilot chap you mentioned, I believe, in oneof your letters,--let me see, I think you wrote he was a native ofBirmingham, down in our own Alabama close by, a sort of an odd genius,in the bargain, to whom you had become greatly attached."
"I see you have been well posted, Cousin Casper," Jack told him,understanding of course how the gentleman must have had a duplicate ofthe code letter sent on to him, Jack; since they were to work incollusion as a team. "Yes, I shall try to coax him to come with me lateron--you know he's not at all gunshy when in the field, or at the traps,a most excellent shot, and guide; but he doesn't take much stock insociety functions, in which he differs somewhat from myself. I'll seeyou then tonight, cousin."
"We'll consider that settled; goodbye, Cousin Rodman until eight."
Jack was laughing as he switched off, as though this part of his missionmight be looked upon in the light of a good joke rather than anythingreally serious. But no one knew better than Jack what lay behind thispretense--how it was to be taken as only a bluff in order to deceive anyargus eyes, or hostile listening ears, that might be employed by thepowerful syndicate to further the ends of the smugglers of the Carolinacoastways.
When Perk heard what had passed he, too, had his little fit ofmerriment; but looked serious when Jack told him of the warm invitationreceived concerning his being brought to the home of Mr. Herriott sometime later on.
"Shore, I'll be glad to go with yeou, partner," he affirmed, taking abig breath at the same time, as though he had succeeded in conqueringhis prejudice; "'cause I wanter to meet up with this gent, an' hear whathe's got to say. His lady, I done reckons, aint agoin'--agwyin' Imeans--to think much o' a ignorant guy like me; but if he's got _kids_why I'm allers at home 'long with them. Now tell me some more yeou twodone talked 'bout."
"The real talking will come off tonight when we get in touch, Wally; allwe did was to make arrangements; and whoever conceived this idea aboutour pretending to be distant cousins hit on a clever idea, and one thatought to throw any prowling spy off the track--whether in his officeforce, if they were listening to our little friendly chat, or even amongthe servants in his home."
Perk wanted to start out and see something of the city; and while Jackon his part would have preferred staying there, and going over hisschedule of arrangements once more, he concluded it might be wiser forhim to give in and accompany the other on his roving about the city; fortruth to tell he still felt a little dubious about Perk's ability toplay his part naturally at any and all times.
Accordingly they sallied forth, and securing a taxi had the driver takethem to such points of interest as were within his ken. Perk was eagerto see the noted navy yard, at some distance north of the city, but Jackconvinced him that could very well keep for another time.
"At any rate, brother," he concluded, by stating, "you're going to lookdown on that same navy yard every time we take off on a flight ofexploration, to learn whether the ducks are down from the Far North insufficient numbers to tempt us sportsmen to locate, and build a duckblind."
"Gee! I kin see where I'm agoin' to enjoy a little shootin' fo' achange, suh," Perk went on to say, accompanying his words with one ofhis wide grins. "Aint done much practicin' on wild fowl fo' a heap o'moons, so I done reckon I'll show up kinder poor at fust; but it'll allcome back soon's I gits my hand adoin' its cunnin', an' my eye on thejob."
They were back in the hotel by sundown, with Perk trying to guess whathe'd like best for his dinner.
"Wonder if so be they got any sorter dish I used to be fondest of when Iwas atrapsin' raoun' ole Birmin'ham as a gawky kid--somepin naow likestuffed possum with baked sweet yams--haow even the mention o' thatlovely dish makes my mouth fair water, an' my eyes glisten likeraindrops on the grass. Then there's co'nbread, hoe-cake we uster callhit in them days when----"
"Oh! you'll be sure to pick all your beloved dishes out of the menu,Brother Wally;" Jack interrupted to tell him; "only I hope you keep thatappetite of yours in check; what would become of all my well-laid plansfor a great kill of ducks and geese if I had to leave you on your backin a Charleston hospital here, down with gastro-enteritis, on account ofan over indulgence in rich food?"
"Gosh amighty! doant mention that sort o' thing again, partner; I'll tryan' bridle this ferocious appetite o' mine, an' hold her in check, shoreI will. Gaster--trig--er whatever it was aint agwine to get a grip on_me_, no suh."
After dinner had been disposed of they again repaired to their room,Perk having an armful of papers with which he meant to pass the timewhile his chum was chatting with the Government agent, and picking upquantities of fresh information to add to what he had alreadyaccumulated.
Jack had him promise faithfully not to think of stepping out of theroom, and to also refrain from opening the door to any caller.
"We're stacking up against a desperate bunch of dare-devils, don'tforget, comrade, who'd hold life cheap--at least any other life buttheir own--if it had to be snuffed ou
t in order to further their evilends. In a case like this it's a whole lot better to overrate yourenemy, than to think too cheaply of him. Have a pleasant time, and I'llbe back inside of a few hours. So-long!"
Flying the Coast Skyways; Or, Jack Ralston's Swift Patrol Page 12
