The Sky Detectives; Or, How Jack Ralston Got His Man

So Perk continued to amuse himself in watching the antics of the rival ship, and indulging in all kinds of wild speculations as to what the real object of those two sporty looking occupants might prove to be.

Evidently thus far not the slightest suspicion had entered his mind that the taking to the air of the shining Ryan boat had the first thing to do with their own skipping out, and heading toward the Crescent City.

“Like as not when it gets real dark after a bit,” Perk continued to say, being addicted to talking to himself more or less, “we’ll soon lose her, and have the field all to ourselves. Only moving thing I c’n sight back there, ’cept them circlin’ buzzards huntin’ for a carrion supper. Guess everything’s going along first class and we’re in for a comfortable night run down over the corn and sugarcane country. This is the life for little Perk, you hear me saying, everybody – it’s got the boxin’ game, and even that outdoor life up with the Mounties in Canada, beat to a frazzle.”

So Perk busied himself with his duties for some time, and presently became aware of the fact that evening was actually at hand; for the sun had dropped out of sight over in the far west, and looking down he found it absolutely impossible to distinguish what lay beneath them some two thousand feet more or less earthward – there might be forests, farms, hills or swales following each other in rapid succession; but all masked by the sable curtains of night. When the moon rose later on, its light would not afford them any opportunity for marking any peculiarities of the ground down there, since it must simply present the appearance of a swiftly moving panorama.

Perk, moved once more by his old curiosity concerning the ship that had started off immediately after their own jump, again twisted his head so as to take another backward look.

“Hanged if she ain’t keeping on our tail right along,” he told himself, as if a bit surprised, though not in the least troubled, since there could be no possible connection between this Ryan monoplane and their own old bus, bent on reeling off so many miles per hour, and aiming to make the airport at New Orleans by early dawn or before, according to how the weather treated them, and the speed Jack could coax from his aerial steed.

Further inspection convinced Perk that the rival ship was neither gaining nor losing as the two sped along their way; a fact that began to make him “sit up and take notice,” and then express himself confidentially:

“By jinks! it looks to me like that clever little Ryan bus could make circles around our tub ’less Jack c’n squeeze a lot more snap from our Whirlwind motor. Now what game c’n that pair of sports be playin’ right now, I want to know – must be they’re so used to bettin’ on anything an’ everything they’re meanin’ to keep right on our tail all night long, just to make us hump along, and get the laugh on us poor guys.”

CHAPTER IV

THE GRIM PURSUER

As the minutes crept along Perk’s uneasiness commenced to make itself more manifest, finally reaching such a condition that he felt it would ease his mind if only he could get the opinion of his companion on the subject.

To do this it would be necessary that they should make use of the head earphones that had been taken along for this particular purpose. Accordingly he quickly adjusted his own, and then proceeded to advise Jack as to what he wished to do. Since these useful adjuncts of the pilot’s outfit were so arranged that they could be slipped on and off with little loss of time, it was an easy matter for Perk to apply them, after which he went on to speak.

“Jack, seems like that pesky little Ryan insect’s been tailing us right along, though mebbe now you didn’t notice it.”

“I know it, Perk – fact is I proved that fact to my own satisfaction, for twice now I’ve changed our course, once into the west, and again heading into the southwest, even if it didn’t catch your attention.”

“You did that same; and say, what happened, Jack?”

“Not a blessed thing,” came the immediate answer.

“They still hung on our tail, do you mean, old hoss?”

“Seems like they did – queer how two pilots, strangers both, would take a notion to change their course, not once but twice running,” commented Jack in his non-committal fashion that always had Perk guessing.

“Strikes me as something more than a happy chance,” asserted Perk, beginning to throw off that comfortable feeling with which he had wrapped himself as he contemplated a steady going night run, with never a reason for anything gripping them by way of excitement; “ev’ry little movement of that Ryan two-seater’s got a meanin’ of its own. Now what ails the ducks I want to know – how c’n our movements have a mite to do with what they’re planning to carry out – got any idea along them lines, old hoss?”

“Nothing definite as yet,” answered Jack; “I was starting to figure it out just when you barged in, and opened this talk fest up with your question.”

“Jack, come to think of it, what did you make out of that stiff yarn Scotty put over on us a while ago?”

“It was raw stuff for a fact; but I don’t question anything he told us, remember, Perk.”

“Whoever his mysterious visitor was he must have been hunting for something, that’s dead sure!” declared Perk.

“Yes.”

“Something he didn’t find, either,” continued Jack’s assistant pilot.

“Scotty was ready to swear to that fact, and he ought to know.” Jack countered by saying:

“But see here, old hoss, you’ve got some sorter idea what the game might abeen, haven’t you for a fact?”

“I reckon I know why the sneak thief failed to carry away the thing he was looking for, if that’s what you mean, Perk.”

“As what, boss – I’m all worked up wantin’ to know.”

“Perhaps the reason might have been because the object of his search happened at that very time to be safe and snug in the inside pocket of this same coat I’m wearing under my overalls.”

At hearing this startling announcement Perk gave a quick look into his pal’s face, there being just enough light remaining in the western sky to allow this searching glance.

“Glory be! now I’m beginning to get somewhere, and ready to quit this gropin’ around, like a man in a London fog – that letter you had this very morning from Headquarters – somehow ’r other some of the gang had wind of your gettin’ it, and they guessed it’d be kept safe under lock and key in your room at the hotel; and then they got balled up about the number on the door, so they broke into the wrong room. Jack, am I on the right track?”

“Seems that’s so, according to my notion, Perk; unless I miss my guess that’s the way things stand.”

A disgusted grunt from Perk told that he did not feel very happy over certain facts in the case.

“Gosh-a-mighty!” he burst out, explosively, “if that’s right, then the tricky crowd know you’n me are on this case – that even right now we’re starting out to pluck their tail feathers, and fetch that master-crook to the bar!”

“Oh! I expected that would happen,” said Jack, indifferently. “Having been told by several of the best men in the service that Slim was the smartest all-round dopester known in all the land, I anticipated that he’d have means for finding out that fact long ago – that there might be a leak around Headquarters; for spies can worm in almost anywhere, given an opportunity, and the backing of a big bunch of jack.”

“Yet that fact don’t seem to rattle you worth a red cent, old hoss,” continued the puzzled Perk, who ofttimes found the actions of his cool partner a mystery he could not solve, because of his own more impetuous ways.

“I hope not,” was all Jack said in reply.

“Thunder and lightning!” ejaculated the co-pilot, as if an illuminating idea had suddenly flashed through his brain – “that Ryan bus, Jack!”

“Well, what of it?” demanded the one at the stick.

“What if that sporty guy I told you about should turn out to be the critter who broke into Scotty’s room, and made it a complete wreck?”

“It could happen that way, Perk; seems like you’re working on a warm scent right now. Pity we didn’t get a good look at the gentleman before he hid his face behind that helmet and goggles; then at least we’d know him if ever we happened to run across his trail.”

The other was almost frothing at the mouth through disgust and anger combined; but he managed to say, with a select few hard words interlarded as a vent to his outraged feelings:

“Give me half a chance and I’ll mark him so there’s be no difficulty in locating the sneak when we meet him again – I’d put a bit of lead through his arm that’d keep him out of the scrap for a week of Sundays; or else clip off one of his ears, to stamp him as a low-down crook.”

Jack knew full well that this was no idle threat on the part of his running mate; for Perk had a reputation as a pistol shot second to none in the entire service, being a natural born marksman.

He lapsed into a spell of silence after making that vicious remark; but from the way he glanced back again and again it looked as though Perk meant to keep close tabs on the craft that was dogging their own ship so steadily.

They were roaring on their way, and it would seem as if they must be showing a clean pair of heels to anything in their rear; but just the same, Perk, with the vision of an air-minded individual, could readily understand how the speedy Ryan plane was slowly but insidiously picking up on them continuously.

“Blamed nuisance,” he was muttering to himself when this important fact became a positive truth; “guess now that rip-snorter could make circles round us, if so be he wanted to. Shucks! what’s left to us I want to know; an’ just what does he ’spect to accomplish with all this chasin’ us? Might as well get out my little old six-shot bear gun, so’s to be ready in case there’s any sort o’ ruction aheadin’ our way.”

The idea seemed to afford him a strange sort of grim satisfaction, for bending down he ran his hand under the coaming of the cockpit; to almost immediately withdraw a very decent looking sporting repeating rifle, evidently his working tool whenever he felt disposed to spend a week in the wilds, either alone, or with some boon companions also yearning for wild game and the much desired campfire.

“Hold tight, Perk,” Jack was saying just then; “going into a nose dive, and see if that will upset his calculations; for he’s got me buffaloed all right as to what’s in the wind!”