“I’m pretty certain of that, partner,” Jack assured him, “there’s no doubt about his having been gassed in the war and that might account for his actions–he’s dippy along certain lines and he finds this way of defying the Government gives him the one big thrill he wants. It’s almost incredible, I own up, but I believe we’re going to prove it before we quit.
“Some men you know find this excitement in driving a speeding car along the beach up at Daytona at a hundred miles and more an hour, others go out and hunt tigers in India, lions and elephants in wildest Africa, but with this wealthy sportsman the craze takes the form of snapping his fingers in contempt at Uncle Sam’s Coast Guard and all the revenue men in Florida.
“I was a bit skeptical at first, it all seemed so silly, such a whimsey for a rich man to fancy–taking such big risks just for the thrill he got–but the more I picked up about the man the less inclined I became to doubt, and by now I’m convinced it is the truth.”
“But what makes him keep all this smuggling business clear of this wonderful show place near Miami?” asked Perk, apparently still groping as though in a daze.
“Just wants to be living his double life,” explained Jack, “with one line never crossing the other–you might call it a Jekyll and Hyde sort of an existence. But the truth will come out in broad daylight if ever we do round him up and catch him with the goods.”
“Er–’bout how long will we be in makin’ some sort o’ start, boss?” asked Perk anxiously.
“We may have to stick around here for some days while we do a little spy work and lay our net,” Jack told him. “A great deal depends on, how the land lies and what success we strike in making our approach–you know how it is with all golfers–approach means a whole lot to them. But if we have the good fortune to nab our man after making certain we have plenty of convincing evidence to be used against him, why there’s our boat ready to spirit him away before his gang can forcibly take him off our hands.”
CHAPTER XIX
THE SCENT GROWS WARMER
It all seemed so simple, as Jack put it, that Perk felt everything was bound to come their way eventually if not just then. All the same his sound common sense told him there was apt to be some pretty lively times in store for them before the end they sought had been obtained.