“Hot-diggetty-dig! it makes me happy to know as haow the waitin’ game’s ’baout all in naow, an’ we’re agwine—haow’s that, buddy—to jump into action, and then more action. Me, I’m some hungry, partner; but mebbe it aint wise to take a snack when we’re so clost to aour airport, with a landin’ comin’ along soon, an’ real restaurant eats aloomin’ up in the bargain.”
“Try to hold your horses for half an hour or more, and I promise that you’ll be filled up to the limit, regardless of expense. And now begin to live, breathe, and act as a Dixie bred man would do, ready to knock anybody flat who’d be so brash as to say one insulting word about your native Southland.”
“The finest country God ever did make, barrin’ none, suh; and don’t yeou forgit it; but I kin see the airport a’ready, partner, off to the left a bit.”
CHAPTER XI
Where War Once Broke Out
Shortly afterwards the two adventurers found themselves looking down at as entrancing an air picture as it would be possible to conceive; with Charleston Harbor stretching out to its furtherest extent before them.
“See that island over yonder, partner,” said the admiring Perk, pointing as he spoke; “I kinder—reckons naow as haow that might be where ole Fort Sumter stood, durin’ the war ’tween the States—yeou knows weuns daown hyah allers speaks o’ that little flareup that way, ’stead o’ callin’ it the Civil War.”
“So I understood, Wally, and I’m glad to find out you’re so well posted on such facts, as it strengthens your position considerably. When you’re in Dixie it’s just as well to follow the crowd, and do as all true Southerners do.”
It was a charming morning, the air “salubrious,” as Perk said more than once, and everything seemed favorable to the success of their great undertaking—as far as they had gone, which was not anything to boast of.
Perk had already pointed out the landing field they were aiming to patronize, and of course the pilot circled the stretch several times, as he began to lose his altitude.
There was but little wind, and that favorable for making a successful landing. Then, too, a number of men had started to run toward the spot where indications pointed to their touching the ground, so they would not lack for any assistance required.