“Shore, I’ll be glad to go with yeou, partner,” he affirmed, taking a big breath at the same time, as though he had succeeded in conquering his prejudice; “’cause I wanter to meet up with this gent, an’ hear what he’s got to say. His lady, I done reckons, aint agoin’—agwyin’ I means—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 two done talked ’bout.”
“The real talking will come off tonight when we get in touch, Wally; all we did was to make arrangements; and whoever conceived this idea about our pretending to be distant cousins hit on a clever idea, and one that ought to throw any prowling spy off the track—whether in his office force, if they were listening to our little friendly chat, or even among the servants in his home.”
Perk wanted to start out and see something of the city; and while Jack on his part would have preferred staying there, and going over his schedule of arrangements once more, he concluded it might be wiser for him to give in and accompany the other on his roving about the city; for truth to tell he still felt a little dubious about Perk’s ability to play his part naturally at any and all times.
Accordingly they sallied forth, and securing a taxi had the driver take them to such points of interest as were within his ken. Perk was eager to see the noted navy yard, at some distance north of the city, but Jack convinced him that could very well keep for another time.
“At any rate, brother,” he concluded, by stating, “you’re going to look down on that same navy yard every time we take off on a flight of exploration, to learn whether the ducks are down from the Far North in sufficient numbers to tempt us sportsmen to locate, and build a duck blind.”
“Gee! I kin see where I’m agoin’ to enjoy a little shootin’ fo’ a change, suh,” Perk went on to say, accompanying his words with one of his 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 all come back soon’s I gits my hand adoin’ its cunnin’, an’ my eye on the job.”
They were back in the hotel by sundown, with Perk trying to guess what he’d like best for his dinner.
“Wonder if so be they got any sorter dish I used to be fondest of when I was atrapsin’ raoun’ ole Birmin’ham as a gawky kid—somepin naow like stuffed possum with baked sweet yams—haow even the mention o’ that lovely dish makes my mouth fair water, an’ my eyes glisten like raindrops on the grass. Then there’s co’nbread, hoe-cake we uster call hit 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 that appetite of yours in check; what would become of all my well-laid plans for a great kill of ducks and geese if I had to leave you on your back in a Charleston hospital here, down with gastro-enteritis, on account of an over indulgence in rich food?”
“Gosh amighty! doant mention that sort o’ thing again, partner; I’ll try an’ bridle this ferocious appetite o’ mine, an’ hold her in check, shore I will. Gaster—trig—er whatever it was aint agwine to get a grip on me, no suh.”