“Gosh! seems like us boys gotter be settin’ up nights fixin’ traps fo’ the sharp foxes, they’s up to sech big stunts. Sometimes I find myself wonderin’ haow in Sam Hill weuns kin beat ’em atall at their pesky games.”
“Well, that’s what we’re here to put through,” Jack stated, off-hand like; “and it seems that usually we do come out on top. But even if we succeed in putting their freight air ships, and fast launches out of business, this game of ours can never be called complete until we’ve managed to discover the location of that powerful sending radio station—and blown it sky-high in the bargain.”
“Bully boy!” cried Perk; “an’ more power to aour elbow, is what I’m asayin’ right naow. Big Boy. We kin do it, an’—watch aour smoke, that’s all.”
“I begin to think the time for our departure is getting close at hand, Pal Wally,” Jack remarked some time later, as they glimpsed the familiar smoke cloud hovering over the city ahead. “If my last talk with our good friend tonight pans out as I feel pretty certain it must, we’ll figure on making our big jump some time day after tomorrow. That will give us plenty of time to get everything aboard we expect to need; for once we leave Charleston we’ll not be likely to see the place again in a hurry.”
“Sure pleases me a heap, suh,” Perk told him, nodding his head approvingly, as though he might be some species of war-horse scenting the battle-smoke and acrid odor of burnt powder in the breeze, calling him to action.
In due time the big amphibian dropped down on the field, and was hurriedly conveyed to its hangar; the two airmen hovering around for a brief time examining certain parts of their ship, to make doubly certain there was nothing amiss. Jack did not intend going out on the following day, if things worked as he was now planning; they would fix up a last day program, by following which everything necessary would be carried out in the customary way of such careful adventurers as they had always proven to be.
“Huh! been a right full day, I’d call hit,” was Perk’s last word, as they started back to the hotel, so as to clean up for supper; after which Jack meant to keep an engagement with Mr. Herriott, who would be apt to have some news of importance to communicate.
“Taking things as they go, it certainly has, brother,” Jack told his “side push,” as Perk often called himself. “We’ve picked up some facts that plug the vacant holes in my scheme; and I feel confident we’re getting close to the big finish.”
CHAPTER XXII
Down to Business at Last
When Jack came back to the hotel late that night, he found Perk lounging in the lobby, and keeping a watchful eye on the main entrance.