“Got too darned lonesome up in the den, suh,” the latter explained, keeping up his character part as an employee of the rich New York sportsman, who was so well liked that he had become a sort of companion, and campmate in fact. “Jest couldn’t stand it any longer, an’ had to come daown hyah, so’s to watch the folks, an’ pass the time away. Gwine up right naow, suh?”
“Might just as well, for I’m a bit tired; and besides we have some plans to settle on before striking out for the ducking grounds day after tomorrow. Got those chilled-shot shells I want to tryout, did you, Wally?”
“Sure did, suh,” answered the other, with a wide grin, knowing that this had been spoken because the hotel clerk was close by at the desk, and watching them a bit curiously. “An’ I done reckoned as haow I might jest as well fotch ’long double the number o’ boxes yeou-all asked me to. They sure slips away right speedy like, suh, when the birds air atradin’ good.”
Once behind the closed and locked door, Jack started to explain such fresh facts as had come within the circle of his knowledge in the last chat with Mr. Herriott.
“He will make all arrangements with Jethro in the morning, so we can expect to find the man waiting at the rendezvous—Black Water Bayou, two nights from now; for I calculate to drop down there just while the twilight holds. That is the main thing we settled; and he assured me there would absolutely be no hitch to that part of the program. When such a man as our good friend gives a promise like that you can depend on it being exactly so.”
“Bet yeour boots that’s a fack, partner,” Perk took occasion to add most fervently, having conceived a great liking for Mr. Herriott, his charming betterhalf, and the two youngsters with whom he had had such a riotous time on the occasion of his late visit.
Jack took some object out of his pocket, and holding it between his fingers seemed to blow softly into the same with a certain quavering inflection. The result was an odd quacking sound, several times repeated.
“Gosh all hemlock!” Perk exclaimed, a little too loud for discretion as he himself appeared to realize, since he immediately moderated his voice as he went on to say: “If that ere aint a reg’lar duck-call I’m a rank piker. What dye know ’baout that, if we didn’t forgit to supply aourselves with a quacker—two on ’em in fact, one to coax the ducks within gunshot; an’ tother fo’ wild honkin’ geese. Takes yeou to think up the small but important things, ole hoss.”
“Well, we may some day have a chance to use this call for the purpose it was intended,” stated Jack, handing the queer little article with the split and brass tongue crown over to Hank for examination; “but I got it for quite another reason. When I put this to my lips, and give a number of loud quacks, it’ll be after we’re lying there on the surface of Black Water Bayou—as a signal agreed on with Jethro. You must remember he has never met us, unfortunately, and this game is too risky for any one to take chances. He’ll answer my signal by six quacks in quick succession, and I’ll give him another four in reply—then both will have made sure covering the identity of the other.”
“Jest fine as silk, I’d say, suh!” Perk assured him, with that look approaching adoration such as came to him most naturally, whenever his pal Jack sprang some unusually neat piece of work upon him.