The one addressed made no reply, but as he let his head fall back, as if he meant to pick up a few winks of sleep, there came a look of rapt admiration on his weather-beaten face that bespoke the utmost confidence in his best pal.
CHAPTER X
LAYING PLANS
After a noonday lunch Jack and his partner spent most of the afternoon in carrying out the various duties that were seemingly on their program. Among other things Jack visited the Federal building, and was closeted for more than an hour with Mr. Adkins.
The latter official had conceived a great fancy for young Ralston, and went to no end of trouble so as to post him with regard to what he was likely to run up against while endeavoring to close in on Slippery Slim. With his accustomed sagacity Jack made notes of some of the facts thus laid before him; but since these were in shorthand, and would be utterly unintelligible to any outside party, should they chance to fall into enemy hands, there was no danger that any mischief would follow.
By degrees he was filling up with scraps of description, and everything connected with former attempts at locating the hideout, where all this unlawful scrip was being turned off the press, to flood the Southwest.
That was always his way of doing—when given a tough job Jack would live alongside it, breathing the very atmosphere of the undertaking, until he found himself sympathetic with the aims and ambitions of the criminals whose apprehension was placed on his shoulders by his Big Boss.
“We’ll have dinner early, Perk,” he told the other, who had been carrying out a number of special duties while Jack was busy elsewhere, “so as to retire to our room at the hotel. No going out after nightfall for us just at present, especially in a strange city, where some sneak might waylay us coming back from the theater. All that sort of pleasure must be put out of our heads just at present.”
“Huh! guess you’re hittin’ the nail on the head, old hoss, when you say that,” grunted Perk, who very probably had already picked out just the screen play he wanted so badly to see; but he was a good scout, and able to put duty above pleasure, when the occasion arose for making a personal sacrifice.
“Another thing,” continued Jack, “there’s no telling what night flying we’re bound to be up against, in trying to keep our movements secret; so it’d be wise for us both to enjoy all the extra sleep that comes our way.”
“I get you, partner,” assented Perk, subordinating his desires to the slogan which he knew was Jack’s watchword—“safety first”. “When I’ve stowed away all the grub I c’n hold mebbe I’ll be ready to hit the hay, to stick it out till cock-crow around daylight—an’ then some. Pretty fair sleeper, they always called me across the big pond—crawl out as the last horn was blowin’, rub my eyes a bit, get aboard my fightin’ crate, an’ step off to knock another Heine pilot down afore botherin’ ’bout my breakfast—all in a day’s doings with Gabe Perkiser. Sabbe that, partner?”