The taxi was waiting, with the chauffeur on the alert. He had already been advised of the fact that they anticipated having some parties attempt to spy upon them as evening settled down and on this account he had maintained a strict watch for troublesome visitors who might even attempt to threaten him with bodily injury unless he agreed to enter into their plans for delaying the flight of the two flyers, as he knew his passengers to be from what he had been told.
“Well, I see our taxi’s still on deck, partner,” observed Perk, just as if he might have suspected they would find it missing, with a detail of grim city police waiting to escort them to the lockup, they to be held in durance vile until serious charges against them could be sifted.
“Nothing came along to bother you, Henri?” asked Jack of the smiling driver, who laughed as he said in reply:
“I haf seen one beeg hulk of ze man hanging around, M’sieu, and looking as if he would like to eat me up but me, I haf been an old soldier in the Grand Army of France, and I think he did not like the way I throw my chest out thees way, and walk as eef I am on guard duty; he did not address a single word to me, but just a little while ago he disappear—I think he may haf gone to get more courage out of ze glass.”
“Good boy, Henri,” said the grinning Perk, clapping a hand on the stalwart chauffeur’s shoulder; “for myself I should not like to tackle you when you have your fighting face all set. Let’s go.”
So they were off, and heading out in the direction of the aviation grounds, with the first shadows of approaching evening gathering around them. Perk may have been more or less nervous, in anticipation of something coming to pass that would seriously cripple their plans for a speedy flight, since he kept turning his head from side to side and scrutinizing every one they saw upon the streets they traversed.
Henri maintained a fairly good speed, all the law would permit, so that few cars passed them on the road. Perk managed to watch closely, and never a motor came booming along in their wake, honking to announce the driver’s intention to pass by, than he had his eyes glued on the car and continued to pay strict attention until it had crept well up ahead.
But after all nothing out of the way came to pass, and eventually they reached the aviation field where they found lights already in play, since a delayed air mail ship was hovering over signaling for better illumination. There was some small damage in regard to the steering gear, making it a bit risky to try a landing unless the field was brilliantly lighted.
“You made an arrangement with a couple of the ground force to hang around so as to help us get the crate out okay, didn’t you, Perk?” queried Jack, as they drew up close to the particular hangar where they had seen their plane placed in quarters.
“Yeah, I sure did, Jack,” the other replied. “Must be they’re over where that crate hanging overhead means to land—somethin’ wrong mebbe but they gimme their word to stay around till we got here—there, I c’n lamp the guys runnin’ thisaways right now, so it’s okay, partner.”