Then finally they left the water behind, and found themselves passing over great stretches of sugarcane, and bamboo thickets, with cabins of the humble blacks in little hamlets, sometimes villages of the lowlands, where, as Perk plainly recollected, recent terrible floods had wrought such damage.
So the night wore on, and thus far nothing had occurred to cause them the slightest worry. If their cunning enemies suspected them of planning to go west, and baiting the chief in his lair, there was nothing as yet to show that they were making arrangements to intercept the air adventurers on their way.
An hour—two of them passed, and still they kept making rapid progress. The moon was long above the eastern horizon, although occasionally obscured by passing clouds but Perk told himself it was a pretty fair night, all things considered, and that he had “no kick coming.”
CHAPTER XV
PERK AS A FIRE-FIGHTER
It was not far from midnight.
Perk had insisted on taking over the controls, so that Jack might secure a little rest, possibly even pick up a few catnaps in addition. They were at a low altitude, perhaps not more than a thousand feet up, since the air was a bit cool higher and it was certain they stood in no danger from colliding with mountain peaks while crossing the wide State of Texas, where nothing save the level plains lay beneath.
Perk was alive to his duties, but this did not keep him from occasionally stretching his neck, so as to look over the coaming of the cockpit, and trying to make out objects that might be dimly detected on the seemingly limitless plain below.
As a rule next to nothing worth while rewarded these efforts and really he continued doing his little stunt from sheer habit, but there did come a time when he showed sudden interest, and even half arose from his seat to stare with increasing intensity.
Not only that but he immediately banked, to start circling around a certain point. A minute afterwards Perk reached out and shook Jack gently by the shoulder. The ear-phones being still affixed to their heads, Jack naturally desired to know what was up, and did his pal wish to give over the stick to him.
“Nothin’ doing, partner,” he was told with emphasis; “but there’s somethin’ queer goin’ on down yonder, and I’ve swung around so’s to give it the once over. On your right, Jack, an’ there, see how it sparks up again, will you?”