“Say, you must be goofy, Hawkins, to try that sort o’ game!” Perk went on scornfully, as the wretched man writhed on the floor where he had flung him. “Don’t you know it’s two stories down to the roof o’ that extension; an’ chances are you’d a got a broken neck, or leg, in the drop. Better make up your mind to take the medicine an’ stand it.”
Jack of course had been aroused at the first movement of his chum, and sat up in bed watching the actions of the other.
“Trying to take leg bail, was he, Perk?” he remarked. “You can hardly blame the poor dick, come to think of it because he’s rubbing up against a tough proposition. Better put the bracelets on him again, and tie his ankles together he might get loco, and try to jump out of a window, just to end it all and that would be too bad.”
Simeon, utterly cowed and silent, made no resistance when Perk followed out his pal’s advice. There were several hours of the night still remaining, and they might as well secure such sleep as lay in their power, since no one could predict what sort of strenuous activity awaited them in the near future.
Came morning, and the two air detectives were stirring.
“Another right fine mornin’ for us,” Perk remarked, blithely, as he looked out of the window, and made a grimace at seeing what a nasty drop had awaited the desperate prisoner had he succeeded in carrying out his plan.
“Oh! that’s the usual program, I understand, out here on the Coast,” Jack told him. “Hardly ever see any rain in this blessed country; that’s why they have to depend on irrigation for their crops.”
“Plenty to keep us hoppin’ today, I kinder guess, partner, eh, what?” volunteered Perk, as he started dressing, after removing the stout cords that had been wrapped about the lower limbs of the Federal prisoner.
“You never said truer words, boy,” Jack added “got to settle about this business of having our friend here held until the gate’s been crashed, and our scoop put through. Then I mean to have a good talk with several people in the Government offices, who can give us a few points that so far we’ve been missing. You can’t pick up too much information when aiming to stack up against smart lads like this Slippery Slim. He’s got so many eyes on the watch the chap who expects to corral him must get up right early in the morning, and pull the wires in a dozen different directions. I’d a heap rather overdo the matter of taking precautions than to let just one ragged end get loose, for a game like this is only as strong as its weakest link.”
“Do we eat here, or look up a restaurant?” asked Perk, quite naturally, since it was the easiest thing in the world for his thoughts to turn toward the subject of catering to the loud demands of his stomach, when the usual time for meals came around.