VII
PERK HEARS THRILLING NEWS
“On your way, partner—gimme a clue to save me from crashin’!” begged poor Perk, his wits in a huddle that would have made any football enthusiast take a back seat.
“It’s our order to get busy, okay,” said Jack with a gleam in his eyes his pal loved to see, since it meant action and plenty of it.
“Where bound, for the love o’ mike?” continued the other.
“I’ve made out one name here which may be our destination, Perk.”
“Yeah?”
“Spokane,” he was told at which Perk lifted his eyebrows as if to denote more or less surprise, likewise disappointment.
“Huh! ’bout a short day’s flyin’ from this joint,” was the way the ambitious Perk voiced his feelings, just as if his expectations had been taking wings and soaring across the Pacific or some such long distance.
“Go slow, brother,” his mate advised him, “give me half a chance to make this puzzle out—so far I’ve caught just a word or two here and there. From the size of this message there’s a heap back of it. If you’re done stoking, let’s pass up to our den where I can get out my code and decipher this thing.”
Perk was out of his chair in a jiffy.