“Listen Perk,” said Jack as they approached the hangar, “it might be just as well for neither of us to say a word about making a quick run of it until about to pull out when I’ll pay our man double wages. After what happened here last night anything might come along to upset our calculations.”
“I’m on Jack—seems like you never do know what’s what these days. Any more light on who did that dirty, sneaky job last night, eh what?”
“Nothing positive but I’m still of the opinion it must’ve been meant for us,” replied Jack. “Everything points that way for we happened to change our hangar with hardly anybody knowing about it. Then again I understood Mr. Gibbons dropped in along about nine and never a soul to meet him and his pilot save the customary field hands. But then there’s no use crying over spilled milk—what’s done can’t be changed and it serves to warn us never to trust to just mixing up our names. We’ve got to believe there are just as smart wideawake chaps up against us as we ever claim to be. That’ll be enough on the subject Perk, so let’s forget it.”
“Anyway, luck’s all in our favor, seems like,” was the consolation Perk offered himself, at the same time relapsing into silence.
As quietly as possible, just as if they meant to take an ordinary spin, they got their bus out of the hangar. Jack had paid the rental for it in advance, so there was nothing to worry them from that quarter, which was just as well for things somehow manage to fly around among the employees and pilots connected with a base port and the news would soon become common property that the young millionaire sportsman and his pilot were at last on their way to some chosen hunting ground in search of big game like moose, grizzly bears or possibly Rocky Mountain big-horn sheep.
As usual Jack gave the ship the once over, to make doubly certain nothing had been neglected. So far as he was able to tell it was in apple-pie condition and so well stocked that they could count on a two thousand mile flight unless baffled by storm or dense fog banks.
The guard was given double pay and told that his services would not be needed any further, since a sudden wire had changed their plans somewhat and they were pulling out for good. If he evinced any particular curiosity concerning the goal they had in view, never a word spoken by either of the flyers put him any the wiser. Not that Jack suspected he might be in touch with some mysterious but vindictive enemy, but just kept mum on general principles.
“All ready, partner!” sang out Perk in his usual happy fashion for it always pleased him beyond measure to be making a start on some new air voyage and from what Jack had told him, Spokane was going to be only a way station, with the vast unknown Northwest Territory beckoning them on to fresh activities and mayhap thrilling adventures to follow. No wonder the chap whose nerves were always set for action felt joyful when the moment came to pull the gun and swing off.
One last look around and aloft so as to stamp his approval on the conditions with which they were to be confronted, and Jack made the momentous start. The wonderful up-to-date amphibian began to move down the slight decline with constantly augmented speed until, having reached the desired maximum the pilot lifted his craft and away they soared.
Perk took a last backward look at the field that had become fairly familiar to them by this time. There was a grin upon his freckled face that told of the pleasure he felt at such an auspicious moment. A ship was just coming into port, settling down for the last glide—just as a duck might set its wings, and throw its webbed feet forward on nearing the surface of a lagoon on which it intended to alight.