“That’s about the gist of what I told him, Perk and that if the opportunity came our way we’d even go to a lot of trouble so as to help him out. To be sure there might be one chance in ten for us to pick up any worth-while clue but that’s dependent on little Lady Luck, as I’ve heard you say many a time when we were almost muzzled with uncertainty and looking for a lead.”
“I’m bound to say the further I get to figgerin’ ’bout this queer racket, Jack, the more I like it. Think o’ glimpsin’ a long string o’ mules up in them mountain passes, streamin’ along jest like a desert caravan across there in Africa. I’ve always wanted to lamp such a picture.”
Evidently Perk was all keyed up to do everything in his power to lend a helping hand to the Government representative in Spokane of whom Jack had said so many nice things.
He soon settled down after they had lost all trace of the city in the mining sector of the Northwest and proceeded first of all to carry out his accustomed duties with regard to the ship and then when he had time on his hands to begin using his glasses.
It was well worth the trivial effort it cost, that grand view of the mountainous section of country over which they were passing. Here and there Perk could spy little lakes of clear water nestling in secluded valleys or basins and from his elevated position as observer, looking very much like gems in a bold setting.
“Like as not,” Perk was telling himself as he looked longingly down on a particularly lovely little sheltered sheet of water, “no white man has ever yanked a gay old trout out o’ that lake up to this day! Gee whiz! what wouldn’t I give to be settled down alongside that ’ere pond a’flippin’ my gang o’ flies out over that water an’ playin’ a three-pound speckled beaut! But no sech luck I kinder guess—not this trip anyway.”
They were soon drawing closer to where Jack told him the International Boundary between the States and Canada lay. Of course they would not be apt to know just when they crossed over, since there would be nothing to mark the actual dividing line as happened in Europe where every country is so jealous of the others that each road is guarded, with passports having to be shown and stamped.
His interest grew with their further advance for he could not help remembering what Jack had said concerning those bold international smugglers who were supposed to be continually crossing over from the north with their mule packs laden heavily with the forbidden beverage that was in such great demand among certain circles of law-scoffers.
“Say, mebbe now,” Perk told himself at one time—for he had the bad habit of communing with himself on occasion and even seemed to take considerable pleasure in so doing—“I wouldn’t be tickled some if on’y I happened to glimpse one of them caravans pullin’ through a twistin’ mountain trail like I c’n see right down yonder this very minute! An’ wouldn’t it gimme a heap o’ pleasure to swoop down so’s to drop a few o’ them tear bombs like I did when we blew up the fightin’ rum-smugglers and the hijackers that meant to take away their cargo the time we were doin’ our huntin’ on the gulf coast o’ Florida!”[[3]]
He laughed softly at the recollection of what must have been a pretty stirring piece of action, to judge from what Perk was saying. Then he applied himself with renewed energy to his task of watching that winding mountain trail that vanished again and again, only to bob up shortly afterwards.