Both of them hastily detached the ’phones from their heads for they could see that some of the men, mostly trappers, Jack imagined from their rough dress, were commencing to push toward the spot where the visitor from the clouds lay almost motionless, having withstood such shaking-up as followed the rough landing.
The first thing that Jack noticed was the fact that there was an eager look on several of the leather-like faces of the advancing group. He rather imagined they had been cherishing a wild hope the airship might disgorge several figures in the well-known uniforms of the Mounties and that their recent rough treatment at the hands of the outlaws would soon be avenged.
“Hi! what’s been goin’ on ’round the post here, boys?” shouted Perk as the small group drew near. “Hello! Birdseye Baker, glad to see you’re still on deck—ain’t forgot Gabe Perkiser, have you, Oldtimer?”
The tall, stoop-shouldered man with the long hair whom Perk addressed stared hard and then came closer.
“If it ain’t Perk hisself!” he exclaimed, to immediately add: “Back on the old job agin, be ye—but why ain’t ye in uniform—an’ whar be the rest o’ the Mounties—we need ’em right smart I’m tellin’ ye, boy!”
“Who’s been handlin’ you rough, brother?” asked Perk sympathetically.
“Cap. Hawk an’ his gang. Ain’t been gone more’n three hours—stole all my whole season’s ketch o’ pelts an’ robbed Old Jimmy o’ his money an’ a heap o’ stores ’sides. I kinder feel like I’m meanin’ to skip out o’ this blasted kentry if so be they jest can’t nab that wild critter, ’er else make him turn up his toes. What ails the Mounties, I wanter know, when they slip up on a job like this? Don’t seem like the days when ye was workin’ in the outfit, Gabe Perkiser.”
“Hold out a little longer, Birdseye, ol’ hoss!” exclaimed Perk jerking off goggles and helmet, “mebbe it’ll all come out okay. They’s things on the programme that’re goin’ to cut a big figger in this game. Just you wait an’ see ’fore you cuss the Mounties black an’ blue.”
Then, as if noting the absence of Old Jimmy the factor, Perk continued, looking anxiously around:
“But where’s Jimmy right now, I want to know? ’Taint like him to be stickin’ in his coop yonder when strangers come to town!”