Presently they were circling the post, running out over the river which Jack was eyeing closely, as if to make certain it offered plenty of excellent opportunities toward making a landing. At least he had been assured there was sufficient water at almost any point to answer their purpose, the stream being high at this particular season of the year when so much snow had been melting all through the watershed which the river drained.
“See,” cried the alert Perk, “sev’ral more o’ the crowd have rushed out o’ the barracks, knowin’ from the shouts that chap set up somethin’ out o’ the ordinary was on the bills. But jest the same I kinder guess a bunch o’ the boys must be away right now. What did we hear ’bout that cunnin’ snake, the Hawk gen’rally outsmartin’ the Mounties by makin’ a sham attack on some place so’s to send a posse whoopin’ thataways while he proceeded to play his own game unmolested fifty miles away, an’ never a uniform in sight?”
“Going down—lower floor—hold your breath, Perk!” cried the pilot as he shut off the engine and, thrusting the nose of his craft sharply downward, proceeded to start a swift dive toward the river a thousand feet below.
Perk could not restrain his enthusiasm, but standing half erect waved his hat excitedly, also letting loose a few frightfully loud yells that must have been eye-openers to the several uniformed Mounties standing close to the river’s edge, watching in sheer amazement the swoop of the descending aerial cabin plane.
XXIV
READY TO START
A splash, a short run upstream and the amphibian was riding the little waves like a duck. Then as Jack once more turned on his power they taxied in close to the bank where a wing would serve as a gang-plank to get them ashore.
“Hello! ol’ hoss Red Lowden!” bawled Perk, in a glow of excitement.
One of the Mounties, with the marks of a sergeant on his sleeve, exhibited great excitement at hearing himself thus addressed so familiarly by a party who, up to that moment, he had not recognized owing chiefly to the aviator’s goggles and helmet, which were now hastily removed as Perk jumped ashore.
“Gabe Perkiser!” the sergeant gasped, apparently staggered at learning the identity of one of the flyers.
They met and shook hands with enthusiasm, for in those days of old they had been boon companions.