“Yeah!” mused Perk, unwilling to change the subject, it appeared, “an’ the judge socked it to Slim good an’ heavy—give him a long sentence, so ’at he’ll have to serve behind the walls o’ that Atlanta pen ’til he’s an old, broken-down man, an’ not marked dangerous to law-abidin’ folks.”
“There are a few others of his stripe yet outside prison walls, remember, partner,” Jack told him, as they entered the eatingplace, walking over to a table somewhat aloof from all others, and on this account usually chosen for such meals as they took there; as they sometimes discussed their secret work while eating it was policy to keep clear from other diners, and at the same time lower their voices, since walls may have ears, and even hide dictaphones that record every spoken word.
“Yeou never said truer words, ole top,” Perk agreed in his odd fashion. “Scofflaws aplenty to keep our crowd busy for years ahead. Say, d’ye know I been readin’ a heap ’bout a smart guy they say calls hisself King Cole—seems like he got a hole in the wall ’way out in the wildest part o’ the Rockies, an’ jest laughs at the boys from Washington to size him up.”
“I recollect you talking of him more than a few times, Perk; from which fact I had a hunch you might be wishing the Chief’d turn over the assignment for apprehending him to our hands—is that correct, partner?”
“Don’t care if I do have to acknowledge the corn, matey; someheow that dickey grabbed a stiff hold on my thinkin’ box—why, onct I even dreamed we’d cornered him with his gay crowd, an’ was commencin’ to exchange shots with the bunch, when I woke up, an’ felt too cheap for anything to know it was on’y hot air.”
Jack laughed as he seated himself.
“I remember how furious you were, and saying it was a shame to be cheated that way, eh, Perk?”
They gave their orders, and were presently partaking of what the waiter set before them; afterwards retiring, as though already knowing they would call should they require further service. This afforded Perk another opportunity to “use his tongue,” a vocation that gave him the utmost enjoyment.
“Jest occurred to me them paper accounts sez as haow his bees’-nest was located in a stretch ’tween two o’ the highest mountain ranges in the hull country o’ the Rockies—called the secret settlement Happy Valley; which I opine sounds a right queer name for a den o’ pizenous human snakes, sech as the Law wants f’r ’bout ev’ry crime on the calendar.”
“No accounting for tastes, buddy,” Jack told him. “It might feel that way to men against whom the hand of every honest person was raised. Most of his crowd, I read, was believed to be reckoned the scum of the earth, who were wanted for nearly every crime going—murderers, bank cashiers who’d robbed the institutions of which they had been the head; and all such black sheep, outlawed from decent society by their crimes and misdemeanors.”