“Course not,” agreed Perk, wagging his head in the affirmative, as was his usual habit when Jack was laying down the law.
“While of course we’ll not loiter on the way,” continued the head man of the combination; “just the same we must not do anything that’s going to interfere with our customary efficiency—no going off at half-cock, like a gun that’s in need of lock repairs.”
Perk chuckled as if highly edified.
“Say, partner,” he hastened to remark, “not much danger o’ sech a thing happenin’ with yeou runnin’ the lead, I give yeou my affidavy on that same.”
“That’s all blarney, Perk; and don’t depend on my being free from stumbling in the dark—I’m only human, and can make silly mistakes, like every known pilot—even Lindbergh’s had the misfortune to smash his landing gear when making an ascent, and with the girl he afterwards married, remember.”
“Sure thing, Jack, but didn’t he manage a wonderful landin’, an’ keep from a bad smashup, on’y hurtin’ his shoulder in the jam?”
“Yes, and Perk, some people attribute his escape to good luck; but I know full well it was his skill in understanding just what to do in an emergency.”
“Well, what’s aour programme agoin’ to be?” demanded the other.
“First of all, then, we’ve got to study those enclosures the Chief sent in his letter—they’ll give us a good many important points, and it may be locate this secret hideout of the crowd that’s bothering Uncle Sam so much. Get that, do you?”
“I’m on, boss—go to it some more,” replied Perk, blithely.