There was no need for the other to make answer, since already the big Fokker tri-motored ship was dropping steadily. How fortunate for them that just at that critical moment Nature herself was working overtime in their favor—the wind veering until it came directly in their faces; while that little haze acted as a veil to conceal them from the hidden valley lookout—if indeed any such happened to be posted, to give warning should danger menace the fugitive gangsters.
Perk waited, and watched, his tense face betraying the natural anxiety he must just then be enduring. It was indeed no small danger that faced them, for only a most skillful pilot would be able to successfully land a great airship on such a precarious and scanty stretch of fairly level ground.
A very small thing that could hardly be avoided, save through a near miracle, would suffice to throw the heavy plane off balance, and bring about a wreck that must interfere greatly with their mission, if not utterly ruin every hope of success.
Yes, Perk could easily be excused for feeling a tenseness around the region of his staunch heart—a tightening of the nerves and sinews—a halt in his free breathing, all of them occurring simultaneously; for the most sanguine of watchers would have easily said the feat was beyond human capacity.
Yet there was Jack going about the job with apparently the same sang froid that it was his custom to show when coming down from the clouds, to settle upon the almost perfect landing green of the big San Diego airport.
“Say, what wouldn’t I give right naow if on’y I could ketch that confident spirit my best pal’s got mixed up in his mind an’ heart?” So Perk was telling himself as he saw the deftness of the touch shown by the hand at the controls, as well as the wonderful response the perfect mechanism aboard the Fokker displayed.
Now Jack held her head on, with the ground almost within reach—beyond, the narrow stretch extended just about a hundred feet; and in this space he must bring his charge up with a round turn; for should the ship keep on she would assuredly be wrecked beyond repair.
The tail came in contact, and bounded up again, to immediately repeat the manœuvre; the wheels gliding roughly along, with the body of the ship bouncing from side to side, after the usual custom when the landing is at all inclined to be a bit off-color.
The motors had ceased working, and the spinning propeller had in consequence commenced to whirl less violently. Perk allowed himself to suck in his first good breath in a score of seconds.
“Glory be!” he was saying to himself, lost in admiration and sheer wonder—“dang my hide if he ain’t agoin’ to make it, I do declare—did yeou ever in yeour born days see the like o’ that—bet there aint another pilot west o’ the Mississip could a done it that smart—hot-diggetty-dig! we’re astoppin’, as sure as anything we air. Wow!”