“She’s acomin’ closer right along, Jack!” Perk was saying, cautiously, as he limped along at his companion’s heels, evidently more or less tired after his long tramp, with that great pack settled on his back.
Jack realized this fact himself. He was keeping a wary eye turned in the quarter whence the roaring sound could be heard, constantly growing louder with each passing second. If he suddenly discovered the approaching plane he could give the plodding Perk the “high sign”, when both must drop down flat to keep from being discovered by those in the ship’s cabin.
As it happened the incoming aircraft was keeping low down, its pilot undoubtedly expecting to swing into the valley by way of the spreading jaws of the narrow pass.
By the time they managed to gain their old location the landing had been successfully accomplished, a fact that caused Perk to remark:
“Huh! them guys arunnin’ that crate aint no dummies at their job, sure as shootin’. That was a slick landin’ the gink at the stick set daown. Wow! See haow they’re aswarmin’ eout o’ evry shack, will yeou; like this comin’ back o’ the patched-up ship might mean it was afetchin’ ’em all sorts o’ stuff they kinder hankered after? What a soft time them rats air ahavin’, with nawthin’ to do ’cept wait fur the supper bell to sound.”
“Watch and see what manner of stuff they take out of the cabin,” advised the wide-awake Jack, with an evident hope he might learn a few “wrinkles” concerning the occupation of the confederates in this mountain retreat, by thus checking their plane’s cargo, for he had noted that it was heavily laden.
There seemed to be an abundance of willing workers now, and the way the freight was lifted out of the cabin, to be carried toward the big log cabin, told of the personal interest they had in the stuff.
“Looks mostly like grub, I’d say,” Jack remarked, keeping his eyes fastened to the useful binoculars; “and I reckon business, whatever it is they’re carrying on, must be good, for them to buy such a mountain of food, staples and fancy groceries in the bargain.”
Perk could be heard making a queer sound in his throat.
“I’m a piker if this doant beat anythin’ I ever stacked up against,” he gritted between his teeth. “Hard times, they say, an’ yet here’s a bunch o’ tough guys aloaded up with ’bout sech truck like a oil-well nabob daown in Oklahoma might lay in fur the hull winter. Mebbe I wouldn’t like to board up at this hotel fur a spell! I’d sure make a dent in their ole grub pile.”