The sun was well down in the western heavens when a knock on their door caused Jack to answer it. Perk could hear him speaking to the lady from whom they hired the room, then Jack came back examining a yellow bit of paper, meanwhile giving Perk a peculiar look that somehow caused the other to jump up excitedly and exclaim:
“Hot ziggetty dog! that strikes me like a wire, partner, tell me, has our order to strike out and get busy come along—gee whiz! I’m trembling all over with eagerness to know what our next line’s goin’ to be!”
VII
THEY ARE OFF!
Jack lost no time in answering the pleading look in Perk’s eyes.
“Order’s come at last, brother and we’re due to skip out of this burg just as soon as we can get a bite to eat.”
“Where to, Jack—north, east, south or west?” babbled the pleased Perk.
“Looks like it might be the last you named,” he was told.
“And if it ain’t a dead secret would you mind tellin’ me what sort of a jaunt we’re pushed on to this time—is it to be a hunt, partner?”
“I’d say it was, and with a vengeance too,” admitted Jack, still holding his chum over imaginary hot coals in that he declined to hasten with the information so urgently desired.
“So that’s all settled, hey? And what are we supposed to be huntin’, if it’s just the same to you to cough up that necessary information—more rum-chasers—bogus money-makers—check raisers, mebbe—runaway cashier with all the bank funds—which is it buddy?”