“Then jump aboard, comrade, and we’ll put it to the test,” saying which Jack himself climbed into the waiting cockpit, to settle down in his accustomed seat, take a quick glance at his dials when the small light was turned on, and await a signal from the other sky traveler that he was “fixed.”
The way was clear, and the fact that just then the gay old moon condescended to poke her smiling face out from behind a mass of clouds assisted more or less in giving the pilot some of the necessary illumination—the rest must be left to his native sagacity and instinct.
There was a bunch of cottonwoods at some little distance ahead, the location of which Perk had pointed out to his mate before settling down in his seat but if all went well Jack calculated to be able to clear them in good shape—did it seem necessary he could swerve slightly to the right, and have a clear field for the take-off.
There was a little shouting as the friendly plane started to taxi along, but of course this was smothered by the increasing roar of exhaust and spinning propeller. Faster and faster they scurried onward, and then started to rise on an angle just sufficient to nicely clear the tops of the cottonwoods; when Jack jazzed his motor, to find it running as “sweet as a purring cat.”
So they departed only a short time after making that landing which humanity had demanded and in times to come the little episode was likely to afford both aviators more or less satisfaction, in that they had “seen their duty and done it,” as Perk would say in his whimsical way.
As they continued on their way Perk found himself wondering if this interesting adventure was destined to be a sample of other equally thrilling happenings in store for them the further they dipped into the great game that had been laid at their door by the powers that be at Washington.
Whenever he came to thinking of the audacity shown by Slippery Slim in virtually defying all the authority of the Government, Perk would feel his dander rising as if in great indignation.
“Huh!” he at one time told himself, being rather fond of thus communing, as his thoughts ran on, “we’ll call _his_ bluff just the same, the scaly ol’ gila monster, you wait an’ see. Thinks he’s the whole works, the boss man-handler, does he, just ’cause he’s outguessed a number o’ the boys. This time he’s due to find himself up against guys o’ the right size, who’ll jerk him down off’n his high perch in a jiffy, or I miss my ticket.”