Flying the Coast Skyways; Or, Jack Ralston's Swift Patrol

by Ambrose Newcomb

  CHAPTER XXVIII

  READY FOR ANOTHER BLOW

  That rain put a damper on their plans, all right, for it kept upintermittently for many hours. To be sure, they were comfortable enough,housed in the cabin of the big amphibian, and with plenty of good "eats"at hand, as well as soft drinks in abundance--what a grand forager thatsame Perk would make if the occasion should ever arrive where it wasnecessary to "live off the country," as many an invading army has founditself compelled to do.

  At least neither of his companions had any cause to "knock" the saidPerk for the least dereliction along the line of supplies--backed byabundant resources in the way of funds, supplied by a generous Republic,he always found it a pleasure to lay in stock--and help make way withthe same in addition, it must be confessed.

  When night came there was no clear spot in all the heavens--only a vastgray curtain shrouding everything in gloom. And through the night atregular intervals fresh showers arrived to further moisten things.

  Jack knew there would be nothing doing on the following night, since,even if the persistent clouds did choose to disperse, the ground andbushes would be much too well saturated for them to think of crawling onhands or knees, or "snaking" it along on their stomachs, so close to thehostile camp--they must exercise their patience, and await yet anothertwenty-four hours.

  This long stretch of idleness was especially hard on poor Perk. From theday of his birth he had always been a "doer," and no shirk; so that whencompelled to just "loaf around sucking his thumbs," as he so eloquentlydescribed the situation, he felt absolutely dejected.

  Indeed, there were times when Jack had to almost use force in the effortto compel his near pal to "hold his horses," and wait for the sky toclear up. Perk grumbled, and incessantly poked his head out of the cabinto ascertain if the expected break was yet in sight.

  So another night gathered its shades about them; but they had seen thesun go down amidst a generous flush, which welcome sign of fair weatherin the offing was accepted as most promising.

  "Hot-diggetty-dig!" Perk was heard to say time and time again, as heprepared the evening meal; from which service he seemed to extract ameed of comfort; "mebbe naow I aint joyful over the chanct to be doin'somethin' once more. Never could keep my head straight when things theykept agoin' ev'ry which way fo' Sunday. An' I'm shore all a twist tohelp knock yet another ship silly--the more the merrier sez I--we gotterto pound it inter the nobs o' them ducks they caint meddle with a buzzsaw owned by Unc. Sam, an' git away with hit. Ev'rybody pull up to thetable--soup's on."

  Which it was for a fact, since he had heated up a tin of excellentvegetable concoction that helped warm them up--the continual rain havingchilled the air, and made things "shivery," as Perk kept sayingdisconsolately enough.

  It was a long night to every one in the little company.

  They had dozed so often during the last two days, that nobody felt verymuch like turning in; and at that slept fitfully; so that never was adawn welcomed more heartily than daylight on the next morning.

  The sun soon brought a fresh cheer with it, and as there was not asingle cloud in the blue skies it looked as though by evening thingswould have dried up in a way to please the entire trio, with anopportunity for work at hand.

  Again did Perk go over the list of things they would necessarily takealong, not intending there should arise any hitch in the plan throughwant of forethought on his part.

  The start was made in complete darkness.

  Jack found himself hoping that their luck might stay by them for anotherspell; and that Jethro, who up to that hour had done so exceptionallywell, might be able to keep up the good work.

  It was bound to be a bit more difficult reaching their former hidingplace, for several good reasons, Jack figured. In the first place thegloom that wrapped such a cloak about them would cause their guideadditional trouble, in order to avoid coming into rough collision withone of those ambushing snags, or half concealed rocks.

  Then again by this time they might expect the suspicions of theirenemies must have been more or less awakened, making them more watchful,also restless.

  Probably those at the camp rendezvous may have before then been informedconcerning the mysterious burning of the speedboat carrier of contrabandstuff, while on the way down the Yamasaw heading for the sea. Thatsignificant fact, coupled with the destruction of the airship withinhand-throw of their campfires, would surely begin to awaken certainfears to the extent that some strange series of disasters had overtakenthe long run of luck they had been enjoying in landing all theirprecious cargoes without a single break.

  Jack noticed how their cracker guide kept on his way at a slower speed,and he found himself mentally commending this degree of caution.Evidently Jethro too, was bent on making certain nothing in the line ofan upset to their game could be laid at his door.

  Just after they started the sound of a motor was clearly heard, andsomehow every head was immediately lifted toward the heavens; for therecould not be any difficulty in realizing the racket came from thatquarter, making it clear an airship was passing by.

  "There she blows, mates!" Perk breathed, exultantly. "Things airaworkin' agin in aour favor, seems like. Go it, ole boy; we got yeournumber, and kin fix yeou aout right smart."

  "Lower your voice if you must speak, Wally," cautioned Jack,apprehensively, since there was no knowing what the darkness concealedfrom their eyes.

  "But she's amakin' fo' that same camp, I kinder gu-reckon--aint she,Boss?" continued the irrepressible Perk.

  "To be sure," Jack told him; "and now please dry up, brother."

  The clatter died away, from which they fancied the incoming ship musthave made a successful landing. In imagination Perk could vision whatwas taking place--the eager workers picking up whatever the pilots ofthe air carrier tossed out of their spacious cabin, and possibly loadingthe same on some waiting truck, or at least a speedy automobile,functioned by a capable chauffeur, who had interest in the stake.

  Onward they continued, and all kept going well, from which fact Jackfigured that thus far the smugglers had not deemed it essential to havevidettes posted along the river, in order to keep tabs on what might begoing on.

  To himself Jack was deciding that, should they be fortunate enough tomake way with yet another cargo carrier on this present night, he wouldfeel it judicious to change his base of attack, and go after thatmysterious radio sending station, without which the plans of the lawlesscrowd would be just about "knocked on the head."

  "They must be depending absolutely on the information that passesbetween the mother ship and the shore, to shape all these successfullandings," was the way he mentally put it; "and once we put the kiboshon that secret radio shop their hands will be tied; so that the regularforce of Coast Guards, backed by the fast revenue cutters, andspeedboats taken over by the Government, will be able to keep thingsdown at a low ebb."

  Much depended on whether they would be able to accomplish a thirdstroke, so as to complete the perplexity, and awaken the concern of thesmugglers. Jack felt tolerably certain that once they had aroused alively feeling bordering on _fear_ among those rough men, they would beapt to magnify things, and fancy that the long arm of the Law wasreaching out with irresistible power, to clutch them with remorselesstenacity, and start them on the road to the penitentiary at Atlanta.

  That was his present goal--if only he might institute a reign ofapprehension among them the end would be in sight--from the beginningthis had taken its place in his mind as the main object of his crusade;and so it meant a great deal for them to hit again at the enemy withoutany further delay.

  Arriving at the place where the powerboat was to be secreted they soonfound themselves making for the vicinity of the camp, the fires of whichserved them as a target, such as pilots on a crooked Florida river usein order to avoid pitfalls in the shape of snags along their course.

  When they were once more installed in their customary shelter Perk sawwith a
feeling of vast relief that sure enough another plane was insight.