Eagles of the Sky; Or, With Jack Ralston Along the Air Lanes

by Ambrose Newcomb

  CHAPTER XXII

  THE MAN OF MANY FACES

  A man had come out of the odd-looking shack constructed from the coquinarock found in different parts of Florida, and formed by insects, sciencehas decided. Neither Jack nor his companion had ever set eyes on himbefore, he was an entirely different personage from the short party andthe longer-limbed man they had so lately been watching before thereckless pilot of the Lockheed-Vega plane departed toward the east.

  This individual was also tall and was dressed in well-worn outinggarments that gave him the appearance of a man of leisure taking a dayoff.

  "Think that's this here Kearns, partner?" whispered Perk, eagerly.

  "Just who it must be, Perk," came the cautious reply. "Be careful aboutmaking any sort of little move that might catch his attention, and keepyour eyes fastened on him. Whatever under the sun is he doing, Iwonder?"

  "Looks to me he's got some sorter bird there--I c'n see redfeathers--yep, that's what it is for a fact, Jack!"

  "Working over a bird with red feathers," said Jack, as if to himself, solow was his voice. "Now, that makes me remember something I was toldonly a short time back--something connected with that wonderful place heowns over on the East Coast--about birds too--stuffed birds, in fact!"

  "Do you mean he's got a collection there, Jack?" breathed the intentlywatching assistant in his companion's ear.

  "Just that," came the ready reply, "a mighty fine collection too, fromall accounts, of native Florida birds and filling a number of glasscases. We already know this party is a man of contradictory habits,being one thing among society people and just the opposite when he getsin a different atmosphere. Chances are he's a pretty fine amateurtaxidermist--those birds have all been secured by himself and mounted inthe bargain--that when he drops out of sight around Miami it's to comeover here to do some hunting in the swamps and the Everglades, eager torun across some rare bird that he needs to make his collectioncomplete."

  "Now wouldn't that jar you?" he gasped, vastly astonished at hearingJack air his conviction.

  "I'm not much of an authority on rare birds," Jack admitted softly as hecontinued to use his eyes to advantage, "but I've got a hunch that skinhe's handling right now might be a roseate spoonbill--I'm sure it isn'ta red ibis, for the bill seems different."

  "Whee! sounds queer to me, I must say Jack--such a man, such a man--toplay so many different parts! Say, d'ye know I kinder guess he ain'tsuch a tough guy under all the varnish--must have a heap o' human natur'under it all to fall for such a decent game as taxidecentry or whateveryou call this pluggin' dead birds an' makin' 'em sit up on boughs likethey might be all to the good!"

  "Put it mostly on that war experience he went through, Perk--they sayonce a man was gassed pretty badly over there, he'd always prove to be aqueer fish--changeable, nervous and apt to do all manner of strangethings."

  "But see here, partner," whispered Perk, uneasily, "that ain't a'goin tomake any perticular difference with our billet, is it--jest 'cause he'sgot this funny streak runnin' through his doin's we don't reckon tothrow up our hands an' call it all off, do we?"

  Jack chuckled.

  "Not any, buddy--we only know that Uncle Sam wants his activities cutshort--it may be exciting sport for him to ferry Chinks across from Cubaor Honduras, land big cargoes of booze on our shores with his thumb tohis nose insofar as the Government is concerned, and such capers asthat, but it means heaps of trouble for the revenue boys as well asholding our laws up to contempt. He must be brought to book, and hisgame stopped without any more delay than is necessary, no matter howmany other innocent recreations he's engaged in."

  "Hot ziggetty! that gives me a warm feelin' again, partner an' I guesswe're the boys to knock the underpinnin' loose so's to make him dropwith a splash." Saying which, Perk relapsed into utter silence.

  For some further time they stuck it out, watching every little movementof the remarkable character proceeding with his labor, not a hundredfeet distant. Jack himself began to grow a bit nervous, for the sun wasjust hovering above the western horizon and twilight does not last anylength of time in the South. If they delayed much longer it would mean awalk in the dark over that dangerous dimly marked trail.

  They could have no further doubt concerning the nature of the work thatwas giving the suspected man so much genuine pleasure, he had held upthe object of his labor several times so they could plainly identify itas a birdskin with the most lovely rosy-tinted feathery plumage, longlegs and a spoon-shaped bill.

  Then greatly to the relief of the uneasy Perk, the short man came out ofthe shack and said something that caused the other to accompany himback, thus clearing the field.

  "Now let's skip out," Jack said softly.

  Accordingly both watchers commenced sliding and creeping for all theworld copying the movements of a cat ambushing a feeding sparrow in theback yard of a suburban place. Although so anxious to get started ontheir way back to where they had left their camouflaged ship, neitherJack nor his comrade would take chances in trying to make haste; theyhad long ago learned the folly of one false move when engaged in theiraccustomed job of spying upon a suspected law-breaker whom they hadtracked down after an arduous chase.

  When finally they reached a point where it was safe to pick up a littlespeed, Jack hastened to do so. For a wonder Perk was not saying aword--the truth was he had his mind so filled with bewilderment inconnection with the queer happenings of the last hour that he could notthink of any further questions to ask his chum.

  Then, too, Perk kept on the alert for any peril that might by chance liein wait along the trail--there were other dangers besides that solitaryrattlesnake that might suddenly crop up to give them a chill--how aboutthose nasty looking water moccasins that swarmed in the oozyswamp?--what of the ferocious bobcats such as were said to crouch on thelower limb of some tree close beside a woods trail, waiting to drop downon any moving object that came along?--yes, and other things just ascreepy that his excited mind could readily conjure up?

  They were, as Perk judged, about halfway to the spot where they had seenMr. Rattler earlier in the day and the dusk was certainly beginning tomake all objects look more or less dim, when Jack suddenly stopped,giving Perk quite a shock.

  "Listen!" Jack was saying huskily.

  A far-away and faint buzzing sound came to Perk's ears but instead ofadding to his excitement it really seemed to cool his blood, for surelythis had nothing whatever to do with snakes of any kind.

  "Huh! must be a crate partner!" bubbled the relieved Perk.

  "No question about that, Perk, and growing clearer right along, showingit's heading this way."

  "Mebbe the Lockheed-Vega comin' back again?" ventured Perk.

  "Hardly likely," he was told instantly, "For one thing you'll noticethis motor racket swings up to us from the southwest, while the othership struck off toward the east."

  "That's straight goods," Perk hastened to admit. "Funny I didn't get onto that right away. Means our gent has a raft o' ships comin' an' goin'when he takes a notion to drop over here once in a while."

  "Well, we can't stop to listen any longer," said Jack again starting offwith the other trailing close at his heels.

  The buzzing grew rapidly in volume, proving that no matter where theadvancing plane came from, its destination must be that secluded littlecove close to the coquina shack sheltering the man of many faces, whowent from fields of excitement to those connected with societyfunctions, entertaining guests in royal style or following his favoritepursuit along the enchanting line of adding to his prized collection ofFlorida birds. Presently Perk heard a splash and knew the amphibian musthave reached its goal.