CHAPTER XIIWhen Cousins Get in Touch
Jack was as good as his word.
At exactly half after two he was in touch with the office where the Government at Washington was ably represented by the gentleman he had been instructed to get in close intercourse with, unbeknown to outsiders.
“Is this Mr. Herriott—Mr. Casper Herriott?” he asked, when he heard some one handling the receiver after the house operator had heard his polite request.
“It is,” came back in firm tones.
“CousinCasper Herriott?” continued Jack, a bit mischievously.
There came a slight exclamation, then—
“Who is it speaking, please?”
“Rodman Warrington, of New York, sir.”
“Ah! just so, Mr. Warrington; I’ve been rather expecting to hear from you at any time. Glad you arrived safely; was that your ship I chanced to notice hovering over the airport about eleven?”
“That was the time we arrived, sir; to meet a warm welcome from your gentlemanly superintendent of the port. He saw to it that our craft was speedily placed in a hangar, where it can remain as long as we happen to be hunting along the coast. I presume, sir, the new amphibian is here, and waiting for me?”
“I’m delighted to assure you on that matter—it was brought here six days ago, and you will find it all safe and sound at the same airport where you landed.”
“What arrangements have you made for my meeting you, er—Cousin Casper?” continued Jack.
Again he heard what he took to be a chuckle come over the wire, which assured him this Mr. Herriott at least was a man who appreciated humor, and seemed to be getting considerable enjoyment out of the happening, even though it was meant to all be along the line of strict business.
“You have my house address, I presume, cousin?” he thereupon asked.
“Certainly I have; it was you yourself sent it to me, sir, you remember.” Jack went on to say.
“To be sure—that had quite escaped my memory, owing to a press of business for the Department. Suppose you come around, say at eight this evening, when I shall be delighted to see you.”
“You can depend on me to be there; I have often wished I could drop in on you informally, and renew our old ties of friendship.”
“Just so, and on my part I shall be most charmed to have you meet my good wife, and the children also, who have heard me speak of you more than a few times.”
Both of them seemed to be enjoying this little chatter, meant to deceive any possible spy who might be looking for someone to make a business call upon the Government agent,—perhaps there might even be such a snake in his office force, some one who had been bought body and soul by the syndicate, which would account for a leakage more than once in the past, calculated to upset certain deeply laid schemes for breaking up the wide-flung conspiracy against Uncle Sam.
“I shall be particularly pleased to meet them, I assure you, cousin,” continued Jack. “At eight you said, sir?”
“Yes, and while you are in the city, later on possibly, I’d like you to fetch around that splendid pilot chap you mentioned, I believe, in one of your letters,—let me see, I think you wrote he was a native of Birmingham, down in our own Alabama close by, a sort of an odd genius, in the bargain, to whom you had become greatly attached.”
“I see you have been well posted, Cousin Casper,” Jack told him, understanding of course how the gentleman must have had a duplicate of the code letter sent on to him, Jack; since they were to work in collusion as a team. “Yes, I shall try to coax him to come with me later on—you know he’s not at all gunshy when in the field, or at the traps, a most excellent shot, and guide; but he doesn’t take much stock in society functions, in which he differs somewhat from myself. I’ll see you then tonight, cousin.”
“We’ll consider that settled; goodbye, Cousin Rodman until eight.”
Jack was laughing as he switched off, as though this part of his mission might be looked upon in the light of a good joke rather than anything really serious. But no one knew better than Jack what lay behind this pretense—how it was to be taken as only a bluff in order to deceive any argus eyes, or hostile listening ears, that might be employed by the powerful syndicate to further the ends of the smugglers of the Carolina coastways.
When Perk heard what had passed he, too, had his little fit of merriment; but looked serious when Jack told him of the warm invitation received concerning his being brought to the home of Mr. Herriott some time later on.
“Shore, I’ll be glad to go with yeou, partner,” he affirmed, taking a big breath at the same time, as though he had succeeded in conquering his prejudice; “’cause I wanter to meet up with this gent, an’ hear what he’s got to say. His lady, I done reckons, aint agoin’—agwyin’ I means—to think much o’ a ignorant guy like me; but if he’s gotkidswhy I’m allers at home ’long with them. Now tell me some more yeou two done talked ’bout.”
“The real talking will come off tonight when we get in touch, Wally; all we did was to make arrangements; and whoever conceived this idea about our pretending to be distant cousins hit on a clever idea, and one that ought to throw any prowling spy off the track—whether in his office force, if they were listening to our little friendly chat, or even among the servants in his home.”
Perk wanted to start out and see something of the city; and while Jack on his part would have preferred staying there, and going over his schedule of arrangements once more, he concluded it might be wiser for him to give in and accompany the other on his roving about the city; for truth to tell he still felt a little dubious about Perk’s ability to play his part naturally at any and all times.
Accordingly they sallied forth, and securing a taxi had the driver take them to such points of interest as were within his ken. Perk was eager to see the noted navy yard, at some distance north of the city, but Jack convinced him that could very well keep for another time.
“At any rate, brother,” he concluded, by stating, “you’re going to look down on that same navy yard every time we take off on a flight of exploration, to learn whether the ducks are down from the Far North in sufficient numbers to tempt us sportsmen to locate, and build a duck blind.”
“Gee! I kin see where I’m agoin’ to enjoy a little shootin’ fo’ a change, suh,” Perk went on to say, accompanying his words with one of his wide grins. “Aint done much practicin’ on wild fowl fo’ a heap o’ moons, so I done reckon I’ll show up kinder poor at fust; but it’ll all come back soon’s I gits my hand adoin’ its cunnin’, an’ my eye on the job.”
They were back in the hotel by sundown, with Perk trying to guess what he’d like best for his dinner.
“Wonder if so be they got any sorter dish I used to be fondest of when I was atrapsin’ raoun’ ole Birmin’ham as a gawky kid—somepin naow like stuffed possum with baked sweet yams—haow even the mention o’ that lovely dish makes my mouth fair water, an’ my eyes glisten like raindrops on the grass. Then there’s co’nbread, hoe-cake we uster call hit in them days when——”
“Oh! you’ll be sure to pick all your beloved dishes out of the menu, Brother Wally;” Jack interrupted to tell him; “only I hope you keep that appetite of yours in check; what would become of all my well-laid plans for a great kill of ducks and geese if I had to leave you on your back in a Charleston hospital here, down with gastro-enteritis, on account of an over indulgence in rich food?”
“Gosh amighty! doant mention that sort o’ thing again, partner; I’ll try an’ bridle this ferocious appetite o’ mine, an’ hold her in check, shore I will. Gaster—trig—er whatever it was aint agwine to get a grip onme, no suh.”
After dinner had been disposed of they again repaired to their room, Perk having an armful of papers with which he meant to pass the time while his chum was chatting with the Government agent, and picking up quantities of fresh information to add to what he had already accumulated.
Jack had him promise faithfully not to think of stepping out of the room, and to also refrain from opening the door to any caller.
“We’re stacking up against a desperate bunch of dare-devils, don’t forget, comrade, who’d hold life cheap—at least any other life but their own—if it had to be snuffed out in order to further their evil ends. In a case like this it’s a whole lot better to overrate your enemy, than to think too cheaply of him. Have a pleasant time, and I’ll be back inside of a few hours. So-long!”