CHAPTER XXIIOVER ARIZONA DESERTS
Perk must have dreamed about that hot coffee treat he had been promising himself, for when Jack opened his eyes he found his comrade already watching the bubbling pot, from which delightful odors were commencing to escape in the way of steam.
They enjoyed quite a decent little breakfast, what with the ambrosia contained in their aluminum cups together with some crackers and jam, after the crisp bacon had been disposed of. Jack offered some to their prisoner, but the man sadly shook his head, as if to say he had no appetite whatever.
He was not a bad looking fellow, only with a weak sort of chin, and evidently built along a line that could be easily tempted to go wrong if the inducement were only gilded enough. Jack felt sorry for him, especially since he had learned about his family; and was determined to do what he could so as to get Simeon off, should his information prove of any value to their cause.
Once breakfast was disposed of they all went over to where the ship lay. By this time Simeon had found that they really planned to carry him off with them, a startling fact that added to his alarm, for apparently he had never been up in a plane, and a species of stage-fright made him shake as if he had the ague.
But there was no other way to work things, for should they set him free the chances were the man, forgetting his promise, would try to send out some kind of warning to Slippery Slim, and in the end he and Perk were apt to pay dearly for their slip-up, perhaps even with their own lives.
When playing such a desperate game with so canny a lawbreaker it would be the height of folly to let the dictates of tender hearts turn them from the path of “safety first,” and Simeon must continue to “take his medicine,” even though the innocent ones at home suffered for his misdeeds—he had never considered others whom his evil actions had doubtless harmed, when they found themselves arrested for passing worthless bills, and how could he expect these sworn officers of the law to go easy with him when caught in the act?
Perk now began to wonder just how they would be able to “tote” a third party in the limited accommodations afforded by the double cockpit of their ship. It was bound to prove a tight squeeze, and not so comfortable but then why grumble on account of a trifle like that, when Fortune was giving them such a glad hand all the while?
He began to shift things around some while Jack was busy checking the motor, struts, undergear, and propeller, with the design of condensing, and making more room.
“Funny how you c’n jam things into such a small compass when you really an’ truly try,” he told Jack, when he had finished his task. “I kinder guess I’ll be able to fix him okay, ’cause he’s no great shakes at size, an’, seems like to me, he’s shrinkin’ right afore my eyes, he’s that shaky. Then it’s only for the day, I figger; how ’bout that, Jack?”
“I’ve planned all that out, partner,” he was told. “As soon as we get over to the California border we’ll give him in charge of some sheriff to keep in the hoosgow till we’ve made our killing, and are ready to deliver the whole batch to Uncle Sam’s nearest U. S. District Attorney, at Los Angeles or San Diego. That clear to you, Perk?”
“I’d say it was, boss, an’ here’s hopin’ we’ll get there with both feet when the end shows up, our prisoners hobbled, an’ with nice new steel bracelets decoratin’ their wrists. Now to get the gent aboard the boat, an’ stowed away. Shucks! he acts like he might be scared out o’ a year’s growth—some sillies get that way ’bout goin’ up in a skyscraper the fust time.”
His scorn for such a weakling showed in his face as he helped Simeon to clamber into the cockpit. The man was as white as a sheet, and trembling as if expecting to meet with some dire end in short order, once he left the firm ground and took to the boundless air. His groans were heartrending, and Jack felt sorry for the wretch but for once Perk displayed no signs of sympathy, it was all so silly in his opinion.
He proceeded to take precautions by fastening the greenhorn in by means of a stout strap which would prevent his falling out should conditions necessitate a sudden banking on the part of the pilot, or a fierce gust of wind cause the ship to give a unannounced plunge.
“All ready, Jack,” announced Perk, after completing these arrangements.
“I’ll be with you inside of three minutes,” he was told, and as the ground ahead had been examined, and found to be fairly good for the wheels to trundle over, there seemed to be nothing more that could be done, only put things to the test.
It was “some rough,” as Perk told himself, when violently shaken once or twice but they managed to get up sufficient speed to admit of Jack lifting her when the right time arrived. Then they were off, rising like a bird, and almost immediately opening up the village that nestled there two miles off, at the foot of the low ridge.
Jack headed straight into the west, for that was their route “as the crow flew.” He cared not at all that they would pass directly over the settlement, for few of the people were apt to be abroad at such an early hour, nor would they be any the wiser for seeing a plane pass overhead at such a low altitude.
Perk, looking down, found himself wondering which of the modest cottages in line of his vision chanced to be the home Simeon had spoken of with such a catch in his voice. The man had temporarily forgotten about his fears concerning his own safety, while being carried so high above the surface of the earth—he was stretching his neck, and eagerly focussing his staring eyes on one spot, which evidently held all that he held dear. Perk ignored his recent sensation of scorn, and actually felt sorry for the man.
“Poor guy,” he was saying under his breath, though the other could not have heard him had he shouted at the top of his lungs, on account of the racket being kicked up by combined motor and propeller, “he feels right bad ’cause he’s goin’ off without a chanct to say goodbye. Well, I on’y hope this will be a lesson to Simeon, an’ he’ll quit playin’ with a buzz-saw, which is the long arm o’ our Uncle Samuel.”
Simeon tried his best to keep tabs of the lonely little hamlet until it was no longer possible to distinguish objects, owing to the several miles of distance the speeding plane had covered; then he fell back in his seat, and let his head drop on his chest, while his body shook with emotion. In that dreadful moment he would undoubtedly have only too gladly given all he had in the wide world for a chance to undo the wrongs he had committed in his haste to get rich.
“Shucks! he orter thought o’ that before, while the goin’ was good!” was Perk’s comment, who had seen just such short-sighted men more than once before in his eventful life, and had a philosophical mind concerning all such late repentances. “But I’m sure sorry for them that are agoin’ to suffer the most—he deserves all he’ll get, but they’re the innocent ducks.”
The plane soared along its set course, and as they were not at more than something like five thousand feet altitude, Perk could see very well, when he adjusted the binoculars they carried of necessity, so as to be able to spy out conditions before trusting themselves to land, being naturally a bit suspicious while thus drawing steadily nearer to what might well be called enemy land.
From time to time he found himself gazing down with considerable curiosity upon scenes which were mostly foreign to his eyes—he had only too often scrutinized pictures where uncounted troops belonging to the enemy were encamped, or on the march, with monster guns making the very air quiver with the tumult of their discharges; where rival pilots came up in answer to his insulting challenge, to engage him in deadly combat—he had seen many an unlucky or less skillful airman go down with his whirling, blazing coffin, yielding up his life as a tribute to what he called patriotism—all these and a multitude of similar thrilling spectacles could be unrolled in memory as he thus sailed the azure sky, and saw Jack meet and conquer successive air pockets lying in wait to give him battle; and yet this was actually the first time Perk had ever focussed his gaze upon a genuine cattle ranch, and saw stock being driven to market, or it might be mavericks branded; so that he found himself entranced with the panorama spread before him as they glided over the prairies of New Mexico.
There cropped up other and like interesting sights when the wilder sector of country was reached, with its deep gullies, its bare-topped mountain peaks—perhaps stretches of desolate desert where nothing could be seen save billowy sandy wastes, except possibly patches of yucca, sage, greasewood, and prickly pear cactus.
When, his interest increasing, Perk begged his comrade to drop down so as to give him a nearer view of these strange sights, he was able to increase his knowledge concerning the myriad of strange sights to be picked up when touring by air in new territories—now he could make out the fantastic Joshua trees that seemed to be engaged in a shimmering dance in the blazing sunlight; moving shadows that sometimes crossed the line of his vision he made out to be buzzards on the wing, circling in search of their carrion meal; while others on the ground he recognized as coyotes skulking along, frightened by the sight and noise coming from far over their heads, and trying to reach their secret dens in some rocky canyon or defile.
Noon came in due time, with the ship keeping up its steady grind, and having left hundreds of miles in its wake.
Perk began to realize that he had eaten his breakfast at an unearthly hour, and concluding that a bite of something, together with a swig of water from their jug, might go well, he mentioned the interesting fact that the usual lunch hour had come, at which Jack nodded his head, as if to leave all that sort of thing to the discretion of his trusted pard.
So they had a pick-up snack, which was quite acceptable to the two airmen, able to enjoy their meals even while cutting capers up among the clouds. It was another thing to the novice Simeon, whose appetite had not come back, though he did manage to swallow a few bites, and have a drink of cold water to wash things down. By slow degrees he was getting the upper hand of his dreadful fears, for while familiarity could not be said to bring contempt, nevertheless he was becoming accustomed to the conditions, and could even display a trace of curiosity when looking down on some unusually interesting spectacle to which Perk was pointing so eagerly.
If things continued to exist as they had been doing all morning it was likely—Jack at one time told his co-pilot in answer to a question—that they would be close to the California border by sunset, or shortly afterwards; since even then they were well along across Arizona, with fair skies still beckoning them on their way.