The Sky Detectives; Or, How Jack Ralston Got His Man

CHAPTER XXV
THE STAGE SET FOR BATTLE

“Hey! you, lay off that stuff!” was the way Perk exploded, even as he made a wild dash across the floor, and clutched the reckless Simeon by the arm, dragging him back into the room by sheer strength.

The other struggled but feebly perhaps he was really horrified at the desperate chances he had been about to take.

“Say, you must be goofy, Hawkins, to try that sort o’ game!” Perk went on scornfully, as the wretched man writhed on the floor where he had flung him. “Don’t you know it’s two stories down to the roof o’ that extension; an’ chances are you’d a got a broken neck, or leg, in the drop. Better make up your mind to take the medicine an’ stand it.”

Jack of course had been aroused at the first movement of his chum, and sat up in bed watching the actions of the other.

“Trying to take leg bail, was he, Perk?” he remarked. “You can hardly blame the poor dick, come to think of it because he’s rubbing up against a tough proposition. Better put the bracelets on him again, and tie his ankles together he might get loco, and try to jump out of a window, just to end it all and that would be too bad.”

Simeon, utterly cowed and silent, made no resistance when Perk followed out his pal’s advice. There were several hours of the night still remaining, and they might as well secure such sleep as lay in their power, since no one could predict what sort of strenuous activity awaited them in the near future.

Came morning, and the two air detectives were stirring.

“Another right fine mornin’ for us,” Perk remarked, blithely, as he looked out of the window, and made a grimace at seeing what a nasty drop had awaited the desperate prisoner had he succeeded in carrying out his plan.

“Oh! that’s the usual program, I understand, out here on the Coast,” Jack told him. “Hardly ever see any rain in this blessed country; that’s why they have to depend on irrigation for their crops.”

“Plenty to keep us hoppin’ today, I kinder guess, partner, eh, what?” volunteered Perk, as he started dressing, after removing the stout cords that had been wrapped about the lower limbs of the Federal prisoner.

“You never said truer words, boy,” Jack added “got to settle about this business of having our friend here held until the gate’s been crashed, and our scoop put through. Then I mean to have a good talk with several people in the Government offices, who can give us a few points that so far we’ve been missing. You can’t pick up too much information when aiming to stack up against smart lads like this Slippery Slim. He’s got so many eyes on the watch the chap who expects to corral him must get up right early in the morning, and pull the wires in a dozen different directions. I’d a heap rather overdo the matter of taking precautions than to let just one ragged end get loose, for a game like this is only as strong as its weakest link.”

“Do we eat here, or look up a restaurant?” asked Perk, quite naturally, since it was the easiest thing in the world for his thoughts to turn toward the subject of catering to the loud demands of his stomach, when the usual time for meals came around.

“On the whole I reckon it’d be as well for us to stick around, and have breakfast fetched up here,” suggested jack. “I’ll step down presently, and see if it can be managed.”

“Just as you say, partner,” Perk told him, grinning, to add: “Make her two fried eggs and a rasher o’ bacon for me; also a big cup o’ coffee with a stack o’ wheats done brown. Say, you might add some toast, and an orange, seein’ that this is California, an’ a feller ought to patronize the fruit industry when happenin’ to visit the Coast country. Guess that ought to fill a vacuum okay, old hoss.”

“Leave it to me, Perk, and you’ll never starve to death I’m a good provider, and Uncle Sam foots the chuck wagon bill.”

When later on two waiters appeared laden down with a mass of dishes, Perk grinned some more, and looked quite joyous; for the odor of coffee and bacon always pleased his sense of smell as nothing else could.

Poor Simeon had apparently about decided to make the best of a bad bargain, for he began sniffing as though the idea of breakfast appealed to him – he certainly needed something to brace him up.

Along about ten o’clock they prepared to set out for the offices of the Federal forces in Los Angeles. Simeon had finally given his word not to make any further attempt at escape. Jack had been talking seriously with the fellow ever since breakfast, trying to squeeze further information from him, and holding out hope that if he “came clean” he might yet be allowed to go back to his family after the Government had made use of him to send the leaders in the wide flung conspiracy to prison for long terms.

Again a convenient taxi was called upon to convey the trio to their intended destination. Both Jack and Perk evinced considerable curiosity concerning the unfamiliar sights on the streets. They asked numerous questions of the driver, who chanced to be a communicative sort of fellow, and filled them up with information about the sunny queen city of the Coast.

It was not long before Jack’s magical passport, sanctioned by the Big Boss at Washington, brought them in contact with several high officials who apparently had been secretly apprized of their presence in the West, and had also been requested to afford the two daring sky detectives all the assistance possible in carrying out their plan of campaign.

So it came about that Simeon was taken off their hands, after the story of his capture had been told. Jack secured a promise that the man would be lightly dealt with because of the valuable aid he had already afforded the sleuth-hounds of the air branch of the Law.

Both of them shook hands with the pitiful looking chap as he was taken away by a marshal who had been summoned and who would see that he was kept aloof from all other prisoners until his testimony was wanted in court.

After that they fell into a general talk, Jack telling the deeply interested officials about the stirring adventures befalling himself and Perk since they first struck Atlanta, where the drive really had its beginning.

In return he was given such information as had been gathered in connection with more recent happenings along the line of Slippery Slim’s operations and the fact of the matter was there always seemed to be fresh outbreaks of the bogus money disease in this or that part of the whole Southwest, as new agents started to work virgin territory until by this time the greatest unrest and uneasiness existed among all Government ranks.

The balance of that day the two pals put in taking a look around the city, visiting Hollywood, and seeing a number of movie stars whom they recognized from familiarity with their faces on the silver screen at various times.

Jack paid another visit to Federal Headquarters on the succeeding day, to gather up all loose ends, and decide on his plans while Perk took himself off to look up some old friend, who, he understood, was making good in one of the new big pictures.

They met again late in the afternoon, with Perk displaying signs of nervous tension for almost the first thing he said to his chum was in the shape of a leading question, which Jack undoubtedly anticipated, knowing Perk’s headlong nature as he did, and the habit of the other for seeking speedy action.

“Wal, what’s the good word, old hoss – when do we skip out from here, if so be it’s all set?”

“No more hanging fire, brother,” Jack assured him, smilingly “we’re loaded for bear this time, sure pop. I’ve been out at the airport, and had a full tank of gas put aboard the crate as well as all that stuff you sent over so’s to keep us from, starving to death.”

“Bully boy!” crowed the delighted Perk; “jest can’t come any too soon to please me. I’m only cravin’ a chanct for a set-to with the head o’ this flim-flam bunch, who’s laughed at the Government boys just once too often. Is it tonight, boss?”

“Midnight ought to see us several hundred miles on our way, if all goes well,” Jack told him, not displaying any outward signs of jubilation himself, although he undoubtedly must be thrilled by the thought of how they were now about to put everything to the test, and match their wits against that astute schemer, for whom the Federal prison doors were yawning so widely.

“You never gimme sweeter words, old pal!” Perk was saying, backed up by one of his most hideous grins.

CHAPTER XXVI
ON THE FACE OF THE MOON

Jack proved as good as his word, for they were off shortly after nightfall, and headed almost due east. No one at the aviation field had the remotest idea as to who they were, what their destination might be, and whence they came. But then this particular port was becoming a very important link in the trans-continental chain, with lines of great passenger and freight airships going and coming not to mention the several speedy air mail boats that covered their hundreds of miles day or night and as a rule on a schedule that seemed as perfect as that of any train time table.

Perk was unusually silent, at least for him. Perhaps he was realizing at last the serious nature of the job they had undertaken – that it was rather a weighty proposition, such as was bound to require all their united reserve force to put across.

Still, he had absolute confidence in Jack’s ability to swing the undertaking, and also refused to allow anything like doubt to assail him with regard to their united courage.

It was by this time well understood that the climax, when it came, would occur on Mexican soil for now that all accounts from every quarter were in hand, they knew absolutely that the den of the counterfeiting gang was in a secret cave among the mountains of Sonora also that the sagacious Slim had bought protection from certain local Mexican officials, who were suspected of secretly plotting a new revolution, and took this means for obtaining the money needed to purchase arms in the States.

It was even said that Slim never flew back to his headquarters without loading his swift plane with a dead weight of guns and ammunition as the price he had to pay for being allowed to operate undisturbed on foreign soil.

“A pretty kettle of fish, I’d call that sort o’ game,” Perk had indignantly asserted, when he learned of this see-saw method of currying favor with the plotting generals who hoped to once again turn the country upside-down and kick the present rulers out of office, as well as seize the city banks with their rich booty.

And so it was, but Jack realized how it accounted for the long spell of immunity Slim had enjoyed while he lined his pockets, and spread that financial panic throughout the Southwestern States. There never had been his equal as a skillful worker and bold lawbreaker; one who knew how to set neighbor against neighbor, and make every one work so that he could rake off a heavy dividend from each separate deal.

So he had for a long time been coming and going, crossing the border, as a rule by the air route, carrying his cargoes of deceitful bank bills to various distributing points – like the one Jack and Perk had struck by sheer accident – gathering the genuine stuff contributed by his numerous dupes, and leaving bulky packages of the wonderfully executed spurious notes in exchange.

It was a veritable Golconda for the industrious worker, who, safe from interference, had kept as busy as the proverbial bee, that stores honey day after day.

They followed the line of swirling beacons the air mail boys were in the habit of trailing, since by this means they could pass some of the numerous danger spots on their route. In good time Jack expected to turn his back on these friendly flashing lights and head due south, to cross the border, and fly over foreign territory.

He had been placed in possession of certain secret documents issued by the Mexican government, which proved how they knew of the unholy alliance made between Slim, the counterfeiter king, and those traitorous generals who yearned for fresh outbreaks so as to pamper their own personal fortunes, just then at low ebb.

There existed something of an arrangement, whereby the Mexican government agreed to stand back of any effort made by the Department at Washington to capture Slim, smash his gang that was widening its powers every day, and clean out the mess of near-bandits with whom he had allied himself.

If it were necessary all arrangements had been made whereby Colonel Jose Morales, with a crack regiment of hard fighting regulars who had seen much bloody service in bringing the defiant Yaqui Indians to terms by invading their mountain fastnesses, and meeting them hand-to-hand – was stationed within a day’s ride of the ravine where Slim had his plant and could be summoned by means of certain smoke signals. No sooner would these “talking smokes” be detected than the order would be given “boots and saddles,” with the mounted regiment in full swing for the debatable ground where Slim had his nefarious nest.

So, too, had a secret arrangement been effected with the old leader of the now defunct Texas Rangers, most of whom were in the service of the Government connected with the border patrol and orders had been given the former gallant hero that if a certain message were received, no matter by what method, he was to gather a squad of his old fighters, and cross the border, sure of being warmly received by the loyal Mexican troops who would welcome his assistance in wiping out the sore spot that had been so long a blot on their country’s honor.

Thus it would seem that everything possible had been done toward striking a telling blow. It only remained for Jack Ralston to start the ball rolling, when it must gain fresh impetus with every revolution.

Perk acted as though decidedly pleased when later on he discovered that they no longer followed the flashing beacon trail – Jack had gone as far as was judicious along that line and now headed straight into the mysterious south, toward the border of the neighboring republic where disorder still held sway, and disgruntled chiefs continued to plot against the rule of the recently elected president.

Every mile traversed now was bringing them closer to their goal, and Perk found more or less joy in picturing the thrilling climax, when they would give Slippery Slim the surprise of his life – if only no leak concerning their clever plan had come about.

The moon had risen, and was hanging there in the east, a silvery shield with one edge clipped off telling that the queen of the night was already well past her “full” stage and running for a fall.

All at once Perk had an electric shock.

He leaned convulsively forward and gripped his mate by the shoulder, at the same time pointing toward the southeast and shouting through the head phones:

“Look, oh look – see what’s passing across the moon, Jack!”

Then just as suddenly did he release his clutch, to fall back in his seat, and exclaim most dramatically, with a touch of disgust in his voice:

“Shucks! It’s slipped past, dang the luck!”

“But I got it all right, Perk,” the pilot assured him.

“Then it was a ship, an’ my lamps didn’t fool me, partner?” Perk cried in renewed excitement.

“As sure as you’re born, that’s what it was, brother,” Jack added.

“Headin’ south, same as we’re doin’ right now, eh, Jack?”

“You said it, buddy – just what the crate was doing, Perk.”

“What’s the answer – could it a been him, on his way back home with a load o’ machine guns, life they say he carries every time he crosses the border, after takin’ out a freshly printed batch o’ his flimsy stuff to soak on the honest folks back home?”

“That’s something we can only make a stab at,” replied Jack. “Chances lean that, way, I must say; but just the same it might have been some mail plane that’s got blown off its regular course, and is beating it for the home port. Then again I understand the border patrol are handling a few ships in their line of intercepting flyers making a business of smuggling Chinese aliens across the line night-times.”

“I’d give a heap to know the answer to that puzzle,” continued Perk, who disliked enigmas, and all that sort of thing calculated to make a fellow lie awake nights, bothering his poor brains. He never had been fitted by Nature for the job of being a real detective.

“We’ll never know,” his pal told him, “unless it happens we run afoul of the other crate when our courses draw closer together and if it’s Slim whose fingers grip that stick we’d rather be excused for having that happen – our job is to fetch him back alive, and not make him lose his life in a crash.”

“Me, I ain’t peticular just what does happen to the slick guy,” Perk wound up the little talkfest by saying. “Only, when it comes to a real showdown either Slim or us got to go to the wall – dead or alive, the thing’s goin’ to be settled for keeps!”

CHAPTER XXVII
THE SIERRA MADRE CHAIN

Another thing Perk noticed – this was the fact that Jack seemed to have changed his mind with regard to making haste for the ship was racing along at top-notch speed, as though engaged in a race with some unseen rival.

“Hey! what’s the big idea, Jack?” he called out, when this thing had been going on for some time, and his burning curiosity could no longer be held in leash. “Why doin’ the sprintin’ act, I’m awonderin’?”

“Less chance for us to run foul of that other boat if we forge well ahead, don’t you see, partner?” exclaimed the pilot, sententiously.

“Yeah! that’s a fact,” returned the enlightened Perk. “An’ then mebbe it’d be jest as well for us to get there ahead o’ the boss in the bargain.”

“I’m aiming to do that,” he was told. “It happens that we can’t keep on in the boat till we strike close to his hideout – the racket would stir the whole bunch up like a hornet’s nest you’ve kicked when going through the brush, with the mad critters swarming out to tackle you.”

“I get you now, Big Boss – never did think o’ that before. Then I kinder guess we’ll have to hike some little way,” and there was a vein of chagrin in the speaker’s voice as he mentioned this fact, since walking and Perk never did seem to agree very well – like most flyers he had been spoiled for all manner of pedestrianism by his ability to cover such vast distances without moving his pedal extremities an iota.

“That’s our sure enough program,” Jack told him, doubtless thinking that the delayed knowledge might allow his pal to make up his mind about swallowing the bitter medicine without a single grimace.

It was not long after this little break when Jack again spoke:

“I’ve a good idea we’re across the line now, partner,” was the information he passed along.

“Sounds good to me, okay,” commented Perk, with a tinge of solid satisfaction visible in his voice as though having a possible rough-house job to handle, the sooner he got busy the sooner it was likely to be over.

“And making more than an even hundred miles to the hour in the bargain, Perk.”

“Some punkins about comin’ in swell on the last lap, this crate sure is, I’d say, partner. Licketty split she humps along like a reg’lar witch. I guess now she’d make rings around that ol’ boat Slim’s got hold o’ though it answers his purpose seems like. But see here, Jack, you never did tell me jest how you got word to that same Colonel Morales down here in Mexico.”

“I was given my instructions, and sent a telegram to him at Hermosilla, in care of Padre Lopez, giving him the order he was expecting – during the last hour we were in Los Angeles.”

“Glory be! then the sojers must be in the saddle right now!” burst out Perk, with enthusiasm.

“If the arrangement went through without a miss that’s like enough a fact,” admitted Jack; “the way my plan’s arranged everything must go off with the regularity of machine work, each separate part dovetailing, so as to work in full sympathy. If anything lags, and goes amiss, it’s apt to throw the whole scheme out of gear, you understand.”

“Yeah! I grab what you mean, partner,” said the astounded Perk; “but I got to hand it to you when it comes to hatchin’ up big things – it’s jest wonderful how you manage. An’ I sure do hope everything’ll slide along like greased lightnin’, once it gets started.”

Jack had planned to drop down in some isolated spot where with the coming of dawn, with the aid of the strong glasses they could pick up the rocky Sierra Madre range with its canyons and valleys, where, unless all his leads have been false clues, those whom they sought would have their secret den and stronghold.

Perk got to thinking these matters over, and of course he was bound to run across some things that still seemed a bit hazy in his mind. Accordingly he sought for information at headquarters.

“Say, now, d’ye know I’m jest beginnin’ to get on to why you had the wings an’ fuselage o’ this here ship painted the color o’ sand – took a pattern from the way they striped the steamers on the Atlantic durin’ the big war, an’ colored batteries on the battle front, so flyers couldn’t pick ’em out to drop their bombs down on – camouflage, ain’t that the right word, Jack?”

“Slow to get on to my little schemes, partner; but in the end you make a smart stab – yes, that was what I had in mind, for I knew we’d have to park the old bus somewhere in the open; and I didn’t want any hostile eye to glimpse her from a soaring plane, or a mountain crag – for you see I reckoned Slim was too smart a lad not to have binoculars handy so as to watch for trouble.”

More than ever was Perk impressed with an overwhelming admiration for the ability of his pal to lay plans capable of covering every possible necessity that could arise in carrying out the job they had tackled.

He asked no more questions, confident that everything was bound to move along smoothly, when the casting of the play was in such capable hands.

“Anyway,” he told himself as he thus pondered, “we ain’t seen anything more o’ that moon ship, which makes it certain we’ve knocked her outen the runnin’. Wonder now if that was really an’ truly ol’ Slim, totin’ a swell bunch o’ machine guns, so’s to bolster up the new revolution they say is bein’ fostered an’ nursed in this corner o’ poor ol’ Mexico. Queer what international jingles a feller c’n get mixed up in, when he runs in harness with Uncle Sam’s revenue boys; but it’s all pie to me, just the same, ’cause they allers did say my middle name was Scrap.”

He was now starting to make use of the binoculars, which were fitted with lens capable of making them useful during the night-time, at least when there was a certain amount of moonlight. In a general way Perk could decide where to turn his attention, for it went without saying that the mountain chain lay toward the southeast for had he not studied the lay of the land upon the small but accurate map with which Jack had armed himself before leaving Washington to take up this hazardous adventure?

When he felt assured that he could make out the distant ridges he announced his pleasing discovery to his mate and then at the other’s request took over the controls so that Jack in turn might use the glasses and thus make assurance doubly safe.

“Bank, and head more into the east,” Perk heard the other saying, after a steady look.

“Then it’s the Sierra Madre okay, partner, I opine?” suggested the one at the stick, as he obeyed orders.

“No question about it,” Jack assured him “but I knew it was time for us to sight the ridge. I’ve pored over the map of this section, and charted it all out in blocks, so I can tell just what the lay of the land is, and how long it’s apt to take the colonel to get here with his galloping company. We’re going to drop down presently, and find shelter where we can lie low until the hour comes for making our ten strike.”

“How long might that be, boss?” asked Perk.

“It all depends on certain happenings. We can creep up close to the place, and watch how things move figuring out how to act when you get your first glimpse of a dust cloud away off toward where Hermosilla lies. I give the cavalry two days to reach here, if everything moves along smoothly.”

“Two long days – an’ say, we gotter eat all that time, don’t we, partner?”

“We surely can’t live on air, Perk; but I’ve provided for that – even should we run out of grub you laid in I’ve a little deposit of dried meat, real pemmican in fact, that will keep us from famishing. Water we can secure somewhere among the mountain trails, since never a drop would we be apt to find on the open desert.”

“Huh! I’m leavin’ it all to you, Big Boss,” Perk told him, again lost in wonder and near awe as he realized how Jack seemed to have thought of everything – what a mind the boy had for grasping details, and weaving them into the net with which they expected to enmesh the slippery one.

Now Jack slowed down their speed more or less, although of course it was not possible to soften the clamor accompanying their flight through space. But Perk noticed that, so far as he could tell, the night wind was coming from ahead, and this assured him it would not be apt to carry those telltale sounds toward the range lying in the east, and so warn the enemy of their coming.