organization must be built up, in order to compete with the lawless smuggling gangs that were already using airplanes with which to fetch contraband of every description into the country.
So well did the pair co-operate that they worked as two parts of the whole machine – as one hand knows what the other hand requires to make a finished product so their brains often worked in unison, thus adding additional strength to their united efforts.
As they continued their walk, meaning to return to the city in time for lunch, Perk continued to ramble on with observations covering much ground; for he had a decided opinion on every variety of subject, and could be depended on to exploit his ideas at the slightest invitation.
“No use talkin,’ Jack,” he was saying, as he tapped his pocket significantly, “that same Jerry Slocum’s a crackin’ good locksmith an’ gunsmith. I took up with his offer, yeou know, to put my ol’ six-shooter, used in France with my work in the sausage balloon corps, in apple-pie condition; an’ he done a smart job. He happened to have some ammunition to fit the gun, so I laid in a bunch o’ cartridges, meanin’ to shoot at a target when time hung heavy on my hands. But listen, will yeou, ol’ pard, what’s all that whoopin’ mean ’round the corner jest ahead – sounds like a reg’lar stampede was takin’ place, I’d say if yeou asked me?”
CHAPTER II
He Gets His Wish
“Some excitement, I own up, Perk,” agreed Jack, exchanging a look of inquiry with his companion. “Dog fight, like as not, since I thought I heard a yowling just then, as if one mutt’d got his in the neck.”
“Jest hear the people a shoutin’ will yeou?” snapped Perk.
“But that doesn’t sound like they were enjoying themselves a heap, I’d say, boy – such screaming and yelling – they’re badly rattled over whatever’s going on. What could it all mean, I wonder?”
“Hot-diggetty-dig! we’ll know right soon, ole hoss; ’cause it’s headin’ this way – gettin’ a heap louder ev’ry second, I vow! Guess yeou struck it right when yeou sez they must be skeered into a near panic. Don’t hear no guns agoin’ off, so it cain’t be a brawl ’tween drunken bootleggers an’ town constables. Well, I swan, it gets me – look at the folks a beatin’ it to the houses, like they reckoned they’d be safer there. Mebbe we better shin up a telegraph pole like that youngster’s a doin’ over yonder – he means to git high an’ dry, so’s to see the circus, but not take chances with the runaway animal’s flyin’ heels. Wow! what’s this I lamp a comin’ ’reound that corner, waggin’ his ole head from side to side – a big yeller dog, Jack, with foam a drippin’ from his open red mouth! Great guns!”
“That beast is as mad as a hatter!” boomed Jack, thrilled by the frightful sight. “He’s bound to own the whole street, no matter if a battalion of cops try to sheer him off!”
“Mebbe, mate,” Perk was shouting “we’d better be steppin’ to one side in a hurry; I ain’t lost nary dog; an’ I’m not fool enough to want to stand up ’fore one that’s rabid – not Gabe Perkiser! Get a move on, Jack, an’ vamose!”
“Wait up!” cried the other, for so great was the clamor no one could expect to be heard unless he fairly shouted.
“Excuse me, boy – I got a date!” Perk bellowed back, grinning as he spoke.
“Look ahead, Perk – that child – little boy he is – fell down in his fright, and must’ve sprained his ankle – see him try to scramble up again; but he can’t manage it, what with his fright and twisted ankle. The dog – it’s making straight for the youngster – we can’t stand by, and see him tackle such a mere baby – we’ve just got to do something, Perk!”
“Sure do, partner – let’s go!”
Others were running in every direction save toward the great ugly beast, thinking in their panicky state of nerves only of their own safety. All the while the shouts continued to go booming along the length of Main Street:
“Mad dog! mad dog! everybody run – get the children indoors! He’s rabid and ready to snap at anybody in his way! Run for it!”
But the poor little baby directly in the path of the oncoming demon could not heed the shouts – vainly he tried to crawl to one side, his terrified eyes fixed on that dreadful vision of fury and rabies confronting him, and drawing closer with every passing second.
Jack and Perk were galloping forward with all their might, intending to throw themselves between the child and that stumbling terror with the lolling head and dripping jaws.
It could be seen that Perk was gripped by a sudden inspiration – he had dragged some sort of object from his pocket, and was working feverishly with the same. Jack understood, and inwardly blessed the lucky chance that had caused his pal to fetch his old war weapon out to his friend the town gunsmith, so as to have it put in first-class condition. It must have been the hand of a kind fate that brought about this wonderful coincidence, Jack was telling himself, when guessing that the running airman must be trying with all his cleverness to insert a cartridge or two into the chambers of the small, antiquated six-shooter.
Fortune favored them, for they were enabled to pass beyond the writhing and shrieking child, thus facing the danger themselves as a shield to buck up against the charge of the mad dog.
Perk dropped down on one knee – it was the natural position for one to assume under such conditions, bringing him more on a level with the beast. Jack, too, knew he had a part in the scheme to save the tiny lad – lacking a weapon of any kind he could not stand by Perk; but one thing was left to him, which was to snatch up the imperiled child, and leap to safety before the crisis crashed upon them.
Even as he was thus bearing the lad out of the danger zone, he caught a sudden explosion that told him Perk had sent in a shot. It was his bosom pal crouched back there with that shaggy beast almost upon him; for he knew full well Perk had waited until he could make doubly certain of his aim.
Somehow Jack could not keep from turning his head, so as to know the worst – he had a cold feeling in the region of his heart, undoubtedly fearing he would discover Perk engaged in a furious struggle at close quarters with the animal, one bite from whose jaws would contaminate the flesh his cruel fangs thus mangled.
But that fear was instantly put to flight – Perk still knelt there, while the furious beast writhed on the ground, making frightful efforts to get up on its four feet again.
This he no sooner succeeded in doing than Perk let him have a second leaden pill, working his keepsake weapon of the great war with mechanical precision. How lucky then he must have succeeded in thrusting two cartridges into the maw of his gun, since there proved to be such great need of an encore.
It was “all over but the shouting,” as Perk himself would have put it. He rose to his feet, and coolly stepped forward, to bend over and see that there no longer remained a single breath in the carcase of the terrible brute he had stayed in his mad passage through the town.
The tenor of the wild shouts changed like magic – joy and triumph, not to say relief, began to be heard, as if reassuring the frightened populace there was no longer anything to be feared – the ogre Jabberwock had been laid low, and once again the length of Main Street could be traversed without peril to life and limb.
And the one who had performed this valorous deed seemed only anxious to make himself scarce before the worshiping citizens could lay hands on him – shower him with thanks, perhaps kisses
