CHAPTER XVI

IN THE GRIP OF THE STORM

Perk soon afterwards showed up, and seemed so cheerful that it was evident his little scouting mission had yielded favorable results.

“Seems okay to me, partner!” he burst out with, as soon as she came along; “course it ain’t just as smooth as some fields we know but there ain’t goin’ to be any smart trouble takin’ off, I guess now.”

“And are we holding the nose of the ship straight in line of the course you took a squint at, Perk?” Jack asked, as he prepared to climb into his seat, the people of the ranch clustering around, to gaze with wide open eyes at the fleet aircraft, some of them doubtless seeing such a modern cloud clipper for the first time.

“Dead ahead, boss, an’ you’ll strike the right racket, I’m tellin’ you,” came the positive assurance.

“Then jump aboard, comrade, and we’ll put it to the test,” saying which Jack himself climbed into the waiting cockpit, to settle down in his accustomed seat, take a quick glance at his dials when the small light was turned on, and await a signal from the other sky traveler that he was “fixed.”

The way was clear, and the fact that just then the gay old moon condescended to poke her smiling face out from behind a mass of clouds assisted more or less in giving the pilot some of the necessary illumination—the rest must be left to his native sagacity and instinct.

There was a bunch of cottonwoods at some little distance ahead, the location of which Perk had pointed out to his mate before settling down in his seat but if all went well Jack calculated to be able to clear them in good shape—did it seem necessary he could swerve slightly to the right, and have a clear field for the take-off.

There was a little shouting as the friendly plane started to taxi along, but of course this was smothered by the increasing roar of exhaust and spinning propeller. Faster and faster they scurried onward, and then started to rise on an angle just sufficient to nicely clear the tops of the cottonwoods; when Jack jazzed his motor, to find it running as “sweet as a purring cat.”

So they departed only a short time after making that landing which humanity had demanded and in times to come the little episode was likely to afford both aviators more or less satisfaction, in that they had “seen their duty and done it,” as Perk would say in his whimsical way.

As they continued on their way Perk found himself wondering if this interesting adventure was destined to be a sample of other equally thrilling happenings in store for them the further they dipped into the great game that had been laid at their door by the powers that be at Washington.

Whenever he came to thinking of the audacity shown by Slippery Slim in virtually defying all the authority of the Government, Perk would feel his dander rising as if in great indignation.

“Huh!” he at one time told himself, being rather fond of thus communing, as his thoughts ran on, “we’ll call _his_ bluff just the same, the scaly ol’ gila monster, you wait an’ see. Thinks he’s the whole works, the boss man-handler, does he, just ’cause he’s outguessed a number o’ the boys. This time he’s due to find himself up against guys o’ the right size, who’ll jerk him down off’n his high perch in a jiffy, or I miss my ticket.”

So Perk kept on boasting in his customary fashion, possibly to keep his mind on the subject. Jack was paying little attention to side issues just then for he knew his pal’s peculiarities, and short-comings as well and having “exhausted his boiler” Perk presently lapsed into utter silence.

They had climbed to a fairly high ceiling, and caught only occasional fugitive glimpses of the earth far below, when the moon chanced to break through the banks of clouds, which intervals became less and less frequent, Jack noticed.

He did not altogether fancy the looks of the heavens, by degrees becoming more and more overcast; still, this might after all mean next to nothing and their business was to keep steadily on their way as if things were bound to come out all right.

It was now drawing well on toward midnight, and they had placed hundreds of miles between the city of their recent stay and themselves. Long since Perk had taken what proved to be his last glimpse of the vast gulf as seen far away toward the south, when the night was brightly illuminated, with the moon’s silvery rays shining on the glistening waters, and making a picture that even appealed to Perk’s rugged nature—after that all he was able to make out was the monotonous level plains that lay in every quarter, as though the whole earth consisted of this same stock country.

No longer were they able to find any cheer in the company of the moon, for the canopy above, earlier in the night peopled by a multitude of bright stars, was now gripped in dense masses of clouds.

Having thus lost his guide marks below, Jack was compelled to place all dependence upon his faithful instruments, but this of course was an old story to one of his experience, so that he did not do any worrying on that score.

Perk, buried in his own thoughts, and paying scant heed to what changes were taking place in the signs of the weather, had no warning until suddenly there came a dazzling flash, that was almost instantly succeeded by a tremendous burst of thunder.

“Ginger pop! that means we’re booked for a bit o’ storm, mebbe, eh, Jack?” was his startled exclamation.

“Let’s hope it turns out to be _only_ a bluster,” the pilot went on to say, as he turned the nose of his ship upward, and commenced to climb, evidently in hopes that by so doing they might get above those low hanging clouds, and have clear sailing while the disturbance lasted.

When shortly afterwards a second electrical crash almost stunned them by its violence, Perk began to fumble for his oilskin coat, which he was never without when aboard a boat with an open cockpit.

Perk could take a ducking with as much good nature as the next fellow but just the same he did not intend to get soaked if he could help it, since a continuance of the flight, with a cold wind likely to follow the rain, would not prove to be the most delightful experience possible.

No sooner had he accomplished the job of securing his raincoat than he gave Jack the well known signal that he meant to take over the stick, and thus allow his comrade to also protect himself against bad weather.

Accordingly both of them were presently thus equipped, and ready to take whatever might be in the offing. Meanwhile the ascent was continued in spasms, for there was always a chance of getting above such a storm, and avoiding the worst of it.

The thunder claps became more frequent, and also much louder, so that each sudden burst gave them both a thrill, death seemed so close, for should their speeding ship chance to attract one of those dazzling bolts it would be all over for the daring air adventurers, and no one be the wiser concerning their taking-off, until possibly after long months had passed, their bleached bones might be discovered by some party of plainsmen out looking for rustlers or seeking to round up missing stock.

Thus far not a single drop of rain had fallen, according to Perk’s calculations but the coming of the drenching flood could not be much longer delayed, he felt positive. Had there not been so much racket around them those keen ears of his might have detected a rushing sound in the near distance, like the roar of the incoming tide on the sandy shores of the gulf.

Then it came with a swoop, the wind whistling around their ears and the rain beating a tattoo against the fuselage of the ship, as well as striking them smartly in the face, despite such protection as their helmets and heavy goggles afforded.

Jack certainly had his hands full in managing the bobbing, shifting craft, gripped by those shifty gusts that came with giant force, making the flyers feel as though they were clinging to a mere chip tossed about in the wild fury of a Texas tempest.

Time and again did Perk feel as though his heart had jumped up in his throat, almost choking him; seasoned veteran at this sort of thing as he believed himself to be, he could not help this feeling of helplessness in the hands of the aroused elements; yet each time Jack managed to bring their ship through the teeth of the storm in a way that was next door to miraculous, and if Perk had up to this time not fully appreciated the astonishing skill and confidence of his younger companion while at the controls in an emergency, he certainly was getting his lesson then and there, in a way to cause it to sink deep, and stick.