CHAPTER XXVII

PIKE'S PEAK, OR----BUST!

When Jack made this dramatic announcement Perk manifested such supreme astonishment, coupled with delight, that his eyes looked as if they would jump out of his head. He reached over and clutched the other's hand, which he proceeded to squeeze unmercifully, as he burst out:

"Hot-diggetty-dig! but _did_ yeou ever hear o' sech great luck in all yeour born days? Why, it seems like there might be a back door to the Hole-in-the-Wall, after all; which mebbe nary a single boob in the bunch has ever discovered!"

"I figured it all out while down there, and peeking," Jack continued to explain; "and felt certain what you are saying was absolutely true. You see the fissure lies high up on the wall, and there seems to be a narrow slanting shelf running down nearly to the bottom, where green grass is growing that would hide a trail of footsteps wonderfully, if we decided to drop into the valley while night lasted, and investigate; possibly get in touch with friend Simeon."

"Great stuff yeou're a givin' me partner; looks like ever'thing might be arunnin' for a fall with them tough guys. They're so dead sure nawthin' kin reach aout an' git 'em, they trust to dumb luck, an' lays 'raound puttin' on layers o' fat, playin' keerds an' agamblin' away sech cash as they got in the divide-up arter the last scoop."

"Let's hope Fortune will keep on smiling, Perk; but just the same we'll keep our wits sharpened, and let no opportunity for making a point pass us by."

"Huh! guess naow as haow yeou mean we gotter to trust in the Lord, but keep aour powder dry; like the ole Pilgrim Fathers uster do in Colonial days,--as I've read in hist'ry."

"Exactly," concurred Jack, to add, as though he could not quite get over the great satisfaction his latest discovery gave him: "but look at the advantage we now have, being able, as I think is certain, to go and come in and out of the valley, without any one being the wiser."

"Jest so, Jack, we doant need to try an' slip past the sentry we reckoned was on duty at the narrer pass--kinder got my goat wonderin' haow in tarnation we was agoin' to chuck _him_ overboard when the time kim along. Naow we needn't bother headin' thataway, 'less we wanted to keep them boobs plugged up inside the big hole. Doant furgit I fetched along some bombs that cud do the trick, an' mebbe blow up that ere pass sky-high, makin' a reg'lar jumble o' things which they couldn't climb over, it might be."

"Not a bad idea at all, brother," Jack told him, with an admiring look. "When it comes to doing _big_ things, especially with all kinds of bombs, (even to mustard and the tear sort) you take the cake. Wait until we get our final plan going, and we'll see what can be done to give them a great scare. With their leader missing, and the entrance to their valley fort laid in ruins, I reckon they'd cut and run for it, thinking Uncle Sam would now send a force by air ship to round them up."

"Gosh amighty! but things _do_ look good to me, partner," Perk could not help saying again, with his face wreathed in smiles.

"Well, I'm first meaning to take you down through that passage, and let you have a glimpse out through the second fissure in the cliff. I'd like to make certain, if we dared take the risk, that the sloping little trail is safe enough to let us creep down, and come up again, in case we decided to try and get in touch with Simeon this very night!"

"Wow! that same 'peals to me like all get-aout, partner. Le's shake a foot right away an' _go_," was Perk's energetic appeal, as he got to his feet, primed for fresh adventure and discoveries--always ready to "do things."

Accordingly Jack led the way into the hole in the wall, his little hand-electric torch lighting up the passage, so there was no risk of either of them stumbling when they "took a chance," as Perk would say.

Later on, after they had arrived at the terminus of the down-grade, Jack whispered directions in his chum's ear, and started him off to take his first view of the valley floor from that lower level. Perk was extra careful not to expose even his nose, in securing this thrilling survey, and came back fairly bubbling over with excitement, also enthusiasm.

They sat there within sight of the daylight streak, talking in whispers, and exchanging comments on the situation. Afterwards they both crept forward, and commenced a careful survey, even to poking out a head when it seemed judicious and safe to do so.

"Perhaps," suggested wise Jack, after a while, "we'd better get busy at the old stand, where it's easy to watch everything that goes on in the enclosed valley. I want to fix the points so carefully in my mind, that I could move around in the blackest night, and keep clear of the different huts and shacks."

"You would--that's right," commented Perk, firm believer that he was in his best pal's ability to carry on where most other men must give up, and seek help; "any feller what could fly blind through the worst sea o' fog that ever was seen, kin do like he had cat's eyes, an' could see things in the pitch dark."

"You rate me much too high, brother; if I'm any judge you've got far better vision for distances than I ever boasted. But it's always been one of my pet schemes to build up my memory by what you might call a brain photograph that I can depend on to give me my points when in a fog, or the blackness of midnight. But come on, let's be moving upwards again, Perk."

Before another half hour had expired they were once more crouching back of their friendly brush screen, and taking turns in making good use of the powerful binoculars.

"Lucky thing, Jack, we didn't leave these here bully glasses behind by mistake when we fixed to start on this same little jaunt an' adventure," Perk was saying, almost under his breath, as he handed the object in question to his companion, making each movement slowly, so as to keep from attracting attention to the top of the high cliff.

"That could never happen to us, brother," Jack told him, with conviction in his tones; "because wherever we go in our task of getting some particular man the Government wants badly, these same glasses are worth their weight in solid gold--don't make any mistake about that, partner."

"Huh! I'd say six times over, they air, Mister. 'Member haow we used 'em daown there in Florida, when chasin' after them wind-jammer planes the smugglers were usin' to fetch in all kinds o' stuff that didn't pay any duty--hard booze, diamonds, even yaller Chinks what was willin' to set up the long green flimsies so's to get a footin' on U. S. A. soil. They helped us kerry aout aour plans jest fine."

The long afternoon slowly passed, and as evening drew on apace Jack was ready to call it a full day.

"I'm loaded for bear, as they say, Perk," he announced, showing signs of giving up the lookout, with the gathering of shadows far down below in the long valley. "I mean by that I fancy I've got all my bearings down pat, and couldn't better the same no matter how much time I spent."

"Gosh all hemlock! partner, does that same mean we kin get started this very night to make contact with Simeon?" demanded the duly thrilled Perk, backing out on hands and knees from his covert.

"Why waste any more time when there's no need?" Jack told him. "A bad spell of weather might come along to knock our plans silly; or perhaps these chaps down yonder might have some scheme that would take them pretty much all away on a big lay. We couldn't play our hands if the man we want so badly has gone off with his crowd, to hold up some bank, or treasure train, could we? So while the stars hold out to shine up in the sky, and things seem to be fairly quiet with that mob, we'll see what luck we have. I've got it figured out that Simeon must sleep in that dun-colored army tent close to the cookhouse, and dining hall; so that's bound to be our main objective tonight, after we land in the valley."

"Huh! only thing I got to worryin' 'bout, partner, is _dawgs_," said Perk, with a particular emphasis on the last word.

"Yes, I know they seem to have several bow-wows in the settlement; but as a rule they're common riffraff stuff--never a sign of a police dog, or collie; so we needn't anticipate any trouble from such measly mutts, only good to play with, or gnaw a bone. So let's figure we're going to make connections with Simeon tonight, if it's any way possible, or know the reason why."

"Yeah!" Perk added joyously, "Pike's peak--or bust, it is--make it unanimous ev'rybody."