Part 3 (1/2)
”We get your ht along and get your invoice--the ht to be off this shallow shore before it swings around any more Don't hold back--Merry Christ to keep tabs on all that was going on, not neglecting his duties with the controls, it can be set down as certain He twisted his neck and cast swift glances first to the right and then in the opposite direction, fascinated by that flashi+ng beacon conversation
”By guhts,” Perk was telling hihted with his opportunity to witness such a proceeding, knowing as he did what this all uy on shore is sure sonal layout--works jest like a Boy Scout e across to another o' the troop standin' on top o' a high peak--nal Corps oes thehts, showin' the chinnin' raet half as analled that he wished to handle the stick once an to look as though they were close to a critical mo the shi+p so as to acco those they spied upon
Already they had ed to collect a certain auessed at previously, so cleverly had these transfer bases been kept concealed froents Perk himself felt confident that they were as yet only on the threshold of still more important discoveries
It was one of Perk's peculiar little eccentricities that he could do better thinking if only he had a bit of chewing gum between his teeth, just to keep some muscles at work, he said, and in soy pass fro jaws to his brain and hasten its activities
So what did he do now but fuarees and produce a slab of his favorite brand, Perk thrusting it into hisit between his teeth, really believed this helped his brain to function more easily
Perhaps it e hallucinations, which, being favored, bring satisfaction to their train of thought If Perk actually believed in his remedy that was half the battle and no other person's business whatsoever
Looking out to sea he could still find that lone beacon, even without the aid of his binoculars It was easy for such an i sloop, loaded to the gunwales with case goods, worth almost aaround on deck, ready to up-sail and flee should the slightest sign of a Coast Guard raid make itself manifest From off toward the distant shore line there ca ears the repeated throb of one or side and transfer their prearranged quota of cases, after which the burden of getting the illicit cargo safely landed would rest on the shoulders of those who ler craft
It was a beautiful little ga hied to reased As the isolated places along the gulf coast ithout nuents woefully pressed to even half cover their allotted territory, the reason for the few arrests that had rewarded the most strenuous efforts on the part of the Coast Guard could be easily comprehended
”And that's just why they picked out Jack, out of all the boys in the service, loaded him up with this here amphibian crate that c'n drop down on land or water, it don't ot hio and turned hi just what this racket is goin' to wind up in, for we've , and we'll either an to convince hi sound of a hu motor, undoubtedly one of those on their way out to the supply boat off shore soh-priced cases as the lists called for
Yes, when the night wind veered or shi+fted a bit he was absolutely certain about picking up the chug-chug-chug that betrayed the presence of the leading speed boat
About this ti on their er ro that the pilot had seen fit to slacken his craft to a considerable degree, though keeping up steerage way The second thing that struck Perk was the fact that they were slowly but surelyoff to the west, which if continued would make their immediate course a co, just as if he expected the other to hear every hich was out of the question with that whirring propeller keeping up its low, sing-song tone ”You got 'eht Don't want to rile the water an' let everybody in on the fact that we're hangin' around here, waitin' for soood policy to in' speed boat”
He was intensely interested in Jack's play for time and listened with his heart al should suddenly stop and the ga on in perfect rhyth like the tattoo of aout its swaro becootten, despite the lapse of ti close to the schooner so that the transfer would soon be an accomplished fact, after which the return trip was due to be started which hen they er pop! if I don't ketch the gruuess now a consid'able bigger craft than the leadin' one Get a rub's on the table waitin' to be swallered--first coo by, so stir your stumps, an' put in the best licks you kno--an' may the devil take the hindmost Hey there! that druot out to the sloop or else smell a rat an' are lyin' low till they hty thrillin' though, and how it does tickle , actually held his breath the better to catch any sound from below
CHAPTER V
A BATTLE ROYAL
Jack, being desirous of ascertaining just as taking place over where the sloop laden with contraband was anchored, did his best glide or coast, a feature at which he was ine ceased to function and the whizzing propeller lost much of its dizzy momentum, both he and Perk strained their ears so as to catch any sound calculated to infor on
The trick proved worth while, for plainly they couldsound that Jack iht be caused by the rush back and forth of a small hand truck on which cases of imported liquid refreshment were loaded
This told the story to the effect that the speed launch side with its intended cargo being delivered with no loss of ti ith machine-like precision, the speed boat would soon be fully laden and started back toward so to transport the cargo to Ta, or some other city to the north