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{{frabfp077.png}} || eagles of the sky ||

him if only he gave them as little trouble as
possible.

So once again the pair set out to finish their
exploration of the object of their latest "strafing"
feat when a battle had been brought to an abrupt
close with all hands in full flight simply by a
dextrous movement of Perk's arm and the
tossing of a couple of innocent looking tear-bombs
into the midst of the warring factions.

This time it was Jack who made the discovery.
Perk saw him step over, while they were still on
deck, and lift a ragged tarpaulin that seemed to
cover some bulky object toward the stern of the
sloop. After that one look Jack gave the well
worn covering a hitch and a toss that sent it flying
revealing something that caused Perk's eyes
to stick out with astonishment, not mentioning a
sudden spasm of delight.

ocr>   "Wowl what's this I'm seein' partner?" he
fix>   "Wow! what's this I'm seein' partner?" he
yelped joyously. "A reg'lar engine or I'm a
crocodile from the Nile! Why, this must be
what they call an auxiliary craft, fitted to use
canvas or hoss power, whichever fills the bill
best. You c'n ditch me if this ain't what I'll call
luck. An' heaps of it."

"I had a sneaking suspicion we'd run across
something like this," confessed Jack, who nevertheless
seemed just as well pleased as his comrade
over the find. "It's taking too big a chance

[[77]]

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