back    contents    forward

{{frabfp100.png}} || eagles of the sky ||

the sloop and proceeded to scatter his material to
the best advantage all over any exposed part of
the contraband vessel.

It necessitated a second trip before he felt
satisfied for whatever his shortcomings might be
in other respects, Perk always tried to fulfill his
whole duty whenever he tackled a job.

By the time he had finished he was "reeking
wet" as he called it, with "honest-to-goodness
sweat," not perspiration, but it was worth all it
cost to be able to feel that the sharpest vision on
the part of a sky pilot passing over the spot, and
even equipped with powerful binoculars, would
not be able to detect the presence of the sequestered
runaway sloop.

"Good enough," he told himself, as he lay
down to rest a bit and scan the blue heavens so
as to learn whether there was any sign of a cloud
chaser from horizon to horizon where the clumps
of mangroves allowed him a clear vision.

Several times he gave a little start, and proceeded
to strain his eyes so as to make doubly
sure, but in every instance the moving dot he had
noted far away to the north or nor'east proved to
be a circling buzzard, keeping up his eternal
weaving to and fro in search of a belated breakfast
after his own peculiar kind.

So the time passed, and Perk even dozed,
lying there amidst his "Palm Sunday greens," as

[[100]]

back    contents    forward