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{{frabfp180.png}} || eagles of the sky ||

other quickly adding, "there goes the Lockheed-Vega
spinnin' out o' the lagoon to the open lake
so's to get up enough speed for the take-off. Must
be somethin' mighty special to coax that pilot to
risk bein' seen in open daylight. So he used to
fish in them passages 'tween the mangrove
islands years ago, did he, Jack?"

"Sure did, and they told me his guide some
years ago down there used to be a notorious
smuggler and gulf-stream pirate, no other than
Jim Alderman, right now in the jug over at Fort
Lauderdale on the eastern shore and waiting to
get a hempen collar for murdering three law officers
in August two years back. Of course, he
hadn't started his real career of crime when he
used to be a guide for Roosevelt, Zane Grey, the
writer, and some other famous sportsmen."

"Do tell," murmured Perk, duly thrilled by
what his pal was telling him concerning one of
the most turbulent characters known along the
Florida coasts since those days of old when
buccaneers like Blackbeard, Gasparilla and
others of their ilk roamed the sub-tropical
waters and swarmed aboard such unfortunate
Spanish galleons as chance threw their way.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Jack went on to
whisper, "if he goes under quite another name
while over in this hideout and even manages to
alter his looks more or less. He's capable of play-

[[180]]

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