back contents forward {{frabfp213.png}} || eagles of the sky || If Perk had been so eagerly praying for something to breeze along that would give him the thrill he loved so well, his wish seemed well on the road of being realized since everything was set for a dramatic discovery with its attendant speedy action. It was apparent that after all the man could ocr> riot have glimpsed their vanishing faces as they fix> not have glimpsed their vanishing faces as they ducked so swiftly, for he continued to advance in the direction of the well and Perk could hear him softly singing, just as though he might be a "musical cuss," as Perk told himself with one of his customary chuckles since his first stab of alarm had passed off under the realization that they had another chance. Jack, too, was telling himself what a peculiar state of affairs had come upon the stage--here, with an ambush lying in wait before him, this man could step blithely along, swinging his aluminum bucket and softly warbling one of the most recent hits from a comic opera--Jack had himself heard the song on the boards of a great metropolitan theatre in New York--had even caught himself whistling the catchy air more than a few times since. The man who seemed to be so well pleased with his fortunes while basking in the favor of the wealthy chief of smugglers had a little surprise waiting for him at the end of his rainbow [[213]] back contents forward