human
Mebbe naow, partner, he called out,
gpt
Just fishing again, eh, Perk--want to know what I think covering the game, isn't that so? Well, listen, and I'll put a flea in your ear.
human
Go to it, partner--I'm agreeable, an' wantin' to be informed,
gpt
Among those documents I examined there was one fact I laid some stress on, which consisted of a statement that the Secret Service man who sent his report in, and then seemed to disappear utterly from the knowledge of all men, declared it to be his opinion these hideout big guns in the criminal world, working under our old friend Slippery Slim Garrabrant, had some sort of an _airship_, with which they were doing a rattling good business--perhaps you slipped up on that particular fact; but I figured we might run across that plane, sooner or later, and have considerable bother with the same.
human
Hot-diggetty-dig! then Jack, you mean it could a been that crate we heard abeatin' time on aour tail; an' mebbe chasin' us like hot beans--tell me, is that what hits you so hard, matey?
gpt
I have a pretty strong idea it was their ship, covering a well-known course from the coast to this valley in the rocky unknown territory too rough even to have been explored, as it was believed to be worthless for even mining purposes. As to whether those aboard were trying to strike us in the fog, that's still a mystery, and must remain such for the present.
human
Then do yeou guess they knowed we was ahead on the same track, eh, Jack, ole hoss?
gpt
Remember Perk, that as far as we know they didn't change their ceiling at any time--just kept booming away at the same level. That being the case they couldn't have heard the sound of our own motor working, as their exhaust would deafen them completely; for we only caught the racket behind us when we were shooting the shoot, with our engine shut-off.
human
Good enough for us, buddy--then we got a clear field ahead, an' c'n foller aour own plans right along.
gpt
For the time being; but don't forget we've got rough sledding ahead. It all depends on how long we'll be held fast in the grip of this accursed fog pack. Running blind isn't a very satisfactory way of getting along, especially when you only know the country through rude charts that may be all right, and then again sprinkled with errors that are bound to be full of danger to us.
human
Hit an' miss, Jack, we're used to takin' the chances--it's all a part o' the followin' we're rappin' in. We jest got to do aour best, an' leave the rest--aint I been adoin' that same mighty near all my whole life? an' seems like little ole Perk he's still on deck, able to eat his three good meals a day--whenever he c'n git the same.
gpt
It's after midnight, Perk.
human
So it be, partner; an' we muster gone a good many hundred miles since jumpin' off--strikes me we orter be clost to the goal we had in aour minds; if so be we been keepin' on a di-reck course, with no wabblin' to check us aout.
gpt
I figure that way myself, replied Jack;
human
Which would mean we got some hours to kill, 'fore mornin' comes along to give us a show fur aour money, eh, Jack, ole boy?
gpt
There's only one way to do that, snapped the other;