The Air Mystery of Isle La Motte

g crops. Her Highness was kept in the carriage shed under the tool house, because besides raining as if it were never going to stop, there was thunder and lightning, and hour

ph, some jolly old books they found in the attic, and swims between storms. Several times they caught glimpses of th

ole land it will save the alfalfa mea

to be doing it

water isn't

rded weather and waded barefoot along the road, his overalls rolled above his knees, and not even a spl

ue, and not a cloud in sight. The step-brothers came down stairs with

o dance with you Bob, you will h

gan the clattery dance while Jim played an accompaniment on the mo

e demanded. "I never supposed that a

ered. "You ought to s

Mr. Fenton asked. He had just com

e weather,"

an airplane do a ta

ope Her Highness d

The boys

re if you live here, and he said that you two h

Bob exclaim

do that for?"

give us the details of the war while we breakfast. We want to know all about it. It isn'

on. Bob did most of it. I'l

ied emphatically. "If you leave ou

n, satisfy the first pangs of hunger, then begi

fairly interesting account of what happened, and when th

thing queer about your losing it," Mrs. Fenton exclaimed. "If you had lost it, or forgotten it, I should not

for next time," Bob grinned cheerfully. "

wned rat. Come right in, Harvey." The R.F.D. man wore boots tha

in we've had. Did you know, Fenton, that the Carrying Point is covered? The water is going over it like a mill race, and I ha

seems to be for you." Mrs. Fenton gave Austin a long envelope, w

mptly, and scanned the contents, then he smiled with relief that it wasn't more formidabl

ng Bu

tle

participated in the affair at the ravine can be present. You have our solemn word that the dinner is merely a friendly one, and you will not be embarrassed by speeches. A

ncerely

n Ru

fish-hooks, that will

t," Jim reminded

ys tom

dated ye

out, and be ready. Suppose we better we

"If it's informal we don't

. They showed the letter to the

ful what they say," h

u mean?" Bo

iled and throw a soup plate, or some little thing like that, i

Aunt Belle keeps her potato masher. You want to be very careful

that's the case," he chuckled,

roposed, then added, "Old Champlain loo

be after so much

ped, it will fill more. There are so many streams, some big ones, that empty into it all around." She went with the boys to the ba

take you and Uncle Norman up in Her

here are many of the people here who have small farms. My land sakes alive, I expect that some of them are in a bad way righ

walk around,"

age shed," Jim exclaimed as he happened to glance in that d

s see if she'

ake our shoes of

turbulent waters which had risen several feet and were thrashing up to the edge of Mrs. Fent

. "Here are some boots. Aunt Belle says they are water

went down into the yard. Their first care was Her Highness. The water had run up a little way under her, but she hadn't suffered a

se the inundations were deep and many of them ended in treacherous swampy stretches. Where the cedar-rimmed cliff came close to the lake

they stood on a promontory which jutted out in defiance o

we were coming up and you noticed a neck of land, lake on bot

stretch with a be

eir boats across this piece and would get away from the officers, or whoever happened to be chasing them. It's quite historic. A bigger craft coming along wo

hat water. It's hammering in all directions. Too bad if it spoils crops, but it sure looks as if it

hundred have tur

arm place to keep them when the weath

-the-minute house, brooders and everything," Bob replied soberl

hat's a cinch," Jim answered. "Let's take H

fast as the clumsy boots would permit, to the carriage house, where they floated the

ent

located on high ground which was well drained so that even now it was drying rapidly. The boys could see the turkeys in the run-ways and they knew that until the vicinity was no longer drenched, the delicate birds could not be allowed to roam in the larger pens. As there seemed to be nothing special they could learn, they proceeded to fly acro

marked through the tube and Bo

ggested. "I see Hezzy down there." Sure enough the farm's foreman was striding along the edge o

t like us," Jim grinned,

l him we want to help catch the t

now. We can land

As there didn't seem to be much more to see the boys rode on, across to the New York side of Champlain, and before they decided to return they were overtaken by the ma

he other day," Jim dec

sh the gas supply. That evening, with their best suits under flying togs, they hopped off again, this time making straight north toward the border. They soared grandly beneath a brilliant dome of colors reflecte

d come," Ruhel

spread-" Bradshaw began, bu

get much more than the usual mess. I had t

ed as they were led tow

ng anything with him," Bradshaw answered soberly

trade him, let us know

You'd spoil him

t many, but introductions were gotten over with little ceremony, and the dinner started. Because of the young American guests of honor there was no wine served, but that did not detract from

ed. "Jinks, wish we could have bee

moment the blighters would turn their guns on your wings. They would have made their get-away if you had not let us know about the hole the

h, what happe

for his sins with the rest. A couple of them got a

sked. He rather felt the fellows shoul

half," the chief smiled, then went on, "As a matter of fact, from their records in the States,

y. There were jokes, jolly stories, no end of kidding back and forth,

tonight, so I've kept my word, but some of the boys will have a p

n the royal purple velvet surface. The man held them up and solemnly pinned one to each boy's coat. Each medal was of two ribbons, the American flag and the B

Flying

aved on

n't the French section of Canada and you don

or that," Jim lau

our own country as for yours, but let me tell you this, if we ever catch you in Tex

threat or

" Bob

ended if you don't show up at our house," Jim supplemented. He was recovering his poise, and then the Mounties cheered t

im chuckled later as they c

step-brothers did no more talking. They were both busy with their own thoughts. Their minds were occupied with the evening's fun, but in a few minutes Bob began to think of his aunt and uncle and wished very hard that he could do something to help them. The rain had ruined a large part of the crops, and although there was time to plant other things, the year promised to be another bad one

mail plane,"

was mighty chummy to meet a pal of the air, so Bob zoomed up, and soon Her Highness was racing beside the bigger machine. The pilots waved greetings, waggled their wings, then, as the boys had to turn eastward, they waved a good-night, tu

could see. At that moment there was a blaze, a leaping tongue of

s-he's on fire!