A Tail Spin

Ablaze

The Mail Must Go Through

Danger

The Cry For Help

Detectives

The Air Mystery of Isle La Motte

I THE STEP-BROTHERS

“I say now, why are you fellows landing here?” The Canadian Mounted Policeman reined in his horse as close to the cock-pit as he could get, and eyed the two occupants in the plane, which had just landed in the southern part of the Province of Quebec.

“You want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” the blue-eyed youth in the passenger’s seat drawled in an accent that could belong to only one part of the world, Texas.

“If you’re telling it today,” the mounty replied. “If not, we’ll get it later.”

“Very true, but you shall have it pronto. From an elevation of three thousand feet we observed you, so we came down to find out if you are riding a real horse, or merely an imitation—”

“It isn’t a bad plug,” interrupted the pilot, whose eyes were blue and they rested with approval on the animal that had aroused their curiosity. “But, if you ever visit Cap Bock, we’ll fork you on something superior—we have a pinto that can—”

“Now, look here, I’m not fooling. You hop out of that and give an account of yourselves,” the mounty ordered firmly.

“Yes, sir.” The two obeyed willingly enough and the man dismounted. When they took off their helmets he saw they were boys, both had tow heads, and they didn’t look at all formidable or like a pair he might have to escort to headquarters. However, duty was duty and he wasn’t making any snap judgments or taking needless risks. There was too much smuggling, to say nothing of illegal immigration across the border, and orders were strict. It was not at all outside possibility that a couple of perfectly innocent looking youths might be the tools or employees of some powerful gang. 

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