school?”

“Sure, but his mother said I had to go too,” Jim grinned.

“Not so good.”

“It was not so bad because his father said that when we finished the course, it was four years, we could have an airplane, he’d see that we were properly instructed in its chauffeuring. We were both hipped about flying,” Bob answered.

“So we went to the school, did the work in two years and a half, learned piloting on the side, then went home and made the old man keep his word. Meet Her Highness,” he waved his hand toward the plane which was a beauty.

“I’m glad to,” the officer grinned broadly. “Now, tell me what you are doing here.”

“You haven’t told us anything about yourself,” Bob reminded him.

“Later.”

“Bob’s mother has a sister, Mrs. Norman Fenton, and she lives on a farm on North Hero Island. In the summer time she takes tourists and calls the house, Stumble Inn. We came to see a bit of the world and to pay her a visit. Arrived yesterday and this morning took a hop over British soil. We like it even if it isn’t Texas.”

“That’s generous of you. I’m Sergeant Bradshaw on border patrol duty, the horse is Patrick. He was imported from one of the western states, don’t know which one, but he was a bloody beast when he was wished on me—”

“Somebody had mistreated him,” Bob announced. “He’s got a scar on his leg. Looks like a short-hitch hobble that cut him.” The boy stooped over, took the hoof in his hand and Pat submitted amiably to the inspection.

“Reckon it was done with raw-hide,” Jim declared. His fingers gently manipulated the old wound and Pat turned his nose about to sniff at the youngster.

“Pat doesn’t usually make friends with strangers. You must have a way with horses,” Sergeant Bradshaw told them.

“We came out of the sky to meet him,” Bob reminded the man.

“Dad told us before we started north to make our trip as profitable as possible by learning all we can. It’s against our principles to ask impudent questions, but we should like to know what you have to do,” Jim announced and Bradshaw laughed heartily.

“I have to patrol this territory, watch the roads 

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