“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 carefully, and every place where smugglers of any kind might try to break across the border. There has been no end of bootlegging—”
“Thought Canada was all wet,” Bob grinned.
“The provinces have local option and Quebec went dry, so we have to enforce it, but the rum runners are the least of our troubles, although they are bad enough. There’s a lot of objectionable people sneaking in to both this country and yours, besides drugs and jewelry. This is a pretty wild section and it keeps Pat and me on our toes.”
“Noticed from the air it isn’t much settled. Didn’t know there is so much open space outside of Texas,” Bob said.
“I should think you’d have a plane and you could see what’s going on a lot better. With the glasses we knew all about what you looked like before we came down,” Jim remarked.
“There are some planes on the job, but men and horses are necessary—mighty necessary,” the sergeant answered. “The airmen can tell us if anything is moving that is suspicious, but we have to be down here to get it, unless the outlaws are taking the air.”
“Anything special afoot now,” Jim inquired.