The Radio Boys with the Border Patrol

by Gerald Breckenridge

Copyright, 1924
By A. L. BURT COMPANY

CONTENTS

I. [The Army Flyer.] 3 II. [“That Devil Ramirez.”] 11 III. [Don Ferdinand Disappears.] 24 IV. [Word from Don Ferdinand.] 33 V. [Off to Laredo.] 42 VI. [Hit from the Rear.] 52 VII. [Don Ferdinand Again.] 61 VIII. [“Important Developments.”] 70 IX. [The Bull Fight.] 80 X. [Ramirez!] 91 XI. [Commandeered.] 102 XII. [A House of Mystery.] 111 XIII. [Captain Cornell Investigates.] 121 XIV. [A Novel S. O. S.] 130 XV. [Bob Has an Idea.] 139 XVI. [Setting the Trap.] 148 XVII. [Through the Tunnel.] 158 XVIII. [The Enemy Strike.] 166 XIX. [Captain Cornell Strikes a Clew.] 173 XX. [Don Ferdinand Explains.] 182 XXI. [On Ramirez’s Trail.] 193 XXII. [To the Rescue.] 202 XXIII. [Ramon Talks.] 213 XXIV. [Jack Surrenders to the “Enemy.”] 223 XXV. [Conclusion.] 231

THE RADIO BOYS WITH THE BORDER PATROL

CHAPTER I.
THE ARMY FLYER.

The tall, sun-browned man whose active sinewy figure belied his fifty years closed the switch, whipped off the headphones and smiling fondly turned to his visitor.

“Let’s go out to the field, Captain Cornell,” he said, “and you’ll see as pretty a landing as any flyer in the Southwest can make. That was my boy Jack. Radioed he’d be here in ten minutes.”

The uniformed army flyer from the Laredo flight of the Border Patrol smiled and nodded. Younger than Mr. Hampton by many years, in fact but half his age, he yet found his host a congenial spirit. Since his forced landing that morning on the terrace which the Hamptons had cleared on their Southwestern ranch, the two men had found much in common to discuss. Already they were fast on the way towards becoming real friends.

Together they stepped from the radio shack into the hot sunshine. After the comparative coolness of the interior with its whirring electric fan, the outdoors was like a furnace. League on league the mesquite covered plains stretched away to the distant needle-like peaks of the westward range, unbroken by building of any sort; by tree or moving object.

Behind them, however, lay the group of ranch buildings. There was the long low main structure, built of timbers and ’dobe, thick-walled, with cool interior and a shaded patio built about a spring. To one side rose a spindling tower at the foot of which crouched the radio shack. On the right was the corrugated-iron hanger, radiating heat like an oven in shimmering heat waves; and towards this the two men made their way.