The Great Airport Mystery quotes

“Wasn’t my fault. You fellows wouldn’t stop. I was afraid I was going to hit you. That’s why I lost control of the plane.” The pilot was working himself up into a temper.

“You’ll pay for this, let me tell you. My plane is wrecked and I was mighty near killed just because a couple of fool boys didn’t know enough to stop.”

Frank and Joe Hardy stared at the man in amazement. The injustice of the charge passed belief. They were just about to reply angrily when they heard voices and saw men hurrying down the road toward them.

“I’m not drunk,” stormed Ducroy. “I’m nervous.”

“You must have a pretty bad case of nerves to make your breath smell so strong,” rejoined the farmer calmly.

“I’ll bet the air mail service won’t keep you on very long after this, when they hear what I’ve got to say.”

“Can’t you see? I’ve had an accident.”

“You picked a nice day for it,” observed the driver, glancing up at the sky.

Giles Ducroy lost patience. He went over to the wreckage of the plane and burrowed among the debris until he found the mail bags. These he hauled forth and tossed into the truck.

“There!” he said. “Get them to Bayport as quick as you can.”

“Yes, Commander!” said the truck driver, with an elaborate salute. “The air mail must arrive on time. If I run out of gas I’ll come down in a parachute.”

And the big truck lumbered off.

They had no idea how far Giles Ducroy might go and they realized that the man would certainly stretch the truth in order to clear himself with the airport officials.

Like most boys, they believed that a man in uniform was vested with powers beyond that of the average citizen

and they reflected that the officials might be more inclined to believe Giles Ducroy’s word than theirs.

“It sounds good,” admitted Jacobs, a short, ill-favored man with squint eyes. “But it’s mighty risky.”

“Nothing venture, nothing gain,” said Ducroy, taking a swig from the bottle.

“That’s true,” said Newt Pipps. “But I’m not anxious to get a bullet through me.”

“Better be careful. If mother finds that package in your pocket she’ll think you’ve been smoking.”

“Mother knows us well enough to know we don’t smoke,” Frank said.

“I have a hunch that this little package may come in handy some day.”

“Why not let us wait until after lunch? We want to go home and eat and change our clothes.”

“Orders is orders,” insisted Smuff firmly.

“The chief wants to see you right away.”

“A scandal!” fumed Hurd Applegate.

“A shame and a scandal!”

“You’re right, Elroy!” declared Mr. Applegate. “It is a shame and a scandal. I never heard of anything so disgraceful. The Hardy boys in jail! Impossible! And bail set at fifty thousand dollars! An outrage!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be in charge of the plane,” declared Ducroy.

“I could fly a baby carriage if it had wings. Your precious neck is safe enough.”

“Well, here’s twenty-five hundred dollars,” said Jacobs. “That’s my share.”

When Frank rang off, he saw that the farmer was regarding him curiously.

“Looks as if you boys are smarter than you seem,” he remarked.

“What are you? Detectives?”