The Air Mystery of Isle La Motte

In Short

Set along the treacherous waters of Lake Champlain and the Vermont borderlands, The Air Mystery of Isle La Motte follows teenage step-brothers Jim Austin and Bob Caldwell as they embark on a summer of aviation and amateur sleuthing. Flying their beloved aircraft, "Her Highness," the Texas-raised pair stumble into a web of local enigmas, including cross-border smuggling, hidden underground escape routes, a secretive foreign boy, and turkey thefts. Written by E. J. Craine, the novel captures early twentieth-century enthusiasm for juvenile aviation adventures, blending fast-paced aerial drama with classic mystery tropes and small-town American resilience.

The Story

The narrative opens in the southern province of Quebec, where step-brothers Jim Austin and Bob Caldwell land their plane, Her Highness, only to be questioned by a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman. The officer warns them of active smuggling and illegal border crossings in the area. Unfazed, the boys travel to the Vermont countryside to stay with their relatives, Mr. Norman Fenton and his wife, Aunt Belle. Enchanted by the picturesque green hills and blue waters of Lake Champlain, the boys decide to set up a secret detecting bureau to solve three local mysteries troubling the region.

Their airborne adventures begin almost immediately. While navigating heavy spring storms and treacherous lake currents, Jim and Bob use Her Highness to scout the region from above. During an excursion near a secluded cove, they discover a mysterious silver box containing knotted, colored strings. When they return it to a young, secretive boy named Corso and his uncle, the pair express overwhelming gratitude, dropping to their knees to kiss the step-brothers' hands.

As tensions rise along the border, the boys become informal allies to the Mounted Police and local officers like Bradshaw. From the cockpit, Jim spots a group of bandits who are using a camouflaged green truck—driven by an associate named Pedro—to evade law enforcement through hidden underground cave passages. Spotting the escape attempt, Jim scribbles a warning note and drops it to the officers below. After a tense pursuit, the Mounties, led by their Chief, apprehend the gang, thanking the boys for their daring air support.

Meanwhile, severe weather triggers catastrophic flooding across Lake Champlain, destroying property and stranding local residents. Jim and Bob pivot from crime-fighting to mercy missions, flying low over swollen waters to spot stranded families on rafts and rooftops, dropping food supplies, and directing power-boats to rescue victims.

During the chaos, the brothers investigate ongoing thefts at a local turkey farm run by Mr. Fenton’s neighbor, Burley, and managed by a suspicious foreman named Hezzy. Suspicious of Hezzy's behavior and his mistreatment of watchdogs, Jim and Bob fly over Isle La Motte to inspect the property. They gather decisive evidence proving that Hezzy has been stealing hundreds of turkeys and concealing undocumented immigrants in an old house.

The story concludes swiftly as the local Selectmen use Jim’s aerial reconnaissance to arrest the border-intruders for deportation and recover the stolen livestock. With Aunt Belle’s farm saved from financial ruin by a generous wire transfer from Texas and the mysteries solved, the step-brothers relax, looking forward to future flying adventures.

How It Unfolds

A border encounter Jim and Bob touch down in Quebec and are confronted by a Mounty on horseback, who cautions them about illegal border activity before the boys fly south to their relatives' Vermont farm.

The silver box While exploring near the lake shore, the step-brothers find a dropped silver box containing knotted strings, returning it to the mysterious youth Corso and receiving a surprisingly emotional display of thanks.

Thwarting the bandits From the cockpit of Her Highness, Jim notices a gang of bandits escaping through an underground tunnel into a camouflaged truck, dropping a handwritten note to help the Mounties capture the gang.

Flood and rescue missions As Lake Champlain overflows its banks, the boys fly dangerous supply and search missions over the raging waters, guiding rescue boats to stranded families on rafts and isolated land masses.

Unmasking the farm thief Investigating mysterious losses at a neighboring turkey farm on Isle La Motte, Jim and Bob take to the skies to uncover evidence against the foreman, Hezzy, leading local Selectmen to apprehend the culprits.

The People

• Jim Austin: The pragmatic, observant older step-brother from Texas who co-pilots Her Highness and takes the lead in writing notes, analyzing clues, and managing ropes during rescues.
• Bob Caldwell: The energetic, lighthearted younger step-brother who pilot-maneuvers the plane through sudden windstorms and floodwaters while sharing Jim's passion for detective work.
• Mr. Norman Fenton ("Uncle Norman"): The boys' warm and hardworking Vermont uncle who manages his farm through high waters and welcomes the step-brothers into his home.
• Mrs. Belle Fenton ("Aunt Belle"): A dedicated, practical Vermont woman known for her home canning and dandelion wine, who nervously takes her first flight in Her Highness.
• Corso: A mysterious, dark-eyed foreign youth working on property terraces, who reacts with profound, dramatic gratitude when the boys return his dropped silver box.
• Bradshaw: A dedicated Canadian officer who collaborates with the boys to track border smugglers and stop underground escapes.
• Hezzy: The surly foreman of the nearby turkey farm whose suspicious actions draw the Flying Buddies' attention during their aerial patrols over Isle La Motte.

In Its Own Voice

"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--"

Bob jokes lightheartedly with a Canadian Mounted Policeman upon landing their plane in a southern Quebec field.

"There's a raft out there," Bob shouted.

Bob alerts a power-boat crew after spotting a family stranded on a crumbling wooden raft amidst the swelling floodwaters of Lake Champlain.

"Weather report. Fair and warm, tonight and tomorrow," he announced.

Bob reads the radio update to his family after a day spent rescuing flood victims and helping law enforcement secure Isle La Motte.

What It's Really About

The Air Mystery of Isle La Motte explores the intersection of modern technology and civic duty during the early era of aviation. Beneath its adventure-novel surface, the story emphasizes how new innovations—represented by the airplane Her Highness—can be harnessed for community good, law enforcement, and humanitarian relief rather than mere thrill-seeking. The novel also highlights themes of neighborly solidarity and rural resilience, showing how small Vermont communities pull together during natural disasters like major flooding. Through the step-brothers' adventures, the narrative argues that courage, resourcefulness, and keen observation are essential tools when confronting lawlessness and supporting local authorities across international borders.

Why Read It Today

This book will appeal to fans of classic series fiction, early aviation lore, and vintage American adventure stories like The Hardy Boys or Tom Swift. It offers a charmingly straightforward reading experience that captures the cultural enthusiasm for flight in the post-Lindbergh 1930s. Readers who enjoy localized historical geography will appreciate the evocative backdrop of Lake Champlain, the Vermont borderlands, and rural island life.

While the story moves at a brisk pace, modern readers should expect period-typical dialogue, regional slang ("gosh all hemlock," "cracky"), and straightforward melodrama common to early twentieth-century syndicate publishing. The narrative treats complex issues like border control and immigration with simple, black-and-white period attitudes, but the core focus remains firmly on aerial action, flood rescues, and wholesome brotherly camaraderie. What stays with the reader is the cheerful optimism of its young protagonists and the dramatic depictions of early barnstorming-style aviation put to heroic use.