Freddy and the Perilous Adventure by Walter R. Brooks Read Free Book Online Page B

“You saved our lives,” they said.
    â€œPshaw!” said Freddy modestly. “That’s nothing.”
    â€œOur lives may be nothing to you,” said Alice tartly, “but they are pretty important to us.”
    So Freddy apologized. He wasn’t quite sure what he was apologizing for, but as a general thing, if anybody expects an apology, the polite thing is to give it to them. It saves a lot of wear and tear.
    Although their adventure had been pretty terrifying, one thing they had learned through it: they were not very far from home.
    â€œThe storm must have blown us back towards Centerboro,” said Freddy. “If we could get down now, we could be home by supper-time. What do you say: shall we let down the grapnel and try to hook on to a fence or a tree? Then maybe we could pull the balloon down and get on the ground.”
    The two ducks looked at each other. Then Emma said: “If you want to go home now, Freddy, Alice and I are willing. But—” She hesitated. “Why, dear me,” she said, “if anyone had ever told me that I should really enjoy being blown around the sky, and half starved, and thundered at, and chased by men with guns, I wouldn’t have believed them. Our Uncle Wesley enjoyed that kind of thing, but Alice and I have always been home bodies. Of course I have been simply terrified a good deal of the time, but now that I am not terrified any more—well, sister, what do you think?”
    â€œI think you are showing a spirit of which Uncle Wesley would be very proud,” said Alice. “For myself, I came out to have adventures, and if there are any more to be had, I say—have them. I am quite willing to continue our voyage for a time.”
    â€œWell, that’s fine,” said Freddy. “We don’t need to ask the Webbs: they’re game for anything, I know. Now there is one reason why I would prefer not to go home right away, and that is that apparently the police are looking for us. That means that Mr. Golcher thinks we have stolen his balloon, and has got out a warrant for our arrest. If we go home now, the police will catch us and put us in jail, and nobody will believe our explanation that the valve cord wouldn’t work. But if we bring the balloon back to Mr. Golcher ourselves, or at least leave it somewhere and then find him and explain, I think everything will be all right. Because there’s a lot of difference between being arrested with the stolen goods in your possession, and returning them to the owner yourself.”
    â€œThe police are undoubtedly looking for us,” said Emma. “Look down there.”
    They were passing over a road, and as Freddy looked he saw a white police car beside which stood two state troopers. They were looking up and waving their arms and shouting, and although the balloonists couldn’t hear what they were saying, there was no misunderstanding what they wanted. One of them even pulled out a pistol and fired two warning shots.
    â€œWe’d better just pretend not to understand,” said Freddy, and he leaned over and waved and nodded. The troopers shook their fists and motioned, but Freddy pretended to misunderstand, and he continued to wave and even blow kisses until the balloon had drifted over the next hill.
    â€œI’m afraid you have made them very angry,” said Emma.
    â€œWell,” said Freddy, “they can’t prove I knew what they wanted. My goodness, lots of people wave to us.”
    â€œThey don’t shoot pistols,” said Alice.
    â€œThey probably would if they had them,” said Freddy. “And now let me see; that road down there runs west into Centerboro, and then northwest to the farm. The wind is taking us a little to the north of that, into the hills above Centerboro. So let me tell you what I plan to do, and see if it meets with your approval.”

Chapter 7
    It was late in the morning before the balloon drifted over