dly; so that they could hope to continue the search as long as
their supply of gasolene held out.

"I'll never give up hunting," Andy declared, as he stood there, watching
his chum potter with the engine and examine things in general. "No, not
as long as this fine little machine stands by us. We can get more
gasoline if necessary, for we brought a good supply aboard the
boat. When we've gone as far as we dare down this way we'll make another
start further on."

"I'm with you, Chum Andy, and you don't need to be told that," observed
Frank, quietly, while he worked on.

"As if I didn't know that and counted on you through thick and thin,"
declared the other, with a look of sincere affection.

"Well, now we're ready to go up again," remarked Frank; "and there's no
use asking if you feel like it. So pile in and we'll make a flying start
from the top of this rocky plateau."

"What a difference from our last start," observed Andy, with
satisfaction, for they were on an elevation with a valley far below, and
the air was decidedly bracing for the tropics.

"I should say it was," laughed Frank. "Do you know what it puts me in
mind of?"

"I bet you're just thinking of when we won that race to the summit of
Old Thunder Top, where nobody had ever been able to climb before, and
how we had to make our start for home from that little plateau, plunging
off into space."

"Just what I was," declared Frank. "But here we have a longer swing and
it's going to be a snap of a launch compared with some we remember."

"Ugh!" grunted Andy, "will I ever forget the one this morning. But let
loose, my boy. I had just sighted a likely looking place away over
yonder, at the time you said we ought to take advantage of this fine
landing stage, to look things over. Just head her that way when we get
going, will you?"

"Sure; anything to oblige," assented the other.

The launch was just as easy as they had anticipated. Indeed, Frank
seemed to have gotten this part of the programme down to a fine point
and could accomplish it apparently as well as a Wright or a Curtiss.

Ten minutes later and the monoplane was soaring toward the region which
Andy had denominated as a "likely spot."

"Look at that big bird watching us from that pinnacle yonder!" exclaimed
Andy, as he lowered the glasses for a moment.

"I see him," replied his comrade. "And there's no doubt now but what
that is a condor of the Andes. He thinks we must be some sort of bird,