, do you suspect that some
of those same chaps may have been Colombians?"

"I'm dead sure of it, and more than that, old Quito gave me to
understand he believed they were connected with the junta that was
pushing this new revolution in Colombia."

"Yes?" Andy said, in a way that plainly invited further explanation.

"Stop and think," Frank continued. "Suppose now, they conceived the idea
that it would further their forlorn cause a heap if they only had such
an airship, and could threaten to drop all sorts of bombs into the camps
of the government troops!"

"Good gracious! I suppose that is so. I never thought of that, Frank!"

"You know how nervous and excitable these people are? Don't you think
they'd give the government the worst scare it ever had? And couldn't
they make almost any sort of terms of settlement?" Frank demanded.

"Yes, that's true. Then you imagine those fellows may have planned to
somehow steal our aeroplane, and that they've sent word ahead to their
friends along the Magdalena to look out for us?" was Andy's startling
question.

"Partly that. But don't you see, Andy, the little monoplane would be
utterly useless to them unless they had some one who knew how to run
it?"

The other gave utterance to a low whistle, just to indicate how his
feelings had been stirred.

"You mean they might try to capture _us_ in the bargain, and force us to
operate the aeroplane? But suppose we did, what would hinder our just
sailing away, once we got up in the clouds? Tell me that, Frank?"

"Oh! well, I'm not looking that far ahead," smiled the other. "Possibly
they might only let one of us go up, keeping the other as a hostage. Or
perhaps, there might be a fearless revolutionist officer aboard with
that one, sworn to shoot at the first sign of treachery. But don't let
us cross a bridge until we come to it."

"That's right. We don't want to fall into the hands of any ragtag
revolutionists, and we won't! We've got our work laid out for us, and
nothing must stop us. All the same I'm going to keep an eye on that
precious case in which our aeroplane is boxed, as well as the
engine. And Frank, I'm carrying the little shooting-iron Colonel Josiah
gave me as a parting present."

"Ditto myself," replied the other, in a low tone, as one of the crew
happened to draw near, while getting ready to make a landing at the
wharf. "He told us that down in this country it paid to be ready for
trouble; though I keep hoping we'