ndy heard about the attempt to injure the monoplane he was in a
tremble.

"Did you ever?" he exclaimed. "Why, it seems as though everything just
wants to knock us. When we give the government officials the merry ha!
ha! and even slip past the revolutionary army, after being bombarded by
their old cannon, here even our own men want to smash our precious
aeroplane, under the belief that it's an evil bird, come to bring bad
luck to the people."

"Better go back to your bunk and forget it," remarked Frank, who was
tenderly rubbing his elbow where it had come in contact with the hard
taffrail at the time he stopped so suddenly, balking at a bath.

"Me? Not on your life, Frank!" declared Andy, with much emphasis. "I'm
going to take a blanket and just lie down in front of that blessed
door. Nobody can get in then without walking over my body. And if I
catch a fellow trying it on, believe me, I'll give him something he
won't forget in a hurry. It'll be touch and go with him, I bet you."

Which he actually did, much to Frank's secret amusement, camping out
there on the floor as close to the locked door as he could get, and
bracing his back up against the same.

But then, fortunately, morning was not so far away and Andy would have
only a couple of hours, more or less, of his self-imposed labor.

They knew that if the pilot of the river expedition said truly, they
must even now be drawing near the town of Magangue. Possibly it would
break upon their vision with the coming of dawn.

Frank himself had no more intention of retiring to his bed than had
Andy, but continued to keep watch and ward until he saw the first peep
of daylight over the port side of the vessel.

Then he communicated the glad intelligence to his chum, and together
they stood there, watching the slow unfolding of dawn. From an ashen
gray the sky began to be marked with brighter hues; pink flushes
traveled along in lines that centered in the spot where the sun would
presently appear, and the gloom of night retreated once more back to its
hiding places among the mountain passes.

"There's the dinky old town!" cried Andy, pointing with trembling
finger.

"It is and no mistake," replied Frank, himself experiencing a sensation
of considerable relief, for at times it had seemed more than doubtful
whether the little expedition could ever overcome the many difficulties
that beset its passage up the swollen river.

And so they came to land just as the gloriou