OUT OF THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE.
Frank took the first watch.
It was to begin about ten o'clock that night; for both of them had remained on deck, talking, up to that hour. The night was so comfortable after the hot day that they disliked going into the sleeping quarters. These happened to face the deck, however, so that the vessel was admirably suited to cruising in tropical regions.
"Every thing seems to be going on decently right now," remarked Andy, yawning, as he prepared to have a few hours' sleep.
"That's so," returned his chum. "But while we've got some of the faithful ones on duty, we mustn't forget that there may be other snakes aboard. Enrique and the little shouter may not have been all the sympathizers with the revolutionists. And not for a minute will we relax our vigilance."
That was Frank's way; and just now Andy fully approved of it. His heart was so set upon having a chance to use the monoplane in the endeavor to discover that strange cliff-enclosed valley, where his father was imprisoned, that he did not mean to take any chances of losing out through over confidence.
So he packed off to his berth, while Frank prepared for three hours of lonely vigil. He expected to make the rounds just about once in so often, and have a few words with the man at the wheel. Felipe had declared that it was his intention to keep busy himself through the night, since he dared not trust the wheel in the hands of an inexperienced pilot while darkness lasted.
In the morning he could give directions, and allow an assistant to do the work, while he secured some rest.
There was no moon after early in the evening, when the young queen of the night disappeared in the west, leaving the bright stars to control the skies.
The boat continued to make good headway against the current, though at this season of the year the Magdalena is bank full with the summer rains, which fall almost every afternoon in a deluge.
A searchlight sent a dazzling shaft of light far ahead on the troubled surface of the booming flood. This was an absolute necessity, for otherwise it would have been too dangerous bucking against that tide; laden as the river was with floating tree trunks of gigantic size, that had been swept from their resting-places in the lowlands above.
Once Frank had seen a wild animal crouched on one of these great logs. The boat passed so very close to the floating refuge of the beast that ere darkness claimed the strange craft with its stranger cargo, Frank had been able to see the tawny hide of the crouching beast, and note the quick, jerky motion of its long tail.
Upon hurrying to the pilot house and making inquiries of Felipe he learned that, just as he suspected, the animal was a jaguar, the most feared inhabitant of the tropical forests away off at the headwaters of the Magdalena and Orinoco rivers.
There was a spice of peril hovering over the progress of the little boat during every hour of that night. It might come in the sudden leap of a wild animal, that judged any port would be better than a floating log. Then there was a chance of their running afoul of a monster derelict, in the shape of a drifting snag, that might punch a hole in their bow, and bring about trouble.
On top of all was this unseen peril from the revolutionists, who were making the Magdalena country the center of their renewed activity, for some reason or other, and had their minds set on securing the first aeroplane ever known to be in Colombia.
The time passed away. When three hours had really gone, and all seemed well, Frank awoke his chum. Generous to a fault, he might have held out much longer, for he did not feel exhausted; but Andy, who knew him like a book, had made him promise faithfully, on his word of honor, that he would arouse him at exactly the time agreed upon.
"Everything lovely, and the goose hangs high!" Frank said, as the other joined him presently on deck.
"That's good," replied Andy. "And as it is now one o'clock, with no trouble doing, looks good to me that we'll pull through the night without a mess."
"You never can tell," observed the careful Frank. "And the only way to do is to act just as if you felt positive something was bound to crop up."
"I know it," came the reply, as Andy started to walk up and down a bit, so as to get the last remnant of drowsiness out of his system.
For an hour he found little trouble in keeping awake. He made frequent trips to where Felipe stood at his wheel, his keen eyes keeping constant vigil ahead, in order that he might steer clear of such snags as threatened to stove a hole in the hull of the steam yacht.
Now and then Andy could see one of the crew moving about; but as some of them must have duties to perform, even in the night, he did not look upon this as a suspicious circumstance. Only, he made sure that no one wandered in the near vicinity of the locked lazerette, where the precious monoplane lay, securely crated.
In some places the river proved much narrower than in others. And, of course, it was here they had their greatest trouble. The current was increased, for one thing. Then the floating objects swept forward with more speed, so that it required additional dexterity in order to avoid them.
But old Felipe knew his business well. Andy believed they had made no mistake in leaving matters fully in his hands.
It was about the end of his second hour that the pilot volunteered some information that gave Andy more or less uneasiness.
"Just ahead, young señor," he said, when for the fifth time the boy entered his deck pilot house, "we come to the narrowest place in the whole river at this section. And there, if anywhere, I expect that they will be waiting for us."
"Do you mean the revolutionists?" exclaimed Andy, interested instantly.
"No other, señor. If we manage to get past there, all will be well. But they may be encamped on both shores, and demand that we draw in under penalty of being fired on," Felipe went on, without removing his snapping black eyes for even a single second from the ever-moving panorama of shifting water and floating debris, that the searchlight disclosed ahead of the laboring boat.
"But nothing must tempt us to obey; no matter if they send volleys aboard. The distance is too far for them to do much damage; and I hear they are as a rule pretty punk shooters."
Felipe may hardly have known what that word meant, but he could give a guess.
"But sometimes, young señor, they even have cannon!" he remarked.
"You don't say!" ejaculated Andy, in new alarm; but he quickly caught himself, and went on. "Let 'em try it then. We'll just shut off the searchlight, and take our chances for a while with the old floaters on the river. Then perhaps they won't see anything to bang away at. Anyhow, just make up your mind, Felipe, we don't haul in, not while the blessed old tub keeps above water."
"It is good to hear such brave talk," said the old pilot, chuckling. "Me, I will keep going straight ahead, no matter what comes, until I have the order from you to turn the boat. Yes, let them shoot, señor. After all, I do not believe they could hit the side of a palace in this dark."
All the same Andy thought he ought to arouse his cousin, and make Frank aware of the new threatening peril.
On hearing the facts, Frank agreed with all the one on guard said, even to being ready to extinguish the useful searchlight when the critical moment arrived.
"We'll just have to take chances, that's all," he declared. "Even if we came swat up against one of those floaters, that's no reason we'd be snagged and sunk. They make these boats pretty strong, over there across the big pond, and I guess our hull could stand a hard punch."
"Yes," remarked Andy, feeling easier, now that Frank was on deck, ready to take matters in his able hands; "and after all, it's a choice between two bad things, in which we pick out the lesser. Hang the old insurrectoes, I say! Why can't they just pay attention to their own business, and let us two peaceful Bird boys alone?"
"Well," laughed his chum, "you know how it is yourself, when you want something pretty hard. And they've got the notion in their stubborn heads that if they only had a modern, up-to-date aeroplane, they could just make the miserly old government come to terms instanter. Don't blame them too much, Andy. Maybe you and I would do the same thing—if we were Colombians, and on the outs."
"Looks to me like there was something like a fire ahead, Frank!" declared Andy, right at that juncture.
"I say, you're on the spot every time, old fellow," observed the other, as he shaded his eyes to look. "There's a sharp turn ahead, where Felipe says we enter the narrow place. And I honestly believe they've got a bonfire burning on the right-hand bank."
"Then, after all, shutting off our bully little searchlight won't do us much good," complained Andy, regretfully.
"Don't you believe it," Frank hastened to remark. "A fire isn't going to reach all the way across the river, which is pretty wide, even at its narrowest part. And depend on it, our clever old wheelsman will keep just as snug up against the left hand shore as he dares go."
All the same, despite these assurances from his cheerful chum, Andy confessed to a secret feeling of apprehension as they drew closer to the point of land beyond which the danger possibly lay in wait.
It seemed to him that every conceivable species of peril threatened the sacred enterprise, upon which he had so eagerly embarked. From various sources did harm hover over their heads. And even though they passed safely through all these, there must be many more to come, after they had launched their little airship, and started to explore the strange regions of this tropical land.
"It's a fire, all right, Frank," he said, as they negotiated the bend, and opened up a new vista ahead.
"Yes, that's so for a fact," returned his chum. "And notice, will you, Andy, how old Felipe has managed to keep over well toward the port shore. He sized up the situation all right, and knew how to act."
"Yes, Felipe tells me he used to serve in the army. Many a battle he has been through, not only in Colombia, but in other countries as well. He was once something of a soldier of fortune. But where are you going, Frank?" as his comrade started to leave him.
"I must warn the crew to keep out of sight, or they may be hit, if there happens to be any shooting going on," called the other, over his shoulder.
He found that every member of the crew seemed to be awake, as if they had talked the situation over, and also guessed where the trouble would lie in wait for the venturesome young Americano señors.
So Frank gave his warning, and saw that they obeyed. While they were in his employ he felt a certain degree of interest in these ragged fellows, and did not wish to be held responsible for any damage they might receive, if inclined to be reckless at times.
When he once more reached Andy's side the latter was looking through a pair of marine glasses they had fetched along, thinking they would prove especially valuable in scrutinizing the country over which they might be passing in the aeroplane.
"They're our friends, the revolutionists, I reckon," he announced. "I can see several who carry big swords that dangle around their heels. And the common soldiers, while they have little if any uniforms, and some of them no shoes, seem to all have guns in their hands. Here, look and tell me what that is on the little rise. I'm afraid our worst fears are going to come true."
"Well, you're right, Andy," replied the other, after he had clapped the binoculars to his eyes. "That's a cannon, all the same, and they're getting ready to shoot!"
"Oh! my! It makes a fellow's flesh just creep, to think of being banged away at with a great big cannon!" declared Andy.
"This one isn't so very big, I think. And now we're nearly opposite where the fire burns. They're going to make a move to show their hand. Drop down flat on the deck, Andy—quick with you!" and Frank, as he spoke, set the example himself.
Hardly had the two boys thus thrown themselves down than there was a heavy boom, accompanied by a brilliant flash of fire from the shore.
The revolutionists had fired upon the little steam yacht!