"If it could only be written up and sworn to," said Andy, enthusiastically, "I reckon it'd go down in the annals of aeroplaning as the most wonderful stunt carried out up to date. But people won't take our word for it."
"We've got the evidence of it, though, in the person of your good dad, and people may believe what Professor Bird says over his own honored signature, however much they might doubt the yarn of a couple of boys," Frank remarked, as he took a last look, to see that both his passengers were snugly settled, ere starting the motor.
"We're on the home stretch now!" declared Andy, after they had again mounted up into the realm of space and found their course northward.
"Yes," observed Frank, "we're homing pigeons now, if any kind of bird."
"At any rate," laughed the professor, "we're birds of passage, and one of them is mighty glad of the opportunity to get back into the old world again."
In due time they sighted the town, and as before, the greatest excitement followed as they headed across the place, looking to land where the journey had begun—in the yard of the cocoa planter's place.
Of course Señor Carlos was delighted with the success of the mission. For two days the Bird boys were the center of an enthusiastic demonstration. Frank was a little nervous lest they be visited by some of the revolutionists, but such did not turn out to be the case. And on the third morning the little steam yacht once more headed down the turbulent Magdalena, with a heavy rain promising more water to add to the flood, as wet weather had seemingly set in again.
They met with no difficulties on the way down. Apparently the camp of the revolutionists had been moved from its former position at the narrows of the river. It might be those in charge had taken the alarm and feared lest a government force must be on the way to capture them, after being informed about the camp by the spies they had sent up the river.
And Barranquila was finally reached, where they halted only long enough to chat a short time with Señor José, who met them as before on the quay and wanted to shake hands with the professor.
Knowing just how anxious the government was to get possession of airships just then, Frank did not want to give them any further chance to confiscate his neat little craft, under some pretense or other. So they left the city at the mouth of the Magdalena and steamed away, bound once more for Maracaibo, where they meant to take steamer for New York, New Orleans or any port in the States.