Frank laughed a little as though the recollection of the fright of the crew would always seem more or less ludicrous.
They sat there and watched until the mysterious biplane had completely disappeared in the hazy distance that marked the coming of evening.
"You don't think then," asked Andy, when it had vanished from view, "that Puss and his biplane could have fallen into the hands of the Colombia authorities and that they're using it for scouting to learn the movements of these ragged revolutionists?"
"No, I don't," was Frank's quick response. "You said you could positively make out Puss at the wheel, and I'm almost sure it was Sandy with him. They must have slipped into the country without giving their secret away. Trust sly Puss for knowing how to do that sort of thing. He never goes around with a brass band, telling what big things he has on tap."
"That's right. Why, just think, not a soul knew about his old biplane until he had it about done. We were working in the open almost, telling much of our plans, but Puss pretended to be mighty envious and asked questions, when all the time he was meaning to beat us out. Of course, he could get into Colombia without giving his secret away. You don't need to tell me, Frank, you're surprised at that."
"No more I am. But there goes the sun. How quick it seems to drop out of sight down here," Frank remarked.
"Sure," laughed his cousin, "but all the same I fail to hear any bang. You remember the Irish immigrant who heard the sunset gun at a military post in America for the first time and on being told that it denoted sunset, innocently exclaimed, 'Sure, the sun niver goes down in Ould Ireland wid a bang like thot!" But already the dusk is creeping out of the dense woods on to the river. And I'm getting hungry. It must be near supper time. I wonder what the folks up home are doing right now?"
"Just what we are, likely—waiting to hear a welcome sound that will call them in to feed. And there comes little Pepito to blow the conch shell that he uses for a dinner bell. Come, Andy, get a move on you. Another night and then we are going to do business at the old stand. It will be just fine to soar above this strange country and see for miles and miles—mountains, valleys, rivers, tropical forests, and everything that we've never looked down on before."
The two young aviators went into the cabin for supper. They fared very well insofar as food was concerned. Of course, both of them missed the home cookery. The native who attended to this part of the program did his level best to please, and he certainly had plenty to work with. But his Spanish style of serving even the most ordinary dishes of tinned meats with a dash of garlic was beginning to pall upon the taste of the American lads.
Frank had even started to show him other ways of cooking, and they had hopes of converting the cook by slow degrees.