Andy had recovered from his recent fright by now and could even laugh.

"I should say nix," he observed; "especially when you know that one little clip on either wing would upset us like a stone. Excuse me, if you please. I'll never be fully happy when flying until we invent some sort of little parachute that in case of a drop will give a fellow a chance for his money."

Another hour pa.s.sed, when Frank declared they had now reached the point where a descent would be advisable in case they found an opening that looked suitable.

"There are the mountains over yonder on the right," he said, "and from now on we had better begin to scour the country, covering every mile just as though we had a comb and meant to explore it all."

The chance to drop came presently, and as the opening proved everything they could desire, a landing was made without the least trouble. Here they rested and partook of a light lunch, having brought plenty of provisions along, together with a gun of the latest repeating type, with which Colonel Josiah had presented them.

Frank, upon looking the aeroplane over a little later, discovered that he had been wise in deciding to make a halt. There was need of some attention. Certain parts had become weakened by the strain, either in the long voyage and handling on board the steamer, or else in this new flight.

He was determined to be thorough in all he did, and this consumed more or less time, so that when he finally p.r.o.nounced the monoplane in perfect condition the afternoon was half gone.

Still, they must go up and put in an hour or two searching. Andy was too wild with impatience to hear of anything else, and Frank saw no reason for not complying.

"But we must be sure to get down again before night comes," he remarked, after they had made a successful rise and were speeding above the top of the thick forest. "If we should be caught out at night I rather guess it would be a serious piece of business." And Andy agreed with him.

For quite a time they soared aloft, Andy using the binoculars almost constantly, watching the country below and occasionally sweeping the distance.

Frank was thrilled to hear his chum suddenly give utterance to a cry, but it was more of amazement than delight that gave birth to this e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n.

"What is it now, Andy; more insurrectos?" he demanded, ready to manipulate the planes and strike for higher regions.

"No, no, not this time," came the quick reply; "but Frank, as sure as you live, there's that plagued old biplane just rising up yonder a mile away. And somehow I seem to feel that it spells trouble for us."

CHAPTER XVI.

THE AIR CHASE.

One hasty glance told Frank that there could be no mistake. Only too well did he know the construction of that same biplane that had in the near past competed with them for honors in the race for Old Thunder Top's crown.

"You're right, Andy," he said, earnestly; "and it seems to me they're heading for us right now. What do you make them out to be? Can you see who is handling the wheel? Is it Puss Carberry?"

"Yes, I'm dead sure of that; but Frank, there's somebody else with him!"

"Sandy?" asked his chum.

"No, it can't be. There, I had a good look at him, and Frank, he's got a beard! It's a man!" answered Andy, in tense tones.

Frank's first action was to move a lever that would change their course and place the biplane directly behind them. His next was to throw on more speed, so that the faithful little motor started to humming with the old-time rapidity that reminded Andy of the occasion when they put it to its best efforts in order to rush ahead of their rival of the air.

"Then we must guess from that Puss and Sandy have fallen into the hands of the rebels, since there are no government troops up here, the senor said," he observed, presently. "Are they gaining on us now, Andy?"

"I don't think so," replied the one who held the gla.s.s, "though Puss seems to be getting a whole lot of speed out of his Gnome engine right now. Reckon he must have overhauled it, or else found some way to put her up another notch."

"How strange to think that our old rivalry is being renewed away down here in this country, thousands of miles from home," remarked Frank, after a while.

"Huh! seems to me there would be something doing if you happened to run across Puss Carberry at the other side of the world," declared Andy.

The race kept up for some time, neither seeming to gain to any appreciable extent. Of course both boys were keyed up to a state of intense nervousness. Pa.s.sing through the air at this fearful speed fully five hundred feet above the ground was surely enough to excite them. One little accident and they would hardly know enough to give a single shout of horror before the end must rush upon them. And yet Frank appeared as cool as though sitting beside a camp fire, laying out some contemplated air cruise on paper.

Andy was full of complaints.

"Aw, now, whatever do you suppose those measly old insurrectos want to chase us for in this style?" he growled. "We're attending to our private business and not bothering them one little bit. Why don't they leave a fellow alone? Goodness knows we've just got trouble enough on our hands without this."

"I don't know," said Frank, reflectively, "but I reckon they either want our monoplane or else believe we're in the employ of the government, and have been sent up here to spy on their movements. Anyhow, it seems plain that they mean to make a big effort to get us."

"Which they won't, if we know it!" cried Andy. "But see here, Frank, that chap is nervy, all right, going up with Puss and standing all this racket. A tenderfoot is generally rattled even with a slow flight. He seems to be holding out."

"I've been thinking about that," replied his chum. "And Andy, it looks to me as if that fellow must know something about aviation. If I could only glimpse him through the gla.s.ses I'd soon tell, for he'd show it by the way he sits there alongside Puss. A new beginner would be hugging the upright for dear life, and showing all the signs of fear."

"Yes, I know, because I did that same," answered Andy, once again raising the binoculars as he twisted his head around.

"How is it?" asked Frank.

"Not much signs of fright about him, as far as I can see," came the ready reply.

"Then make up your mind he's been up in an aeroplane before. Perhaps he's some French or German, who has thrown his fortunes in with the man who wants to sit in the presidential chair at Bogota, and in his own country he must have seen something of aviation. Oh, well, it doesn't make much difference to us. We just have to keep them at a distance and take our chances."

"But Frank--"

"Yes, I know what you're going to say, Andy; that night will soon be coming swooping down on us. That's so, and I'm sorry in one way, for it's going to be a tough old job finding a suitable place to fold our wings on in the darkness. But we're up against it good and hard, you see, and it's what you might call Hobson's choice."

Andy showed more positive signs of anger.

"What business have they got bothering us this way?" he grumbled. "Say, don't you suppose it would be all right for me to try a few shots at 'em with the fine Marlin repeating rifle we're carrying? Perhaps I could give 'em a scare anyhow and make 'em haul off."

"No, I wouldn't think of it," replied Frank, hastily. "You might cause trouble to our own delicately balanced little aeroplane by firing. And then again, what if you brought about an accident and sent them down to the earth like so many stones?"

"But you know those other chaps banged away at us and they didn't bother their heads a cent whether they upset our whole business or not,"

objected Andy, belligerently.

"Two wrongs never make a right, Andy."

"But when they opened fire on us," the other went on, complainingly, "that const.i.tuted a declaration of war, and so you sec, we'd be quite justified in giving 'em back the same kind of medicine."

"You forget that one of those two in the biplane is a former schoolmate of ours and that perhaps he's just being compelled to chase us right now," said Frank.

"Think so, do you?" growled Andy, above the rattle of the exhaust; "well, I'd like to warrant you that Puss Carberry is grinning right now, because of the fright he thinks he's giving us. No, sir, he's only too willing to do anything to upset our plans. I know him pretty well, and I wouldn't put any meanness past that fellow."

Frank in secret did begin to feel more than anxious. The afternoon was almost over and the sun perilously near the western horizon. Too well did he know how rapidly darkness came after the disappearance of the king of day.

He bade Andy pay more attention to the lay of the country ahead of them.