They squeezed the hand of the fine old Colombian gentleman with vigor. Never would Andy forget how he had spoken concerning his interest in the sacred duty that had brought the son of the missing aeronaut to his country.
Frank had given strict orders that none of the crew should go ashore, and also that no strangers be permitted to board the craft while they lay there at the old wooden wharf.
"But," said Andy, when they were speaking about this matter, as preparations began to leave the port, "that hasn't prevented the crew from holding an animated confab with those ashore. There has been a constant jabbering and laughing between our fellows and those others."
"Yes," admitted Frank, "and I've seen several of the crew talking mysteriously with some of those chaps. I wish now the señor had thought to indicate which was the secret agent of the revolutionists he saw on the dock. But all the same I've marked the two fellows I suspect, and I'm going to keep a close eye on Enrique, and the little fellow with the quick motions we call 'Cospita,' because he's forever ejaculating like that."
"And if you find out that they're meddling with the boxes?" asked Andy.
"H'm! I guess it'll be a bad day for Enrique and the jumping-jack, that's all," laughed his cousin. "But there goes the cable, and it looks like we might be off at last."
"I'm not sorry, for many things!" declared Andy, with a sigh of positive relief. "The good señor got me scared by what he said about his government wanting just such things as our little 'Bug'; and that the officials might have orders to find some sort of ridiculous excuse for grabbing it."
"Same here," admitted Frank. "In fact, that bothered me a whole lot more than the chances of trouble along the river from the boys who want to get their man seated in the president's chair, where he could hand out the loaves and the fishes. We can resist them, and be backed by authority; but if the government officers once took us in we'd have to give up our job. And that would break your heart, Andy."
"Yes," said the other, drawing a long breath, "I'm afraid it would. Listen! There goes the whistle. I told the pilot not to make more fuss than he could help when we drew out."