[ZoomStats] Troduce his crew as Pete Deveaux, Chuck Cross

[Hazell <go...@bo...>]

 not see a yard in front of them, so thick were the smoke and gases. It
was a trying time. Fortunately Tom had taken the best course he could.
Five minutes passed--ten minutes--fifteen--and then the air began to
clear. Slowly the curtain lifted; and presently looking back, they saw
that they had passed the volcano and were leaving it and the island well
behind. Its fires, too, seemed to be burning out. Only a few forks of
ghostly light were coming up from the crater. These grew fainter and
fainter, and in a little while the eruption seemed to have entirely
subsided, for Timor was swallowed up once more in the impenetrable
mantle of night. CHAPTER XXVI IN AUSTRALIA Shortly after five o'clock
the next afternoon, Paul saw ahead and to port what appeared to be haze,
but which he and Tom hoped was the coastline of Australia. Ten minutes
later the observer joyfully pointed out to the pilot unmistakable
evidence of an island upon which stood a tall object--Bathurst Island
lighthouse. John and Tom were routed out, and all saw the rugged outline
of the great island--a continent itself, as large as the United States
and much the same shape--stretching away to the southward and slowly
dwindling into low, sandy, barren shores as it went. Less than forty
minutes later they were circling over Port Darwin, on the northwest
corner of the continent, while a good-sized crowd of people down below
pointed excitedly upward. The flyers soon made out the landing-field by
reason of its white marker, and swooped gracefully down, while those
below cheered. Two zealous customs officials were anxious to examine the
new arrivals, also a health officer; but this did not take long, and
during the process they were able to converse pleasantly with Mr. Seth
Partlow, the British official in charge of the field, also with the
mayor of Darwin, who gave them the most cordial welcome. They were sorry
to learn that Pete Deveaux and his flyers had departed less than a
half-hour before their own arrival; but they had been expecting such a
report owing to the fact that they had been left so far behind at
Singapore. They now determined to hurry up refitting operations, and
leave at the first opportunity, hot upon the trail. Messages were
dispatched to Mr. Giddings at Panama and to his