ety on the part of Tom and
John, but when dawn finally broke they felt like uttering a "hurrah,"
and called Paul and Bob up from their sleep to witness the cheering
sight ahead of them.

At a distance of what must have been close to fifty miles, was a white
patch in a haziness of green plain surrounded by hills and low
mountains. The land itself was encircled by the sea, and when they saw
a great peninsula spreading away to the northward, they knew that the
island was Ceylon, and the other land the peninsula of Hindustan.

Somewhat off their course, they wheeled a little north. Soon details
became apparent in the island. The white patch grew, developing into a
considerable town--Colombo.

They swept up and around it, then settled, and climbed stiffly out of
the Sky-Bird not twenty yards from another airplane, about which four
men in flying-suits had been working. These fellows looked toward the
new arrivals scowlingly.

But our flyers, overjoyed to think they had caught the _Clarion's_
crew, only smiled back indulgently.

CHAPTER XXIII

BOMBED BY ROCKS

Our friends had landed in the lowlands just to the north of Colombo,
whose scattered buildings contained upwards of a hundred thousand
inhabitants, most of whom were native Singhalese, descendants of the
colonists who came from the valley of the Ganges and settled the island
five hundred years before the birth of Christ. To the southward arose
the rocky headlands of the coast, and to the westward could be seen the
somber peak of Pedrotallagalla, the highest mountain of the island.
Numerous ships, some very crude and with queer sails, were in the
harbor as the boys landed, and scores of natives in short skirts were
loading and unloading these. Undoubtedly the huge square boxes which
some of them carried aboard so easily upon their heads contained tea,
for which Ceylon is famous.

The person in charge of the landing-field here was a Mr. Young, an
American clergyman connected with the local Baptist mission. This tall
gentleman came forward, accompanied by the British governor of the
island, within a few moments after the flyers struck the ground. In
fact, they were still stretching their cramped legs and arms when he
greeted them and introduced the governor, Sir Henry Hurst.

"Young men, I am more than delighted to shake hands with you," said the
governor. "It looks as if you and the other crew over yonder were upon
an epoch-making tour, for you a