"Please describe him."
The captain did so. It was the same description he had given to all the reporters. Norton looked over the rail at the big warehouse.
"Was it an ordinary balloon?"
"There you've got me. My Marconi man says the balloon part was like any other balloon; but the passenger car was a new business to him. It could be driven against the wind."
"Driven against the wind. Did you tell this to the other chaps?"
"Don't think I did. Just remembered it. Probably some new invention; and now it's at the bottom of the sea. Two men, as I understand, went off in this contraption. One is gone for good."
"For good," echoed the reporter gravely. "Gone for good, indeed, poor devil!"
Norton took out a roll of bills. "There's two hundred in this roll."
"Well?" said the captain, vastly astonished.
"It's yours if you will do me a small favor."