"Looks like a winner, sir," replied Peter. "The quadruplane is reported passing over Calcutta."
"Next to beating Fritz myself, the Jap is the fellow I hope will do it," remarked Fosterdyke. "By Jove! I'd like to know where von Sinzig is and what he's doing."
The "Golden Hind," now virtually a heavier-than-air machine, was doing her level best to make up for the unlucky contretemps that had delayed her for eight precious hours. Unaccountably the reduction of the volume of brodium in her ballonets, although the rigid aluminium envelope had not appreciably contracted, had resulted in a marked increase of speed. Judging by the time she took to cover the distance between Panama and Nevis, in the Lesser Antilles--a distance of 1250 miles--her speed over the water was not far short of 190 miles an hour.
"If those two props had not been crippled," lamented Kenyon, "we'd be doing a good two hundred."
"I'm content," rejoined Fosterdyke, "provided we can keep it up. If we don't lap Z64 in another twelve hours, you can jolly well boot me, Kenyon!"
A few minutes later the wireless operator appeared and handed Fosterdyke a long written message.
The baronet's face was a study of varying emotions as he read the news. Kenyon, watching him, wondered what had happened. Not that he was surprised; after the experiences of the last week or so, it would take something very much out of the common to take Kenneth Kenyon aback.
"Evidently our friend von Sinzig has butted in where he didn't ought," remarked Fosterdyke, handing his companion the slip of paper.
It was a general Marconigram communication to the Press Agency, and read as follows:
"Hobart, Tasmania, Thursday. The schooner Myrtle, Abraham Prout, master, arrived here this morning in a damaged condition. Her master reports that in lat. 43° 15' S., long. 141° 20' E., the schooner was hit by a falling object, which Captain Prout subsequently brought into port. Examination showed that the object in question was an airship observation box or basket. In it, fortunately intact, and with the safety vane locking the detonator-pin, was an incendiary bomb stamped with the broad arrow. Experts here agree that the bomb is certainly not a British Government's missile, and by certain markings on the observation basket it is safe to assume that it belonged to a German airship. The basket and the bomb are being forwarded to the Commonwealth Air Board Headquarters at Sydney."