The adventure furnished a fruitful theme for discussion when the boys were once more back in the comfortable cabin of the airship. Hiram, however, continued to expatiate on his great catch and greater loss.
“I’ll bet it was a dolphin pulled me out of the boat,” he declared. “Just think of it, fellows—catching a dolphin! That’s something to brag about.”
A storm set in within the hour and the Albatross speedily sought a higher level. All the boys knew about it was what Mr. King told them the next morning. The pleasing swaying motion of the giant craft had lulled them to sound and refreshing slumber.
It was again after dark the next evening when the cook came into the cabin, and looked at Mr. King in a manner that made the airman inquire curiously:
“What’s on your mind, Demys?”
“Why, I found a window broken in the room just beyond the larder,” reported the cook.
“Hailstone, maybe,” said Mr. King, casually; “you know we had some last night.”
“Yes, I know that,” replied the man. “Later to-day I noticed two more panes of glass cracked right across.”
“Perhaps the big strain of the wind in the storm last night weakened them,” suggested the airman.
“Maybe,” assented the cook, vaguely. “Funny thing, though. I set a pan of beans in the room to cool before supper. When I went after them just now I found nearly half of them gone.”