Eagerly they answered the questions, cheerfully they submitted to the examination of their effects, and then fell silent and subdued, oppressed by the suspense that hung over the ship like a cloud.

Crew and passengers alike underwent the most rigid questioning, the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the young and the old.
Early that morning, in fact some time prior to the time that Percival told his story, the wireless operator reported that his transmitter was out of order.

While he was satisfied that the apparatus had not been tampered with, he was plainly affected by the rather grim coincidence.
He was an old and trusted man in the service, competent, efficient and loyal.
His assistant, the night operator, however, had made less than half a dozen voyages on the Doraine.

He was an Englishman, a cripple; twice he had been rescued after vessels on which he sailed were sent to the bottom by German submarines.

His credentials were flawless.