They said it was heart failure. But to-night another expert says
in the Star--here, I'll read it: 'The real cause was
carbonic-acid-gas poisoning due to the pressure on the mouth from
driving fast through the air, and the consequent inability to
expel the poisoned air which had been breathed. Air once breathed
is practically carbonic-acid-gas. When one is passing rapidly
through the air this carbonic-acid-gas is pushed back into the
lungs, and only a little can get away because of the rush of air
pressure into the mouth. So it is rebreathed, and the result is
gradual carbonic-acid-gas poisoning, which produces a kind of
narcotic sleep.'"
"Then it wasn't the gyroscope in that case?" said Kennedy with a
rising inflection.
"No," I admitted reluctantly, "perhaps not."
I could see that I had been rash in talking so long. Kennedy had
only been sounding me to see what the newspapers thought of it.
His next remark was characteristic.
"Norton has asked me to look into the thing," he said quietly.
"If his invention is a failure, he is a ruined man. All his money
is in it, he is suing a man for infringing on his patent, and he
is liable for damages to the heirs, according to his agreement
with Browne and Herrick. I have known Norton some time; in fact,
he worked out his ideas at the university physical laboratory.
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