He gripped Vallancey by the wrist.

"You saw them ?" he demanded, and his voice had a husky, unusual sound.

"You saw them ?" "With these two eyes," answered Vallancey, "and I spoke with them." It was true, then! There was no room for further doubt.
Wilding looked at Trenchard, who shrugged his shoulders and made a wry face.

"I never thought but that we were working in the service of a hairbrain," said he contemptuously.
Vallancey proceeded to details.

"Dare and Chamberlain," he informed them, "came off the Duke's own frigate at daybreak to-day.