For fifteen seconds there was a strange terrible silence as the eyes of the two men met.

In that quarter of a minute Nathaniel knew that he had not guessed rightly.
Strang was not afraid.

He would not tell him where Marion was.

The insuperable courage of this man maddened Captain Plum and unconsciously his finger fell upon the trigger of his pistol.

He almost shrieked the words that he meant to speak calmly: "Where is Marion ?" "She is safe, Captain Plum.