They had but one hundred and fifty miles to travel, I should have had still farther; and, as they would have had three days' start, they should have been there before me; for I heard from the baron that, in addition to the four horses in the coach, they had four others, ridden by troopers, fastened to it where the road was bad." "What would you have done if they had got to the vicomte's chateau--it is, I believe, a strong place--before you could intercept them ?" "I cannot say what I should have done.

I thought the matter over and over again as we rode.

It seemed absurd to think of attacking a chateau with only twelve men; and besides, it would have been a very serious business to assault a noble in his own castle.

There would almost certainly be twenty or thirty men there, at the least, and the ringing of the alarm bell would have brought all his vassals within five miles round to his aid, at once.

I have no doubt that I should have attempted something, but in what way I could form no idea, until I saw the place." The two young men laughed.
"I believe that you would have succeeded somehow, Kennedy," O'Neil said.