"We have distanced them," he said. "What do you think, Stefan—will the castle be empty?"
The soldier shrugged his shoulders.
"If any brigands still occupy the hills about it, they cannot know that our mission has failed."
"These fellows manage to signal very quickly to one another," Stefan answered.
"Then we must fight for its possession. It is our only chance."
"Our chance is a poor one if it comes to fighting," said Stefan.
"We will try strategy first," Ellerey said. "Let us ride easily."
"What happened?" queried Stefan.
"The box did not contain the right token, and they attacked us without a word of warning."
"What of the others?"