Tony looked at him with an expression of amazement. "I say!" he exclaimed. "They haven't wasted much time."
"It is not in the way of Da Freitas to waste time," agreed the Colonel.
For a moment Tony remained silent. "Well, what are you going to do?" he asked. "It seems to me that unless you can stop this interesting little arrangement the whole thing's finished. You can't expect people to go on fighting for a queen who's already on the throne."
Saltero came a step closer still. "There will be no wedding," he said grimly. "By ten o'clock to-night the Princess will be in our hands."
He paused, as if to allow the statement time to sink in.
Tony indulged in a low whistle. "By Jove!" he exclaimed. "How are you going to work it?"
Once more the Colonel glanced round the cabin, and then sunk his voice to a kind of low rumble, which was apparently as near as he could get to a whisper.
"We have found out that the Princess has been taken to the Château of Saint Anna. It is in the mountains, ten miles from Portriga. The Count de Saint Anna is an old friend of Pedro's father."
"Are you going to attack the place?" Tony put the question quite quietly, though his fingers had tightened a little upon the cigarette that he was holding.
The Colonel shook his head. "It is impossible. There is only one road up through the hills, and all the approaches to it are held by Da Freitas' soldiers. A hundred men could defend it against an army.'