at he would
not only scoff at our views that there may be danger, but might be
angry at my taking the step of sending for a party of my
retainers, without his being in any way consulted in the matter.
At any rate, I feel sure that he would refuse to change his route,
without some very much stronger reason than we can give him."

"Then we must let matters go on as they are, Philip. It may be
that really we have been alarming ourselves without sufficient
cause. If the worst comes to the worst, we can make a good fight
for it."

"It is certainly hard on you. You have performed one brave action
for us, at the risk of your life, and now you are thrust into
another danger, perhaps even greater than the first, and this in a
quarrel in which you have no concern whatever."

Desmond laughed.

"Do you not see, Philip, that the adventure is good training for a
soldier, and that, if I am on duty in command of a company, I
shall be all the more useful an officer for having served a sort
of apprenticeship in surprises, ambuscades, and alarms. The
journey has been vastly more interesting than it would have been
under other circumstances. We should have found it dull, without
such matter of interest as this affair has given us, and, even
should nothing whatever come of it, it will have served its
purpose by beguiling our journey, which, in truth, riding at so
slow a pace, would otherwise scarce have been amusing."

"Well, then, it seems that the only thing that we can do is to see
that the servants all keep their pistols charged, and are prepared
to do their duty in case of sudden attack. Of course, at present
they have no idea that any special danger threatens us; but I
shall tell them, before I start in the morning, that we fear the
road is dangerous owing to a band of robbers reported to be in the
forest, and that they must hold themselves in readiness for
action, in case we fall in with any of them. Old Eustace and the
coachman have both got arquebuses. I shall tell them that, should
they be attacked, they are to fire at once, and then the coachman
is to whip up his horses and drive at full speed, while we
endeavour to keep off the assailants."

"That would be of use, if the assailants should be for the most
part on foot, but I think it more likely that they will be
mounted, and however fast this lumbering carriage might go, they
could easily keep up with it. Fight as hard as we may, the
carriage must be overtaken if they