It will be found that when Herbert takes twelve, Robert and Christopher
will take nine and fourteen respectively, and that they will have
together taken thirty-five nuts. As 35 is contained in 770 twenty-two
times, we have merely to multiply 12, 9, and 14 by 22 to discover that
Herbert's share was 264, Robert's 198, and Christopher's 308. Then, as
the total of their ages is 17½ years or half the sum of 12, 9, and 14,
their respective ages must be 6, 4½, and 7 years.